After publishing the review about my favorite ice creams in town, a ice cream place kept coming up on most comments, again and again: Flor. I made it a point to go down to Hamra and check what Flor is all about. To tell you the truth, for a while now, I have not been too impressed with the ice cream we are selling around the city, except two providers. There's this added sweetness and synthetic taste that disgusts me. That night, I was positively amazed.
Flor lies in a small shop next to Kaiten in Hamra. Finding a parking spot was not the easiest of tasks, so we parked around the corner and came back walking. I liked the high glass facade, the colorful touches and the wide choice of ice creams set in individual boxes, keeping them fresh. Fine ingredients are flown in from different parts of the world creating special mixes. A large board displays all the choices, so take your time and choose carefully. Just ask and any flavor is available for a tasting. Flor Gelato Facts:
- Rich in fresh milk and fresh cream
- Contains only natural sugars: cane sugar, grape sugar and honey
- Prepared with the finest ingredients: Pistachio of Bronte, Piedmont Hazelnut, São Tomé Chocolate and Java, Lemons from Sicily...
- Contains no emulsifiers or hydrogenated fats
- Contains no artificial colorants, flavors or preservatives
- Flor fruit gelatos are 100% fat free
So, let's see: is it as good as they say?
- To start with, I went for the coconut milk ice cream. Latte do Cocco: Coconut pulp from Indonesia: A creamy feel, a pure white color, a nice texture with some coconut bits sliding under your palate with a balanced sweet aftertaste. I loved it. The first impression was good, it put a smile on my face despite the man behind the counter's serious look. Notes, pictures and questions and he started to change his attitude.
- Nocciola Roero: Hazelnut fragrance from the Roero area of Italy: An appealing light brown color, a nice texture, a pleasant sweetness and a really good, natural flavor.
- Melograno Racalmuto: Sweet pomegranate from Racalmuto. Rich pomegranate flavor, light pink color, strong flavors which dries out your mouth a little bit proving the freshness of the ingredients used. This is one of the most complicated tastes I've tried today and I loved it. A must try
- Cioccolato java: Sweet chocolate from java island. Sweet is the name but you won't feel any sugar under your palate. A perfect mix.
- Nutella: Exceptional. Bravo. When you say Nutella, what comes to mind first? Synthetic? Oily? Commercial... This is a real unmatched sophisticated flavor that copies the Nutella jar with a colder feel. This is a limited edition not available all year long. Hoping the chances will be on your side when you visit.
- Sinfonia d'agrumi: Lemon, tangerine and orange. Three premium flavors mixed in one creating a majestic piece of art
- Anguria dumara: Watermelon. Light pink color, a bit too sweet. Looks like bubble gum. Kids will love it, I didn't.
- Mela verde burrs: Green apple buras of the Varaita Valley. The smell is superb and the taste is just like green apples, the texture is nice, but a bit too sweet for an end note.
Not only that, Flor has something called "The Ice Cream Burger". Ice cream burger: A brioche bun, ice cream. Many were shocked seeing the photo of an ice cream burger but believe me, this innovation is just right. A brioche bun is opened and filled with an ice cream of your choice before going into a special toaster that will heat and topmast the bread, slightly melt the ice cream that will be absorbed by the surface of the bun while the heart stays cold and enjoyable. Sweet, warm, cold, spony and really interesting. The bun absorbs the ice cream making it like a chocolate spread while you enjoy the core and its coldness. I enjoyed it.
At Flor, the approach to ice cream or gelato is different indeed. Don't be too fast to ask for a lemon, peach or simple chocolate, instead take your time to read the descriptions, then place your order...
