If you think vanilla ice cream is — well, vanilla — you will be impressed by Monarchs & Milkweed at Bugis.
One of the best gelato cafes in Bugis, Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato promises unorthodox flavours like Brown Butter Sage, Rhubarb Buttermilk and Brown Butter Lapis Spice.
Our honest review of Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato
Since their inception in 2020, Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato has been steadily launching unorthodox flavours after unorthodox flavours. They started with more botanical inspirations such as brown butter and sage and rhubarb buttermilk, before simply going ham on their concoctions.
So far, we’ve seen Brown Butter Lapis Spice, Kueh Bangit, Peanut Sesame Swirl and more.
Do note that this gelato cafe seem to rotate their offerings quite quickly, so if you eye a flavour that you’re interested in, don’t take too long to visit them!
Single scoops are priced at $5 each, with an add-on of $1 for premium flavours. You can get this with their Pepper Cone ($1.5) or Waffle ($6.8).
Fun fact: Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on the leaves of milkweeds, which contains a sticky white sap that’s toxic to most animals except monarchs.
Even if you wanted the classics flavours like vanilla and chocolate, Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato strives to give you more.
Chocolate is elevated with hazelnut paste. This combination is also known as the Gianduja, a flavour invented in the 1700s. Meanwhile, even their simplest vanilla is made with premium Tahitian vanilla, known for its natural intense aroma and complex flavours, which comprises an underlying layer of spices and cherry.
What we tried at the cafe
The Pistachio had a deep nutty flavour, comparable to Apiary’s, a gelato cafe at Tanjong Pagar renown for its pistachio gelato. Not the strongest aroma, but definitely the creamiest we have tried.
We paired it with the Burnt Butter Sage which had a rich buttery mouthfeel, counterbalanced by the freshness of the sage.
Their handmade Pepper Cones were simply irresistible. Reminiscent of Birds of Paradise’s Lavender Cones, Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato’s variation gives the ice cream a more balanced flavour, as the pepper burns through the decadence.
Get them by the tub!
Can’t get enough of Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato? You can also purchase their gelato by the tub at their cafe in Bugis. Each tub costs between $18 and $22.
Our verdict
So what’s our review of Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato?
Before we even browsed the flavours, we were already mesmerised by the aesthetics of the Bugis cafe. It had a mix of royalty and rustic, with its teal and gold colour scheme against a bricked wall.
The gelato flavours were really innovative and the founders of the cafe have what it takes to actually formulate a recipe for them, despite how crazy some of them sound. I also appreciate the frequent rotation of flavours.
Special shoutout to their pepper cones.
Location: 802 North Bridge Road, #01-01, Singapore 198770
Opening hours:
Monday: Closed
Tue-Sun: 12-10pm
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