Harbour City Focus

Is that the first hint of an autumn breeze we’re feeling in Hong Kong? With cooler temperatures on the horizon, it’s time to make the most of these last few sweltering summer days by maxing out on our favourite cool-down indulgence – ice cream. 

Thankfully, the times when artificially sweet and overly rich ice creams ruled the freezer aisles are behind us – and there’s a whole wave of delicious new gelato joints out there to prove it. Japanese dessert parlour I Cremeria, which just opened its first Kowloon location in Harbour City, is a case in point; in fact, one whole section of its menu, Frutta Crema, is dedicated to soft-serve ice cream parfaits made using an abundance of fresh fruit rather than relying on synthetic flavours and syrups. Premium seasonal ingredients are the order of the day here, with current favourites including juicy peaches, hand-picked Shine Muscat grapes and the store’s signature deluxe melon parfait, where the ice cream is served within a Japanese musk-melon – definitely good for one or two of your recommended five-a-day fruit portions, we reckon.

For something even lighter, try I Cremeria’s recently launched line of kakigori. This super-refreshing shaved ice dessert is made from frozen Japanese natural mineral water and flavoured with real fresh ingredients, such as yuzu or tea leaves, with absolutely no additives or artificial flavourings 

Meanwhile, Italian gourmet chocolatier Venchi is putting their century of confectionery expertise to good use with its range of high-quality gelati. Just like the brand’s famously healthy chocolates, their ice cream is also created using only the finest natural ingredients – and without the use of vegetable refined oils, hydrogenated fats, synthetic additives or artificial flavourings either.

As a result, Venchi gelatos are significantly lower in calories compared to many other ice creams on the market – and with an ever-rotating range of mouth-watering flavours on offer including blood orange, fig, guava and hazelnut, that sounds like a win-win to us.

Godiva’s soft-serve ice cream cones have proved particularly popular since their launch in Hong Kong in 2013 – and there’s good news for those that found its signature dark chocolate flavour a little too rich for their palates. The beloved Belgian brand has now introduced two new lighter flavours, the Vanilla White Chocolate cone and the Godiva Chocolate Twist, which swirls the vanilla white chocolate flavour with the original chocolate variety for a refreshingly complex taste sensation. 

Plus let’s not forget about the health benefits of two of the most popular ice cream flavours du jour – matcha and dark chocolate, “superfood” ingredients that are high in anti-oxidant levels and boast purportedly potent detoxifying properties. For dark chocolate ice cream, heritage chocolatiers Godiva and Venchi have got you covered, whilst both Venchi and iCremeria offer authentic matcha flavour ice creams, with the latter two using traditional uji-matcha imported especially from Kyoto. And of course, eating any type of ice cream is certain to stimulate your happiness hormones by triggering a release of euphoria-inducing endorphins. So maybe those guilty pleasure ice creams aren’t something you have to feel quite so guilty about any more… in moderation, of course!

I Cremeria, Shop OT G03A, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 2386 6266

Venchi,Shop OT G16A, G/F Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui;+852 3101 9981

Godiva, Shop 3222, 3/F, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 2175 5701