Can Emma’s ‘Upside-Down’ Japanese Ice Cream Cones Withstand Our Gravity Challenge?

Unlike the fancier outlets in Japan, the one at Plaza Singapura is a simple takeaway kiosk that shares a counter with its neighbour, Taiwanese food kiosk Snackz It Ke Kou Wei (owned by one of Emma’s Singaporean investors) and seats just eight. The menu in Singapore is also a streamlined version of the one in Japan. Drinks like roasted green teas with tapioca pearls as well as savoury and sweet crepes have been left out. But we do get the Boba Taco Softie (see below) and charcoal cheese flavoured soft serve, which is only available in Singapore.

Exclusive to Singapore, this Insta-ready signature item features a black and white twist of (fast-melting) soft serve ice cream cradled on a handmade crispy buttermilk waffle cone shaped like a taco shell, topped with Okinawa brown sugar pearls and roasted peanut shards. The cheese-infused charcoal ice cream, while light on flavour, is smooth and dense, and lifts the richness of the original milk flavoured one for a combination akin to a buttery cheese cracker.

The soft, chewy Okinawa brown sugar boba are actually locally sourced generic tapioca pearls. The only difference is they are cooked with Okinawa brown sugar, which gives them a deeper and earthy flavour that's characteristic of the Japanese sugar. They impart a fragrant, smoky aroma and add another dimension to the dessert. Moreover, the crispy elements in this dessert lend a good complementary texture. While the dessert looks pretty in its curved shell, it’s not meant to be lifted up and eaten like a taco (it's too big and messy) — it’s served in a paper tray and meant to be eaten with a spoon. Not bad.

On its own, the rich, milky flavour of Emma's Soft Milk ice cream is almost too milky and rich for our palates. It’s made with Japanese premium milk mixed with a “secret Japanese recipe”. But it makes a great base to go with condiments like this specially imported matcha dip (also comes in chocolate, strawberry and caramel) from Japan that hardens into a crispy shell around it. The matcha dip has a beautifully earthy fragrance with a slightly bitter note, a delicious counterpoint to the cloying creaminess of the ice cream.

Okay, Pocky? If you’re a fan of those childhood snacks, you’ll love this. The dip doesn’t taste too artificial or sweet and has that familiar strawberry Pocky scent we adore. And it goes great with the creaminess of the soft serve — strawberries and cream are a classic combination. The ice cream comes on a charcoal wafer cone that’s specially imported from Japan. The colour is interesting, but we didn’t find anything special about them otherwise. We’d much prefer traditional sugar or waffle cones to these, which tend to be bland and have a cardboard-y texture.

We love the handsome monotone black on black combi. However, on its own, the savoury cheese flavour, which is a mix of cream cheese, charcoal powder and other “secret ingredients”, is very light and almost lost. It's best enjoyed as the swirled mixed version as the milky tones of the original flavour are needed to really bring the cheesy notes to life.

It may not look as photogenic as the signature item on the menu, but the layering of different flavours really works in this combination. We love the counterbalance of the smoky Okinawa brown sugar pearls against the milky soft serve and the nutty finish of the Japanese kinako (soybean) powder.

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THE GRAVITY CHALLENGE

Emma’s soft serve ice cream, which are churned in specialty machines from Japan worth $25,000 for a creamier, denser and more compact consistency, are supposed to be so firm you can turn them upside down for at least 2 minutes. In fact, the brand's PR reps tell us they managed to hold it inverted for a whopping 8 minutes. Okay, so no one is really going to eat their Emmas upside down, but we thought we’d put the gravity-defying claim to the test anyway.

The Contender: Emma Charcoal Cheese

This was the first cone we put to the test. Fresh from the churner, we flipped it upside down and started the timer. Unfortunately, it didn’t come anywhere near the mark. It starts ‘sweating’ mere seconds after being turned upside down, and the entire swirl of soft serve plops unceremoniously out of its cone and onto the floor. Apparently, the charcoal powder agent makes it less firm. We were told the original flavour would fare better (see below).

Duration: 25 seconds

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The Contender: Emma Soft Mix

We thought the mix blend would have a little more staying power since it includes some of the “firmer” original soft serve. But it actually fared worse than the all-charcoal version. This time, even without dripping, the ice cream started to pull away from the cone 16 seconds in and came completely undone.

Duration: 16 seconds

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The Contender: Emma Soft Milk

With the brand's claim dangerously close to being disproved, Emma’s spokespeople suggested we give the soft-serve some time to harden in the frozen churner first (apparently, the machines were overworked at the soft launch, when we visited). After waiting 15 minutes, we tried again with this plain milky cone. Just 26 seconds in, the ice cream starts to melt. Seven more drips later, the soft serve’s peak loses its integrity and the whole thing separates from the cone and meets the floor. A full 13 seconds shy of 2 minutes — so close yet so far away! Perhaps this challenge works only during wintertime in Japan and not in the humidity of sunny Singapore?

Duration: 1 minute 47 seconds

We weren’t blown away by the offerings at Emma, especially the plain cones which are pricey for what you get. It doesn’t help that the brand's rather bold upside-down gimmick also fell flat. That being said, the sundaes (both the taco and cup versions) are fairly tasty options and provide better value.

Emma is at 68 Orchard Rd, #B2-45 Plaza Singapura, S238839. Open daily 11am – 9.30pm.

PHOTOS & VIDEOS: ALVIN TEO