Wednesday 16 January 2013

You'll NEVER want to wake up from this Icedream!

Nestled in a quaint little corner of Hout Bay is a 'Gelateria' that will delight you with its charm and mesmerise you with its authentic Italian ice cream. This may well be the most delicious place where ‘Miranda the Polkadot Panda’ has made a habitat for herself, despite bamboo gelato sadly not being a flavour currently on offer. As the name of this well-loved establishment suggests, a visit to 'Icedream' will whisk you away to a flavour destination seemingly too wonderful to be occurring in waking life.


Even the Cappucinos are smiling at Icedream


Icedream is not merely an ice cream shop - it is a hallowed place where many tastebuds have come to rejoice in the glory of homemade gelato for nearly twenty years. A not-so-secret-best-kept-secret, worshipers from far and wide frequently make the pilgimmage to Mama Liana, Luigi and Fabrizio's cosy sanctuary for the senses.

Upon arrival outside, one is greeted by fluttering umbrellas, colourful tables and pots bursting with smiling petunias, welcoming one and hinting at the splendours that await within. Once inside Icedream, one is drawn impulsively closer by the magnetic allure of the gleaming ice cream counter in the centre of the shop, brightly illuminated and filled with a glorious rainbow of frozen delights. It is here that casual visitors are transformed into lifelong devotees, as they realise they have stumbled upon a holy gelato grail, waiting to be savoured scoop by delicious scoop.

Please be warned: The Ice Cream counter has a certain MAGNETIC POWER MERE MORTALS CANNOT RESIST
In this dark age of artificial colourants, synthetic flavours, hidden fats and sneaky sugars, Icedream proudly upholds the tradition of authenticity and natural goodness. Handcrafted with love, all of their gelato is made on the premises in a cherished Italian tradition and consists solely of organic, natural ingredients. With recipes handed down from generation to generation, Luigi and Fabrizio whip and whisk, churn and chill until sheer frozen perfection is achieved. Never again will you approach the humble ice cream in the same way again - your status as a Connoisseur of the Cone will make it impossible for you to so much as LOOK at any industrially manufactured frozen horrors.

An addiction you will never wish to be cured of 
All of the fruit used to make the sorbets is juiced freshly on the premises and converted into an icy tribute to nature. These delicate taste-sensations linger lightly on one’s tongue with a crisp, invigorating freshness and are the perfect accompaniment to a sunny day. Unforgettably, one is tantalised by the silky swirls of mango, the zesty vibrance of orange or the heady thrill of ginger.

The eggs used for the milk-based ice cream are laid by plump, free-range hens and all of the flavours – pistachio, hazelnut, chocolate, tiramisu to name but a few – are made from carefully sourced, pure ingredients. For example, Icedream’s voluptuous vanilla is dotted with specks of vanilla pod imported from Zanzibar, whilst the sensational Stracciatella contains splinters of the finest chocolate. Upon your first encounter with the melting miracles you encounter at Icedream, you may well be urged to pinch yourself to confirm that you are indeed awake, but there is no need for alarm – this is a perfectly normal response.


Perhaps what makes this gelateria truly special is that in contrast to the cold, icy delights that make them famous, each visitor to Icedream is treated to a warm, hearty welcome. Scarcely inside, the enthusiastic shouts of “Ciao! Bonjourno! Come stai?” will greet your ears, as ‘Mama Liana’, brother Luigi or son Fabrizio beckon you to enter this shrine of sweet delights. Whole generations have come regularly for their double scoops of heaven and generous portions of Italian hugs, and Liana has watched with fondness as little faces, scarcely able to see into the counter, inevitably return many years later to bring little faces of their own to press their noses eagerly against the glass and point excitedly at "the pink one! The PINK one, mommy, I want the PINK one!"

 Liana and Luigi - it's a wonder that the warmth of their smiles doesn't melt all the ice cream!

So, to sum up, to encapsulate, to conclude: if you wish to take your taste-buds to a dreamland they will never wish to emerge from – there is only one destination: Icedream, Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa, The World.

IceDream is situated in the Main Road of Hout Bay, next to the Luigi's Italian restaurant in a part of town locals refer to as "Little Italy". They are open seven days a week, so your craving can be satisfied on a daily basis. Call +27 21 790 2496 for any enquiries.

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