As a follow-up to my previous post on good ice-cream shops in Singapore, here's a Business Times review on several shops.

Estivo Gelateria
26 Greenwood Avenue
Tel: 6469-6763
Open from 10am-10pm from Tue to Sat. Mon, from noon, and Sun, from 1pm

All the gelato flavours here are natural-tasting, not-so-sweet or milky, but what really stands out are the fruity sorbettos which are somewhere between an icy sorbet and a denser gelato. The grapefruit is refreshing, with a natural bitter aftertaste, and the cantaloupe too, simply lifted the palate. Priced at $2.80 for a small cup and $3.90 for a large cup.

Island Creamery
10 Jalan Serene, Serene Centre, #01-05
Tel: 6468-8859
Open from noon to 9pm from Mon-Fri; Sat till 10pm, and Sun, 2-7pm

If you like your ice-cream super creamy and on the wild side where flavours are concerned, here's the perfect ice-cream parlour. Takeaways come in nice white plastic tubs which are definitely useful to collect and re-use. Stanley Kwok's specialties are local flavours like cendol and teh tarik, and then there's pineapple tart pieces in vanilla ice cream, with funkier flavours like Tiger Beer sorbet and Guinness Stout ice-cream. A single scoop sells for $2.50, and a takeaway tub, $8.

SweetStix
2 Pandan Valley,
Acacia Court,
#01-203 Tel: 9800-8728
Open 11am-10pm daily

A laid-back ice-cream parlour with American-styled creamy rich ice-cream, this is a place to head for if you want a booze buzz but still look angelic about it. The rum & raisin could go up in flames if you light it, although the raisins are pebble-hard and petrified. The champagne chocolate also tastes like a moet & chandon bottle had been poured into the tub, while the horlicks flavour is the genuine article, but can be a tad too cloying after a few spoonfuls. Each scoop sells for $2.50 and takeaway tubs are $8 each.

The Daily Scoop
41 Sunset Way
#01-04 Clementi Arcade
Tel: 6463 3365
Open from 11am-9pm, Mon-Thur; till 10pm on Sat; and 2pm-9pm on Sun

Despite being an ice-cream joint, The Daily Scoop's offerings are more similar to gelato which means they'll be perfect for those who like their ice-cream less milky or creamy and cloying. The lychee martini is very pleasant, while the cempedak captures the fruit's natural tastes. The durian however is rather bland despite assurances that it's made from Malaysian durians and not Thai. The chocolate also tastes like it was made from cocoa powder rather than chocolate bars. It costs $2.90 per pop, while double scoops go for $4.50.

Venezia Gelateria
Guthrie House,
1 Fifth Ave, #01-01
Tel: 6468 3656
Open daily from 9am-10.30pm on weekdays; closing at 11pm on weekends

Now, if only the girls serving you at Guthrie House had a more cheerful disposition, going to this gelateria would be a perfect outing. Venezia makes very consistent high-quality and delicious gelato. Visually, each tub is also topped with signature swirly, billowy waves of gelato beckoning you every time you pass by a Venezia outlet in many of the malls around the city. Chocolate-based and nutty flavours are tops, while local flavours are also blended very well. Its latest outlet is at the Singapore Art Museum, where you can have a gelato in style.

Wild Hibiscus
Polar Cafe, #B1-02 City Link Mall
Tel: 6835 9909
Ice-creams available daily from 11am-10.30pm

The flavours here have a pretty feminine character, given the use of herbs like lavender and elderflower mixed with mainstream ingredients like chocolate and banana. The balance is not quite there yet however, as the chocolate and lemongrass tastes mostly chocolatey, and the orange and lavender tastes like lavender, with bits of lavender husks in the ice-cream which you have to find a way of spitting out gracefully unless you want it to count as roughage for the day. The elderflower sorbet is quite light and refreshing.