What better way to celebrate Merdeka Day then to have local flavours? We received an invite from Crème de la Crème (CDLC) to try their ice cream and decided to visit their flagship store in Damansara Utama. The store is bare yet fun at the same time. It was obvious that CDLC has its fans, as even before the shop was open for the day, a family was already there waiting to takeaway ice cream!
They’d recently launched Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak and Pandan Dodol ice creams together with Santan. Honestly, I wasn’t too sure about Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak ice cream but hey, it was Merdeka Day and nasi lemak is a staple breakfast (and lunch…) for many Malaysians.
CDLC’s ice creams are 100% free of preservatives and made of 100% natural ingredients. In fact, there’s a little window at the back of the store where you can look in to see the chefs work their magic.
Nasi lemak ice cream?!
First order of the outing was to get our hands on Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak and Pandan Dodol ice creams. We also had Cookies & Cream (they bake their own cookies) and Gold Digger (caramel ice cream). Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak ice cream tastes exactly like the real thing – which was strange and familiar at the same time. It even came with peanuts and ikan bilis as toppings. The ice cream itself is coconut based, just like nasi lemak rice. You just have to wrap your head around the fact that it IS ice cream but also nasi lemak at the same time.
If you love pandan (a tropical plant with fragrant leaves and is very commonly used for flavouring in Malaysia), you’ve got to go for the Pandan Dodol. It’s dodol (a sugar palm based confection) and coconut ice cream with coconut flakes. It was absolutely delicious and was gone in seconds.
Too pretty to eat
We then moved on to their artisanal desserts. I must say, each and every one of them were so pretty and intricate, that it was hard to dig into them. They were each a work of art and display perfect.
Just like in the movie, Beauty & the Beast is a red rose and comes in a glass jar. It has dark chocolate, vanilla ice cream with Morello Cherry sorbet and comes with a brownie. Da Bomb! is dark chocolate and vanilla ice cream with hazelnut crunch and praline. This reminded us of a Ferrero Rocher chocolate, but so much more decadent!
The Onde-Onde is pandan kaya ice cream with a ginger sorbet. Just like any onde-onde, there is of course gula melaka. The ginger sorbet gives it a refreshing twist. To eat this, wait five minutes for the gula melaka to thaw and then you can either crack it open with a spoon or pick one up and pop it into your mouth. Oh, so yummy…
Last up was Longevity. This is Japanese Matcha and black sesame ice cream with a mango yuzu compote and lemon curd. It sat on top of a Matcha sponge. If you like green tea, this is the one for you, as the taste of the Matcha really came through and the lemon curd gave it a citrusy zing. It comes in a bamboo steamer and looks just like a dim sum bun.
Our favourites?
Needless to say, Beauty & the Beast and Da Bomb! were both hits in our family as it was chocolate (need I say more?). However, my favourites were the Pandan Dodol and Onde-Onde, while my husband enjoyed the Gold Digger and Longevity.
For durian lovers (and actually even for those who are not fans), there’s the Durian Cendol drink. This is cendol with Musang King ice cream. To drink this, wait just a tad for the ice cream to melt and then stir and mix it up well with the cendol. I am huge fan of durian and was worried that it would be too filling after all our ice creams. Surprisingly, it was very easy to drink. My husband, who does not eat durian, even had a few gulps. So, there you go!
Who knew that you CAN actually have just ice creams for lunch and become so stuffed?
CDLC is great for the whole family, because they have flavours catered to both adults and children. Plus, it’s all natural ingredients. What’s not to like?
Crème de la Crème also sells delicious mooncakes during the month of September. Curious where to get the best mooncakes? CDLC is mentioned in our listicle here, together with more places where you can buy mooncakes.
Our ice creams were cordially sponsored by CDLC. As always, our opinion is honest and our own.
