These days, we have gelato…and all those branded creamy ice cream as well as those sold in the supermarkets.
Then, there is also the soft serve ice cream like the ones at McD’s or if you are in Kuching, at Sunny Hill and there are some shops selling that here too – I know there is one in Wisma Sanyan. We never had that during our growing up years until somebody brought in a machine making and selling that at a popular coffee shop in town, Ban Chuan, and how we loved it! American ice cream, we called it then.
All the while, what we knew as ice cream then would be the local made ones that they would bring around in cylindrical vacuum flask-like canisters to sell in scoops in those pink-coloured wafer cones. I can’t remember how much we paid for those then, probably just 5 sen a cone…and the Apek (old man) would go round either on foot or on a bicycle with two canisters, one on each side – ringing his bell, selling what might come in different colours – pink or yellow depending on the artificial flavouring and colouring used.
Despite what we called it, it was far from creamy. I think it was more like finely blended ice…
…something like the coffee I had the other day and that was what the gula apong (nipah palm sugar) ice cream that I had in Kuching that day was like.
I have heard or read of the popular places, one at the Open Air Market stalls and another in Padungan, beside this totem pole-like cat monument…
…and that was the one I went to check out, the latter…
…that claims to be dad’s original recipe, the best in town and it seems that they have five other outlets…
…elsewhere in the city besides this one here.
There is this handsome young boy there, taking your orders…
…and getting the gula apong ice cream from the machine…
…and squeezing the gula apong syrup all over and sprinkling the crushed peanut or chocolate rice or both on top…
I did not want those add-ons even though they do not charge extra for them, or not that I know of, so I just had the ice cream with the syrup, unadulterated (RM2.00)…
…and I only asked for the small cone as I just wanted to try to see what it was all about. You can go for the RM5.00 one, if you are thus inclined.
I thought it was all right, nice for the very hot days that we are experiencing ever so often currently but no, it did not sweep me off my feet. I think I prefer the more expensive one I had here in Sibu, RM3.00 each…with the soft serve ice cream plus the gula apong syrup and if you want, you can pay extra for the topping or toppings of your choice and even that one did not get me running back for more.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
I agree with you. There are ice cream and there are ice cream.
Apart from the mass produced ones where prices are pretty stable, the ones from the gelato shop over here can vary a fair bit. Despite the fancy names of the ice cream or the term ‘Italian gelato’, most of them do not do anything for me.
Can you get a sample of the ice cream before you buy it?
I am sure he will let you have a spoonful if you ask nicely. I noticed the boy pumping out a bit everytime, probably to make sure the texture is right before pumping into the cup or bowl and serving. He can easily give you a bit from there.
At least you gave it a try. Shame on me, I have not yet try the Kapit Hotel famous ice cream. Haha
But I guess nothing loss from not trying it anyway. Not that cheap. I think I much prefer the Sunny Hills ice cream. Less sweet. Hehe.
Yes, Sunny Hill for me too, anytime…but nobody ever takes me there anymore. Used to cycle…in the 70’s. 😦
Don’t bother about this one, can’t understand why people actually queue for it. Maybe it’s the trend these days – queue for everything…been there, done that kind of thing. I saw on their Facebook page, the Open Air one seems better – soft serve, flavour of the day. I guess like the one I had in Sibu, the gula apong is just in the syrup.
Business is slowing down I guessed. No more queuing for the ice-cream. I bet the taste is not consistent, that is why.
Still a number of people there around 5 something in the evening, almost dinner time…and a number of cars queuing – I think they bought to take away, enjoy in the car.
Yes, managed to try that during my Kuching trip, had twice! Really nice!
You like? Really old school kind of “ice cream”, old man’s gum numb!
The gula apong ice cream is nothing to shout about. I have tried once & felt too sweet for my liking. Now no more long queue & nothing much posted in FB about this gula apong ice cream. Guess the craze is over. Sunny Hill ice cream is still my preference.
Isn’t Sunny Hill ice cream sweet? What ice cream isn’t? But it is nice and rich and creamy, this one isn’t – just like blended ice.
Well, if you are not into it being sweet for health reasons, the good news is gula apong is a healthy alternative to regular/cane sugar…just that I cannot imagine what my coffee will taste like with it. Anyway, I drink kopi-o mien tai or kopi-o kosong these days, no sugar.
Did you go to this one or the one at Open Air? I saw photos of queues at the Open Air one on their Facebook page. The one here – or at least, the one I had was not sweet…for want of more gula apong in the “ice cream” and the little bit of syrup did not help a lot but it was ok – I was fine with it being not so sweet, just that it lacked the gula apong taste and fragrance, kind of weak, even bland so I did not think it was all that nice. I hear they do not have very good quality control so maybe I caught them at a not very good time.
I have mine at Open Air market. No more queue, not like when it first open. Maybe the FB pix is taken long tine ago. The ice cream itself is sweet enough & with the added gula apong, feel jelak after taking.
I noticed in their Facebook page they use soft serve ice cream at Open Air, not something like this. Some days, it is vanilla flavour…and some days, it is green. The green colour also pelik-pelik one, like apple, not quite like pandan. And pandan with gula apong, I wonder what that would taste like. Maybe that is why you found it too sweet. This one, the “ice cream” that is not creamy is gula apong flavour but even so, I do not think it is really nice – don’t bother going for it. RM2.00, better go and eat something a whole lot nicer.
Ice cream is something hard to resist! Which reminds me that my ice cream maker is sitting idle in the freezer 😀
Ummmmm…I don’t have an ice cream maker. You mean when not in use, you have to store it in the freezer?
Nice especially on a hot weather…
That is very true.
From the looks of it that is not creamy at all, might be a diluted milk to save money on ingredients
It’s old school ice cream, very old school – like the ones we used to love so much when I was a little kid. Don’t think there’s any milk in that, just blended ice. We did not have nice creamy ice cream then…or not that we could afford and eat regularly. I remember when I was 5, I had my tonsils removed and at the hospital, I could eat all the ice cream I wanted – well, there was not much to choose from then, just Magnolia brick…and that was like heaven. I would have my tonsils removed anytime but unfortunately, that was a one-off thing. LOL!!!
Just by looking at the delectable ice cream here, and reading your description, it got me reaching for my keys to head out and get some of my own!
Not all that great. I’d much sooner go for the regular ice cream…anytime.
Rm2 okay la. Not expensive. At least tried before.
Yes. Tak kenal maka tak cinta. All that hoo-haa, everyone talking about it, praising it to the skies…well, now I know.
I especially love your first photo!
The first one? That cup of mushy “ice cream”?
I sure wanna try… These few days I have been eating that after dinner!! Slurppppp…..
Ice cream for dessert? Hmmmmm!!!! For people like us, once in a long while is ok, not too often.
I know this makes me very old, but I still think the best-tasting ice cream is homemade ice cream, the way we used to do it on the farm when I was growing up.
Never tried making my own at home, always envied those who can do it themselves.