Gelato Messina, Part II

Ever had salsa and corn chips mixed in with your gelato before?

This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the 'Nacho Libre' gelato. It's exactly what it sounds like, consisting of avocado gelato, sweet tomato salsa, and corn chips. Even if I hadn't mentioned it in the title, the very nature of this concoction should alert you to its origins. I guess the only place crazy enough to make a nacho-flavoured gelato is Gelato Messina. I ordered it more for the novelty factor than the taste; I had a tiny bit to try beforehand and it didn't have that 'wow factor', like some of the other specials on offer that day: Baklava, Dr. Evil, etc. But I really, really wanted to brag over Facebook that I just had Nachos in gelato form xD

Can you spot the Nacho Libre? Back row, second from right.

After lunching at Mizuya, my lady friends and I took a leisurely stroll down Oxford St, and eventually navigated our way to Gelato Messina in Darlinghurst. Sadly, there was no peanut butter-based gelato on offer today. I'm a PB addict in general (the Kraft Crunchy on soft white bread is like crack to me), but peanut butter in gelato simply elevates my favourite spread to a whole new level. During a previous visit, I had the fortune of trying the "Gooey" flavour - peanut butter gelato with gooey peanut praline:

I was awash with sadness after the last bite.

To make up for the absence of peanut butter gelato, I ordered three scoops on this visit. In addition to the Nacho Libre, I had one scoop each of the pandan & coconut, and salted caramel and white chocolate.

The salted caramel gelato...oh wow. Smooth, rich caramel gelato, the sweetness tempered by the salty edge, with HUGE chunks of white chocolate and streaks of white chocolate ganache dispersed throughout. Two of my friends also ordered this, and they appeared to enjoy it as much as I did. The pandan and coconut flavour was also very, very good - a refreshing contrast to the richness of the caramel gelato!

Don't judge...yep, I didn't just stop at three scoops of gelato. I also shared a small gelato cake with one of my friends. This is the 'Mini Me'. The mushroom cap is made of chocolate fondant gelato streaked with dulce de leche and peanut butter cookie. You can't see it from this angle, but the mushroom had a stalk of vanilla gelato. The green stuff tasted like the chocolate crackles from my childhood. Indeed, the "grass" literally crackled...from the popping candy mixed in!

And there you have it: another memorable visit to Gelato Messina!

(For my first post on Gelato Messina, click here).


Gelato Messina

Darlinghurst Store
Shop 1/241 Victoria St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010