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You can soon try icy renditions of local flavours in Yishun until 2am daily.
Opening this Saturday (Apr. 24) the gelato cafe is a six-minute walk away from Yishun MRT station.
The cafe's name "No Horse Run" is a direct translation of the Hokkien term "bo beh zao", which means "incomparable and in a league on its own" in the horseracing context.
Menu
No Horse Run offers a variety of familiar gelato flavours, innovative novelty ones and locally-inspired ones.
Classic flavours are priced at S$4.20 for a single scoop and S$8.20 for a double scoop.
They include Cereal Mai Pian, Roasted Black Sesame, Lemongrass Pandan, Salted Caramel Popcorn, and Green Apple Yakult.
Top up an additional S$0.80 for the premium flavours such as Smoked Milk with Cacao Nibs, Burnt White Chocolate, Muah Chee, Fleur De Cao Dark Chocolate, Strawberry Basil, Seasalt Matcha, and Mango Passionfruit.
You may choose to enjoy your gelato in a cup or Waffle cone (+S$1).
There is also the option to pair the gelato with a Pandan Gula Melaka Waffle (S$6.50) or Buttermilk Waffle (S$5.50).
Each waffle comes with a complimentary sauce and you may also top up S$1 for every additional serving of sauce.
The four available sauces are House-made Jam, Childhood Milo, Caramelised Cookies and Classic Maple Syrup.
They also sell an assortment of beverages, including milkshakes (S$7.20), contemporary teas by Ette Tea company (S$5 to S$6), and coffees (S$3 to S$5.50).
Here are some of the items we tried at the media session.
Lemongrass Pandan gelato
We were initially sceptical about the bizarre infusion of lemongrass in a creamy milk-based dessert but the Peranakan-inspired flavour tasted surprisingly pleasant and refreshing.
Coupled with milkiness and a light pandan fragrance, the citrusy and minty notes of the lemongrass were clear without being overpowering.
If you're looking to try something different, give the Lemongrass Pandan (S$4.20 per scoop) a chance. You need not be a huge fan of lemongrass to enjoy this flavour.
Smoked Milk with Cacao Nibs gelato and Burnt White Chocolate gelato
For the double scoop in a waffle cone, we chose to pair the white Smoked Milk and Cacao Nibs (S$5 per scoop) with the orangey Burnt White Chocolate (S$5 per scoop).
Smoked with US-imported Timothy hay, the Smoked Milk gelato had an interesting woody smokiness to it that is enhanced by the bitter crunch of roasted cacao nibs with every mouthful.
We couldn't quite put a finger on what the Burnt White Chocolate tasted like upon first taste, which motivated us to keep going back for more.
Made with subtly-sweet white chocolate with 34 per cent cocoa butter, the toasty caramelised flavour sets it apart from conventional white chocolate.
The waffle cone is crispy and sweet, nothing much to shout about.
Muah Chee gelato and Gula Melaka Pandan Waffle
The Muah Chee gelato (S$5) and Gula Melaka Pandan Waffle (S$6.50) were probably the items that we were looking forward to try the most.
Inspired by the popular mochi snack with ground peanut and sugar, the gelato contains chunks of muah chee that were handmade from scratch.
The muah chee chunks are generously coated with peanuts, delivery a strong nutty flavour with the chewy mochi texture.
Dark brown on the outside and green on the inside, the pandan gula melaka waffle boasts a pretty strong smokey gula melaka fragrance that overpowers the pandan at times.
Opt for the thick bittersweet Childhood Milo sauce to add a chocolatey touch to the nuttiness.
Fleur De Cao Dark Chocolate gelato and Buttermilk Waffle
It's hard to go wrong with chocolate gelato and good ol' buttermilk waffle.
Made with sustainably-sourced 70 per cent chocolate, the Fleur De Cao Dark Chocolate (S$5) is rich and creamy but remains sweet enough to be kid-friendly.
The Buttermilk Waffle (S$5.50) is your standard waffle, not bad but nothing amazing.
The trick to taking this safe combination to the next level is to eat it the House-made Jam.
Made with an assortment of berries, the House-made Jam is good enough eat on its own.
When you top the jam with the dark chocolate gelato and buttermilk waffle, it cuts through the bitterness and brightens the floral and fruity-tangy notes of the 70 per cent chocolate while the waffle provides texture without interfering with the taste.
Interior
No Horse Run occupies a small space along a row of shophouses under a block of HDB flats.
Upon entering, the gelato display case is on your immediate left.
Next to the gelato display case is the bar counter that is adorned with blue tiles reminiscent of HDB void deck tables.
According to a spokesperson, the seating capacity is 13 in the cafe and 15 outside the cafe.
Within the cafe, there are both seats at the bar counter as well as individual tables.
In addition to the trio of traditional 'good morning' towels and Supreme memorabilia hung at the back of the cafe, there is also a neon fixture of the mascot, Brother Ho-Seh, and the red and blue-green statement wall.
No Horse Run
Address: 160 Yishun Street 11 #01-216 Singapore 760160
Opening hours:
Monday to Thursday: 1pm to 2am
Friday to Sunday: 12pm to 2am
Top images by Karen Lui.