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Gelato Secrets was first established 10 years ago in Bali’s cultural and wellness hub Ubud, and first branched out to the capital starting in 2017 — with stores at Shophaus in Central Jakarta’s Menteng area, Setiabudi One, and Citywalk Sudirman. Last month, the brand opened two more stores in South Jakarta, first at Como Park in Kemang and Crumble Crew in SCBD area.
Looking at Gelato Secrets’ stores in Jakarta, you’ll probably notice that they are all located in shopping malls or lifestyle “destinations” with many shops and restaurants clustered together, so it looks like the brand’s strategy is to lure customers looking for a post-meal dessert or mid-shopping snack break.
You’ll be able to locate Gelato Secrets’ shop as soon as you enter Crumble Crew since it’s located right at the entrance area. Just by seeing the store, with its nature-inspired interiors using wood and rattan furniture as well as accents of forest green and millennial pink, you’ll get those eating-healthy-in Bali vibes straightaway.
Which is rightly so, because they only use locally-sourced natural ingredients for their gelato and sorbetto. At the event, Gelato Secrets’ founders Maria Indah and Gregory Lentini said they source their ingredients from farmers located in several regions across Indonesia. They also said that they believe in fair pay for farmers, who provide them with not just fruits, but also fresh, high-quality vegetables and spices. Their efforts so far have resulted in a much-deserved slow food certification for Gelato Secrets.
If you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, you should check the small icons that are included on every flavor label — we appreciate that bit of helpful pictography, which clarifies which flavors contain dairy, nuts, gluten, eggs, and/or soya.
We also got to try most, if not all, of the 24 gelato and sorbetto flavors on display that day. We started with the Stracciatella (vanilla gelato with chocolate shavings mixed in) and Vegan Dark Chocolate, the latter of which is made without any milk. The Stracciatella was nice, without being too overly sweet, while the Vegan Dark Chocolate tasted like a more tart version of the typical chocolate gelato.
Then, we had three sorbetto flavors: Lemon-Chia Seed-Aloe Vera, which could be too sour for some unsuspecting tongues, but still had the right amount of sweetness; the Mango Harum Manis and Strawberry, which was not unlike a frozen strawberry margarita; and the Banana & Dragon Fruit, which tasted exactly like a refreshing smoothie bowl with both fruits blended together.
Other notable flavors to try, among others, are: the Durian gelato (the fruit is sourced from the North Sumatra capital of Medan and tastes just like the freshest of the King of Fruits), Cheese Cake with Passion Fruit Sauce (a great balance of creaminess and tartness); and the fragrant Rose Petals and Jasmine Tea.
However, among the best selling-flavors, we couldn’t really get into the vanilla-flavored Bamboo Charcoal gelato, because it had an uneven, clumpy texture that we couldn’t get past.
We also tried their homemade waffle topped with Milk Tea & Coffee Jelly — which became one of our favorites due to its subtle tea flavor — as well as the Vanilla Bean gelato. Aside from the main menu, they also serve espresso-based drinks, including affogato, tea or chocolate drinks paired with one scoop of gelato.
We would gladly swing by one of Gelato Secrets’ stores to have our dose of frozen delights or to bring a large pint home to enjoy with our loved ones. The prices are pretty affordable, too — the small cup is IDR33,000 (US$2.4) or IDR38,000 (US$2.7) for the small cone, while the large cup is IDR66,000 (US$4.7). There is also a Gelato Secrets’ small party pack, which costs IDR120,000 (US$8.6), and a large party pack for IDR220,000 (US$15.7).
BTW, we also got a heads up that Gelato Secrets’ will release a special limited edition flavor to commemorate the Indonesian Independence Day on August 17. Watch this space for an update on what that flavor is when it gets released.
FIND IT:
Gelato Secrets is at Crumble Crew, Jl,. Tulodong Bawah No. 1A, SCBD, South Jakarta
Phone +62 811 906 144
Open 9am-10pm, daily
Gelato Secrets has 4 other locations at Shophaus Menteng, Setiabudi One, Citywalk Sudirman, and Como Park Kemang
Gelato Secrets’ Coconuts Directory listing, and Instagram
Read more Food & Drink stories from Coconuts Jakarta here.
