Birds of Paradise — white chrysanthemum + thyme cone ($6.80)!
Birds of Paradise white chrysanthemum gelato on the signature thyme-infused waffle cone, Bugis. $6.80.
Dessert: Birds of Paradise white chrysanthemum on a thyme cone, $6.80, Bugis. 😋
What was in hand:
- White chrysanthemum gelato: a pale scoop with visible flecks, the floral flavour subtle and clean
- The thyme cone: the signature herb-infused waffle cone, golden and crisp, in the branded paper sleeve
Birds of Paradise built its name on botanical gelato, flavours drawn from flowers, herbs and fruit instead of the usual dessert roster. The white chrysanthemum is one of its most distinctive: based on the chrysanthemum tea (菊花茶) that every Singaporean grew up drinking, the floral-honey note translated into a gelato. It is a flavour that reads as familiar and unusual at once, the cooling herbal-tea taste you know, in a form you do not expect.
The subtlety is the point: chrysanthemum is a delicate, faintly honeyed floral, and a heavy hand would lose it. This scoop kept it light and clean, the flavour whispering rather than shouting, which is exactly how chrysanthemum should read. It is the gentle, refreshing end of the Birds of Paradise menu.
The thyme cone is the brand’s signature carrier: baked with thyme so it carries a herbal, almost savoury edge that frames the sweet floral gelato. Against the delicate chrysanthemum, the herbal cone adds the contrast that keeps the whole thing from being one-note sweet.
At $6.80 for a botanical scoop on the signature cone, this is fair artisanal-gelato pricing.
Overall: 4.5 / 5. 😋👍🏼 The subtle chrysanthemum floral against the herbal thyme cone was the standout pairing. A BOP staple, would re-order.
