Royce’ Chocolates, A Sweeter Choice

In one of my strolls in the mall, I happen to glance at the chocolate counter of Royce’.  I first thought that Royce’ is an American or European brand.  The name sounds so, just like the Rolls Royce engine group of London.  My eyes scanned the line-up of beautifully-packaged boxes of chocolates inside the glass counter.  The classy chocolate boxes look expensive, and indeed they are expensive.  The prices range from P420 to as high as P4,200.  Oh, they have affordable chocolate bars at P250, their cheapest.  I did not buy anything yet, I just thought that if it is expensive, it must be of good quality.  And it’s perfectly understandable that the shipping costs of the imported chocolates are imputed in their selling price.

The next time that I approached Royce’s counter at Robinson’s Place, Manila, with some colleagues, I discover that the brand is from Japan.  The only good chocolate I know from Japan is Meiji.  Now, I’m getting curious about Royce’. 

One of Royce's friendly staff, they have good customer service.

 

We were drawn over by the two friendly guy staff who have good customer service.  They offered us free taste of the chocolates. I tried at least 4 variants, including my favorite, white chocolate. I think the chocolates have just-the-right sweetness and they are velvety smooth to the tongue.   

 

  

The Staff of Royce’ were kind enough to allow me to take photographs of their products.  They showed me everything that I could take photo of.  I flashed my camera generously.

Front: Nama chocolates in White, Au Lait, Champagne and Bitter, P580; Back: Nutty/Fruit Bars, P540;  Nutty & Fruit Bars, P1000

Left and middle: Nama chocolates in mild cacao and strawberry, P580

Middle: Petit Truffe in Praline, Orange and Kirsch, P450

Left middle:  White chocolate-coated roasted almonds, P420;  In sexagon box, marshmallow white chocolate, P420

Right: Royce Collection features the best of Royce' Chocolates, P4,200

I could not decide yet what to buy, what with the number of enticing chocolates before my sight.  I promised the Staff I will return soon, I got a copy of their 2011 product catalogue with prices in Philippine Peso.  

According to the catalogue, Royce’ started in 1983 in Sapporo where the crisp climate, sweet waters and clean air make Hokkaido an ideal place for confectionery making.  In the beginning, the mail order system was done manually.  When the factory started baking cookies, it emitted fragrant smell and the people were drawn over.  So tables were set up in front of the factory which started the company’s retail shops. Over the years, Royce’ has been making world-class quality chocolates with dedication.  Today, Royce’ chocolates are enjoyed by chocolate lovers, not just in Japan, but in many countries around the world.  I love history!  Especially if it’s as rich as chocolates.

I didn’t know that Royce’ was already distributed in Powerplant Mall since 2008.  Well, I have been away from Makati since 2007 when I transferred work in the heart of Manila.  There are only 5 outlets of Royce’ in the Philippines, aside from Level 1 Powerplant and Level 1 Robinson’s Place Manila, other outlets are located at Level 1 Greenbelt 5, Level 3 Trinoma and Level 1 Eastwood City.

 

Beside Royce'counter

Most of the time, I keep my promises.  So, after a week from my last visit, I returned to Royce’.  A girl staff was looking after the store, she was as accommodating as the guys were.   

I have decided to buy white chocolate, Royce has at least 5 kinds of white chocolate. So, I’m confused what to take.  The girl helped me decide by giving me an individual pack of the white Prafeuille Chocolat.  I was amazed at how the thin piece of white chocolate could hold the delicious syrup that tastes like champagne.  The box costs P540 and contains 30 pieces of 3 mm. thin white chocolate with syrup in the center.  Next, the girl gave me an individual pack of the Pure White Chocolate, then a piece of the milk chocolate.  The box costs P540 containing 40 pieces-- 20 pieces pure white and 20 pieces milk chocolate.  

After some bouts with my fickle-mind, I finally chose the white chocolate with syrup.  

My choice

The box has 30 pieces of individual packs of thin white chocolate with syrup

Each square is only 3 mm. thin

Sweet bite of mine

Initially, the thin square of white chocolate is crisp and clean to the bite, then it instantly melts in your mouth into a fine delicate texture as the liqueur syrup bursts and cascades on your tongue.  I like the surprise effect of the syrup in my taste buds.    

I once heard in a TV culinary show that the best white chocolate in the world is found in Japan.  Maybe they were referring to Royce.  I do not regret my choice, the individually wrapped thin squares of white chocolate with syrup is a perfect perk-me-up treat.  They do not melt in room temperature.  I can bring a few individual packs in the office and indulge in its sweetness anytime of the day.  It’s always good to have something sweet around, especially when the day is so-so or difficult.  Sweets always give an adrenalin boost, cheering up your disposition.  Quality as good as Royce’ chocolate is worth the high price.  And come to think of it, it’s not expensive after all, the P540 worth of box contains 30 pieces which translates to only P18 per piece of world-class quality chocolate. 

Forrest Gump said that his momma always said, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." I affirm it.  Life is full of surprises.  But when it comes to Royce', I know what I am going to get.  It wouldn't be a surprise if I will get another box of their chocolates.  I will try first all the white ones, then I’ll move to the milk, dark bitter, nutty and confectionery variants.  One by one. Or is it one buy one? :)

  

Karen's Red Day

July 27, 2011

Thursday

3:00PM

I know a lot of people celebrating their birthday today-- my brother, and a number of colleagues at work, one is Karen. 

Karen is controversial.  Some people do not like her.  They say she’s so outspoken and too frank for her own comfort.  So, she's often on the red.  But when I began to know her, hang out with her and some colleagues after work, I discovered that she is a misinterpreted and misjudged lady.  Beneath that seemingly strong facade is a sweet and funny personality.  She makes us laugh with her antics, sometimes mimicking Kris Aquino’s diction as she delivers lines from television commercials.  She could be serious too, in between conversations with her, I sense a responsible person with team spirit to offer to her colleagues.  And this lady is intelligent, she talks with sense.

Karen is on the red again today.  But it's because it's her red day--her birthday!

 

Karen was surprised by PAP, our purchasing unit in the bank.  Mr. Sonny Manotoc, head of PAP, was so sweet to send Karen a birthday cake.  His wife works in Red Ribbon.  Karen admitted they sort of had a joke about her birthday that morning in a meeting , she wasn’t expecting that Mr. Sonny would be so kind to send her a sweet gift—a chocolate cake.  And Karen is a chocolate lover I supposed, coz she loves black forest cake.

The birthday cake

The candle blow

  

Karen treated us to a couple of Shakeys thin crust pizzas. 

Pizza or Japanese fan?

 

Sold out

 

And she shared the cake with us.  

I think, in a little way, Karen felt happy that day.  For a while, probably she forgot that she lives alone in Manila—she’s an only child, her father died 5 years ago while her mom lives in Zamboanga.  

Yes, there are still some sweet people around.  And no matter how small their good gesture is, that is a blessing. Today, that’s a sweet blessing that goes to a sweet lady.  Happy birthday, Karen!

My Mane Addiction

Ah, the sweetness of a good hair day.  Hair that shines as it flows with the wind…soft and smooth as it brushes the face…and then falls perfectly back to place. 

I am blessed with naturally straight hair.  It has fine smooth texture and silky softness.  Since I was a kid, people had always noticed my hair.  In fact, it is one of the first things that people notice in me up to this day.  While other women spend a thousand and more on hair treatments, I can settle on a daily shampoo-and-conditioner routine.  I have long realized that I have big savings when it comes to my hair.  That gives me so much freedom to splurge on whatever shampoo, conditioner and other hair products that suit to my liking.

Oh yeah, I will admit.  I’m a little vain when it comes to my hair.  I have tried a lot of local and imported shampoo and conditioner brands.  And although my hair has its natural sheen, I also used to buy a high-end shine serum but the brand is now phased out from the local market.  But I don’t regret my hair vanity because wherever I go, people compliment my hair.  Some officemates tell me not to cut my nice long hair.  A guy told me I could be a shampoo endorser.  Another guy once asked me where my show was.  Once, I was window-shopping in a mall in Makati and a Japanese beauty expert at Kanebo said I have nice long hair that’s like a waterfall.  It’s fun to keep an archive of little compliments in your memory.  You can always pluck one if you need an inspiration booster.

There are bad hair days though, any lady is not spared from this lackluster condition.  So, I redeem that great hair over my shoulder by waking up earlier than usual, take a leisure bath with my favorite shampoo and conditioner tandem, blow-dry my hair and perfect the ends with Vidal Sassoon mini hair iron.  Then I'm ready to face the world!

Out of the myriad of hair products that I have used time and again, some were just money drainers, but some were outstandingly true to their promise.  They deliver the expected results.  I have been surprised that most of the effective hair products on Asian hair are also Asian-made.   Well, I have analyzed that effect and concluded that most probably it’s because the raw materials used are sourced and made in the local environment and are therefore compatible with the nature of Asian hair. 

Some of my favorite local and imported hair products:

THEN:

Johnson's Baby Shampoo Classic & Honey

Johnson’s Baby Shampoo.  This was my daily shampoo when I was in high school.  It made my then shoulder- length hair really shiny and smooth-- typical girl next door hair.  And I loved the scent of baby shampoo on my hair.  Baby shampoo though is just good for high school hair.

Sunny Drop by Wella.  When I deviated from baby shampoo in high school, I used this brand and it garnered me lots of compliments from my classmates.  They say that my hair sways when I walk.  This shampoo had a fresh citrusy scent I really loved!  It’s now phased out.

Clinique Shampoo.  I used this when I was a college freshman and it made my hair soft, smooth, manageable and tingly clean!  Like Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, it has a golden color.  This is no longer available in the local market.

Strawberry Parfait Shampoo by Avon.  Oh, the delicious scent of this shampoo.  One of my college shampoos too.  It falls a little short though on manageability.  It’s now phased out.

Vidal Sassoon.  This is a superbly great shampoo!   It’s on top of my list.  It gave my hair star quality softness, smoothness and manageability without the need for conditioner.  Regret that it is now phased out.

NOW:

Sunsilk Weather Defense Shampoo & Conditioner

Sunsilk Co-Creations Shampoos.  Almost all of the variants are good on my hair in terms of smoothness and softness.  My initial favorite was Yuko Yamashita’s Smooth & Manageable (pink bottle).  Then I tried the Soft & Smooth (yellow bottle) by Thomas Taw.  My current favorite is the Weather Defense (aquamarine bottle) by Teddy Charles.  

Aromavitality with Rose Petals

Palmolive Shampoo & Conditioner.  I really like the Aromavitality shampoo and conditioner with rose petals (fuchsia bottle).  The sexy scent lasts through the day, until evening even, and it makes my hair super soft and smooth! 

L’Oreal Shampoo and Conditioner.  I like the one in the pink bottle that gives your hair cashmere-like softness. Also the one in white bottle that guards against 5 signs of hair damage.  I also like the conditioners of said variants. They make my hair sooo smooth.

Pantene Conditioner from Japan.  I love the softness and smoothness that this conditioner gives my hair.  Believe me, my hair sways even when wet!  And when it’s time to re-groom during the day, I just comb my fingers through my hair.  I love the classy scent too that lasts until evening.  This is Limited Edition.  And out of stock by now.  I was lucky to find 2 tubs of the brand's hair mask at Watson's Harrison Plaza today. 

Clairol Herbal Essences Long-Term Relationship Shampoo for Long Hair.  I love the witty statement of this shampoo.  I adore its satiny pink color when I pour it onto my palm from its red bottle, it’s like liquid rose quartz.  And I love the sweet raspberry scent!  It’s soft and smooth on the hair while shampooing but leaves tangles after rinse so I have to aid it with my other brand of conditioner. 

Swiss O Par Honig-Milch Shampoo & Spulung.  Aside from Swarovski crystals, my sister brought me this shampoo from Austria.  I could only guess the meaning of the bottle label that’s written in German, but there’s a picture of honey and milk, so I supposed this is a honey-milk shampoo.  And it smells like other honey products I’ve tried.  This shampoo is soft on my hair though I have to aid it with my local brand of conditioner since it leaves tangles after rinse.  The redeeming value of this shampoo is that it gives my hair mirror-like shine, especially when blow-dried.

Of course, anything that comes naturally from the genes may fade if you don’t take care of it.  That is why I see to it that I nourish my hair, not only with the best hair products, but also with proper diet like protein-rich foods.  I live on omelet!  I don’t comb my hair a hundred times but I ensure that I use a clean comb to groom my hair.  And I have 6 kinds of combs and brushes for variety.  Through the years, my signature hairstyle has been the classic long-layered cut that’s clean and sleek.  No stranger would get a clue of a hidden vanity behind the locks that look effortless.  That recaps my mane addiction. Beyond the addiction though is an affirmation, that a good head over your shoulder is always better than a nice hair over your shoulder.

In- Yo Dinner

July 22, 2011

Friday night

  

Tonight, we went to Ajisen Ramen house at the 3^rd floor of Robinson’s Place, Manila. 
                                           

                                                                  

Noodle soups do not appeal to me before.  I thought they’re kind of boring and you only eat them when you’re sick.  Noodle soup is the last thing that I will order in a Japanese restaurant.  I have always loved maki, sushi and tempura. They are the usual suspects in my Japanese dinner ensemble.  

  

Seafood Ramen and Ajisen Ramen

I am trying Japanese ramen for the first time in real life.    










When I took my first soup spoonful, my mind uttered, “Wow! This is so good, as in this is sooooooo goooooood!  Why did I not try this before?  Now I understand why Naruto loves ramen so much.”

The house specialty, Ajisen Ramen, has a broth that tastes so good, I could say it is such a comfort food.  It has thin strips of pork, slices of century egg, threads of fungus and cabbage leaves.  We cracked jokes on the fungus.  I put some chili powder on the ramen and the effect is energizing.  The heat of the chili made me exhaled, a good breathing exercise I must say.  I’m not sure if I was just hungry because I skipped my PM snack.  But no, this ramen is truly good.  It soothed away my tiredness after a week’s work.   I didn’t know that a hot ramen could be a therapy for a hardworking employee.  :)

Then I tried the Seafood Ramen, the bowl was just neighboring at the tip of my elbow.  It has a lighter flavor but the broth still has that peculiar taste of the Ajisen Ramen’s.   I think all the ramen noodle soups in this Ramen house have the same broth base and only differ with the toppings.   

We also had the crunchy roll, a maki that has crispy breading.  Aside from the usual mango and nori, the roll of sticky rice got soft melted cheddar cheese in the center.  And I could trace some mayo.  I adore mayo!  Needless to say, I like it.  

The thin slices of chicken teriyaki is just light, just enough for my little tummy.  I kept on licking the authentic Japanese teriyaki sauce that each chicken slice left on my lips.      
 

 After our Japanese dinner, we went to Caramia at the 2nd floor for gelato.  

Caramia also has gelato cakes but we settled for the gelato ice cream.  Gelato is such a cold sweet contrast to the hot salty ramen.

 

Dinner and dessert tonight were respectively hot and cold, the yin and the yang--light and darkness.  In life, there's a balance of light and darkness.  Since the yin and the yang are Chinese in origin, I wondered what the Japanese call the yin and the yang.  So to satisfy my curiosity, I did a little research.  In Japan, the dual qualities of ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ are known as ‘in’ and ‘yo’, respectively.  ‘Inyodo’, meaning ‘The Way of Yin and Yang’ is Japanese feng shui.`  A little trivia that's sparked by the ramen.

Inclement Weather Menu

June 26, 2011, Saturday

Weather: Stormy

The weather is not always sweet.  Sometimes it’s inclement-- stormy, rainy, floody.   Don’t let these negative definitions negatively define your meal.  You don’t have to wait until the storm is over.  In the midst of a raging storm, you can sweeten up the day with a gourmet twist.   

The Rise of the Puffs

Who says I have to stay in bed and sleep off the bad weather?  While I am in a mid-sleep trance, my mind is wandering on some sweet reverie.  I would love to have a slice of melty cream cheese cake from Century Park Snack Deli but probably it is now inaccessible in the floody streets of Manila.  Most of all, it’s far from Mandaluyong, and I have no reason to drop by on a stormy Saturday!  And then I remember the patisserie’s cream puffs.  Hmmm…that fine texture and not so sweet cream filling of the French puffs.  I slept further but then all the sweet thoughts disturbed my spirit and I had to get up.  I have to bake my own cream puffs, right now!   

Maff's Creme Puffs

I have mastered the recipe of the puffs.  The only occasional problem is to make the puffs rise.  Sometimes they rise, and then like a pricked balloon they deflate for some reason.  But then the puffs, just like plants, need some prompting.  While the puffs are in the oven, I whispered to them, “please rise”… Guess what, I’m successful today.  My puffs proudly rose and they have that crisp sound when tapped.

Maff’s Crème Puffs

Puffs:

1 cup water

1 cup all purpose flour

½ cup butter

A pinch of salt

½ tsp sugar

3 eggs  (other recipes call for 4 eggs but I reduce it to 3 because 4 eggs make the puffs taste more like egg nogs)

Filling:

1 cup milk or all purpose cream

½ cup sugar

¼ cup flour

1 tsp butter

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

In a pot, mix water, butter, salt and sugar until mixture boils.  When butter is melted, put the flour and beat until mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the pot.  Remove from heat.  The next step is important.  Whispering won’t really make the puffs rise.  You have to cool down the dough ball for at least 10 minutes or longer until you are convinced that it is cool enough.  Then put the eggs one by one, beating the mixture well after each addition. After the 3^rd egg, your dough ball should be beautifully shiny. 

Pre-heat oven to 200 C (400F) for 10 minutes.   While oven is heating up, arrange mounds of the dough on ungreased baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches of space between the mounds.  You can use spoon or a pastry bag to form the mounds. 

Bake for 15 minutes at 200C (400F) and then for another 15 minutes at 175C (350F).  You can adjust baking time and temperature by observing the color of the puffs, they should be golden brown but not burnt.   When puffs are done, let them cool down on the oven racks or over the kitchen table.  You are successful with the puffs when they have that crisp sound when tapped.  Cut the top of the puffs and put filling.  If your puffs are not too hollow, you may remove some of the insides before putting the filling.

For the filling, bring to boil milk and sugar, beat with wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved.  Add butter and flavor extract. Then add the flour.  Beat until mixture is smooth and thick.  Remove from heat.  Cool down and add egg yolks.  Beat until eggs are well-blended with the mixture.  Return to low heat for 2 minutes, be careful not to burn the mixture.   Remove from heat and cool down before filling the puffs. 

After filling up, sprinkle confectioner’s sugar over the puffs.  Voila!  Crème puffs not from the patisserie but right from your own oven!

The Fall of the Chicken

For dinner, my sister baked a large chicken.  It’s no sweat.  In a baking dish, my sister basted the whole chicken with butter, some herbs, onions, garlic and seasoning. Then she surrounded the chicken with marble potatoes that were cut into halves, quartered onions and large cloves of garlic.  That’s all!  Then she baked the front side for 30 minutes at 175C (350F) or until golden brown.   She then flipped over the back side and then baked for another 30 minutes at the same temperature.

The chicken that fell into our gastronomical pouches

The chicken is well-baked if it falls off the bone when sliced.  The potatoes, onions and garlic serve as side-dishes.  The smell of this dish is irresistible and the taste is very delectable.  One serving is not enough, especially with steaming hot rice. 

So, you don’t have to settle with a bad meal on a bad weather.  Agree?  Don't talk while your mouth is full, I know you agree.

So, this is Audrey's Gelato!

My regular ice cream treat as a child was the “Dirty Ice Cream”.  The term ‘dirty’ did not mean soiled or contaminated, it was just a local affectation since the ice cream was peddled in the streets by the Mamang Sorbetero  (Ice Cream Man) who pushes a metal-tin cart containing at least 3 common flavors of ice cream:  Ube (purple yam), Mango, Cheese .  The white color flavor, now I know as Vanilla, would sometimes replace one of said 3 flavors.

Thinking of ice cream

 The Ice Cream Man usually carries a bell to announce that he is around the neighborhood.  The children then would flock his cart and buy a cone of 2 or 3 flavors combined.   Sometimes, children bring their own glass or cup to be filled with ice cream.  While the other children were probably engrossed with the sweet treat alone, I would habitually read the name labeled at either side of the ice cream cart.  Some peculiar names that remained vivid in my memory were Rosemarie, Christine, Elizabeth and Evangeline.  I thought then that the names belong to the daughter or the wife of the ice cream cart owner.



As I was growing up, I have observed that long-standing household brands graced every family occasion such as birthday, graduation or reunion.  Prominent brand then was Magnolia.  In every Filipino home, when one says Magnolia, it would only mean ice cream.   Typical Magnolia flavors were Ube, Macapuno, Halo-Halo Fiesta and Quezo.  It was sometime later that Selecta shared the limelight for the family celebrations.   New flavors like Black Forest and Double Dutch filled our ice cream cones or dessert cups.

When I started to work, my taste for ice cream craved for something beyond the household brands.  My first try of Haagen Dazs Ice Cream was strawberry flavor.  It had a delicately fine sweet texture that glided on my palate.  Then I tried Dreyer’s chocolate mint ice cream.  My taste buds got an initial delirium with the sweetness of cocoa then a burst of minty flavor exploded right before the last of each spoonful.  Haagen Dazs and Dreyer’s both have consistency that literally melts in your mouth as soon as your tongue comes in contact with the ice cream.  Their smoothness and creaminess is worth the higher price.  My first try of Baskin Robbins was vanilla topped with colorful confetti-like candy sprinkles.  Good thing these ice cream brands have their kiosks in Makati, somewhere between Landmark and Glorietta.

Trays of gelato that look like make-up palette.  Pink for the lips!

Nowadays, my sweet taste buds have turned to gelato, a precursor of ice cream, which is gaining urban popularity in the Philippines.  Well, it has been around in the Philippines for some time but it had an obscure following then.  Gelato was served in hotel lounges and some Italian restaurants but only a few kinds were retailed. 

For a little primer, gelato is traditional Italian ice cream version.  It is typically flavored with fresh fruit purees, milk, dairy and nut pastes.  Other  ingredients such as chocolate flakes, whole nuts, confections and cookies may also be added.  Traditional gelato is different from some ice cream because it has lower butterfat and higher sugar content. The sugar content in gelato is essential to prevent the gelato from freezing solid. Also, while ice cream can be stored in a freezer for months, gelato holds its peak flavor and smooth texture only for several days when stored carefully at consistent low temperatures. At present, gelato makers have tried ways to make their gelato healthier and perhaps give it a longer shelf life.

Audrey Hepburn enjoying a cone of gelato with Gregory Peck

 Each time I eat gelato, I am reminded of Audrey Hepburn in the classic movie, Roman Holiday.  As the runaway Princess Ann, she treaded the streets of Rome incognito and had a cone of gelato with the handsome Gregory Peck.  I have heard of the term gelato before but did not get acquainted with the real product, until gelato flourished in the malls, diner circles and cafes.  When I took my very first gelato, I said to myself, “so, this is Audrey’s gelato!”

My saccharine tongue has brought me to a gelato store or two to try variations.  If you want pure Italian gelato at a modest price, yours for the taking is available at Fiorgelato Cafe. At more or less forty pesos, you could enjoy classic gelato flavors such as vanilla, strawberry, mango and chocolate.  They also have contemporary flavors such as tiramisu, pistachio, cappuccino and others.  They serve a bowl of gourmet gelato which is pricier at more than a hundred pesos.  I have read that Fiorgelato is offering a modest all-in franchise fee of P275 thousand for a gelato scooping kiosk to help new entrepreneurs.  

A Fiorgelato scooping station

Gelatissimo has the most attractive presentation among all gelato stores. Their gelatos are etched with ripples that look like cascades of sand deserts of the Middle East. Most of all, they have the firmest consistency I have ever tried.  Gelatissimo offers a wide array of flavors at a higher price (P110 and up depending on the size of the cup) that could still be considered modest because of the ample size serving.  Gelatissimo is Australia’s most popular gelato with a quintessential Italian flavor.  The store offers free taste of a maximum of 22 flavors, that’s according to the crew at the Greenbelt 5 store.  Although I have never heard of anyone who drained the tasting of 22 flavors!  Gelatissimo has a vast sea of colorful flavors your eyes could initially feast on through the glass shelf-counter.  The unique combinations of chocolate, fruit, nut and pastry flavors are so plentiful that you might only remember the names of those you are accustomed at ordering.  Most of all, the sweet experience is worry-free since the gelato is low fat!

One of Gelatissimo's attractive gelato counters

Where's my name on Bar Dolci's "Wall of Fame"?

One new gelato store that is gaining prominence is Bar Dolci at Forbeswood Heights corner Burgos Circle, Global City.  The price is P120 per scoop and the serving is a little conservative than Gelatissimo’s. They have fewer flavors than Gelatissimo but they give a run for the former’s money because of the unique and appealing flavors of their smooth creamy gelato.  And you can request for toppings of nuts or chocolate sauce free of charge.  Bar Dolci also offers free taste but with no specified number of flavors.  They have Ferrero, Vanilla Pistachio, Choco Hazelnut, Tiramisu, White Chocolate Wasabi, Thai Tea, Limoncello, Capuccino, etc.  Plus for fun, you get to log your name and number of visits on their "Wall of Fame”.   I have been there 8 times though I made no conscious effort to have my name logged on the “wall”.

Other gelato stores are mushrooming in the urban centers.  If you are an ice cream connoisseur, then one gelato store is not enough for your sweet adventure.   Gelato is just like love, you will keep on trying different versions until you find that one gelato alla romana and settle with it.