PUBLISHED ONJuly 04, 2019 3:45 AMByJoey Lee
Competition is stiff in the world of F&B, and food-preneurs are constantly coming up with novel ideas to grab eyeballs and make a name for themselves.
By far one of the quirkiest items to make an entrance in 2019 that we've seen is a boba taco softie -- that's right, a cross between ice-cream and a Mexican taco, with tapioca pearls thrown in.
This hybrid dessert is introduced by Okinawa soft-serve shop Emma, which just opened its first overseas outpost here in Singapore.
Established in May last year, the brand has seven outlets across Japan that popped up within one-and-a-half years, each reportedly attracting long queues that last for hours.
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Will this popularity extend to Emma's Singapore branch? Only time will tell.
But here are our top picks if you decide to drop by.
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FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE A SWEET TOOTH
A Singapore-exclusive flavour, the creamy cone gives you the best of both sweet and savoury worlds.
Upon first bite of the (surprisingly) firm ice-cream, I was initially hit with a rich, milky taste that gave way to a subtle cheesy aftertaste. If you're not one with a sweet tooth, this treat is perfect for you because it was more milky than sweet.
Just so you don't flip out if you see people flipping their ice-creams, Emma's soft-serves are so firm that they're being branded as "gravity-defying" so go ahead and dangle one upside down.
If you've FOMO over not trying out the OG milk flavour, you can also choose to get the soft mix so you're not missing out on both of Emma's signature flavours.
FOR DA 'GRAM AND THOSE WHO LOVE TEXTURES
If you're someone who loves having an interplay of textures in their food, this one's for you.
Chew on the soft brown sugar boba pearls, break apart the crispy wafer taco shell, crunch on the bits of crushed peanuts and enjoy the melt-in-the-mouth soft-serve all at the same time.
Definitely an interesting dessert to feature on Instagram, the mouthfeel of this dish was in a league of its own but the nutty taste unfortunately overpowered the ice-cream so all I could taste was peanuts.
I would recommend this only if you're a big fan of nuts on your desserts. Otherwise, I'll pick the soft-serves to appreciate the taste of the ice-cream better.
IF YOU'RE BORED OF PLAIN OLD BUBBLE TEA
Is your weekly bubble tea affair starting to get a little stale? Why not try your favourite treat in a more unconventional form?
The brown kinako bubble soft-serve is safer choice compared to other bubble tea inspired items (like bubble tea mala hotpot), so I could see myself choosing this over the drink once in a while.
Perhaps because the pearls were exposed to the cold ice-cream though, they were a bit harder than expected, but still decent if chewy pearls are your thing.
Interested enough to give Emma a try? Here are some opening promotions:
If your name is "Emma", you get 50 per cent off for the month of July! Limited to one discounted item per customer, all you'll have to do is show some identification to the service staff prior to ordering.
Pre-orders on Klook are going at 15 per cent off for the following three flavours: Emma Soft Milk, Emma Charcoal Cheese Cone and Brown Sugar Kinako Bubble Soft. Access the pre-order link here.
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joeylee@asiaone.com