These Organic Fruit Ice Pops From Yokohama Taste Kinda Like Wholesome Frozen Candy

It opened three more branches in Tokyo, and its Singapore outlet at new Japanese dining enclave Gochi Church Street Japan Kitchen (which houses six Japanese eateries) is its fourth, a franchise. The kiosk at Gochi displays Paletas’ photogenic ice pops in 25 flavours. Thicker than a couple of stacked iPhones, the generously-sized lollies are made with either milk, yoghurt, dairy-free sorbet or cream cheese bases, and contain organic fruits and no artificial sweeteners and flavours. They’re made in a factory in Japan and flown to Singapore monthly.

A simple, wood-accented takeaway kiosk with a massive display freezer showcasing the ice pops at a corner of Gochi Church Street Japan Kitchen in Capital Square. We feel like a kid in a more wholesome, less sinful candy store. The appearance of these colourful cold treats are redolent of the now-defunct Hong Kong ice lolly import I See I See, which lasted in Singapore for approximately a year or so. But that’s where the similarities end.

The brand’s signature dairy-free ice pop pairs a refreshing base of apple and roselle (a type of hibiscus) juice sorbet with slices of apple, orange, pineapple, kiwifruit and grapefruit suspended in it like frozen jewels. This is possibly the closest you’ll get to traditional paletas, which are also packed with real fruit. We see why this is a crowd favourite. Equal parts sweet and tangy, it’s an instant thirst-quencher, perfect in our sweltering heat. And unlike other natural ice pops we’d had, this wasn’t rock-hard from the freezer. Both the fruit and the sorbet were crisp to the bite yet smooth-textured, and every mouthful was juice-filled.

Boasting a smoother mouthfeel than the dairy-free sorbet pops, this condensed milk base ice lolly is studded liberally with fresh strawberry chunks marinated in condensed milk. The sweetened milk cuts the tartness of the icy berries, making it a nice treat even for the little ones.

Get a dose of probiotics the yummy way with this ice pop containing just two ingredients: blueberries and yoghurt. It’s smooth, tart, sweet and more fun to eat than a tub of yoghurt.

Created exclusively for Paletas’ Singapore outlet, this booze-free coral-hued ice pop is a tastier, lickable iteration of Singapore’s iconic cocktail. Bursting with citrusy juices, it combines cherry, pineapple and lemon sorbet with real bits of chopped sour cherries, pineapples and lemons. A pale imitation of the cocktail of the same name, this ice lolly tastes like a tarter version of the Paletas Mix but with a thicker consistency. Still quite nice and refreshing, though.

We were expecting this sorbet creation to be aromatic since it’s made with the acclaimed Okinawan mango, but it turned out more icy than smooth, and somewhat bland.

Photo: Paletas

These ice pops don’t come cheap at $6 to $8 each. But the use of organic fruits, super refreshing natural flavours and smooth texture hit the spot, especially in Singapore’s soaring temperatures. And we like that they're not too sweet. Doesn’t hurt that they’re also incredibly Instagram-worthy. Given the superior ingredients, texture and more substantial size of the ice pops, we don’t foresee Paletas going the way of I See I See’s now-defunct slimmer, icier creations. In fact, Paletas is probably our fave spot at Gochi Church Street Japan Kitchen.

Paletas is at #01-06A Capital Square, Gochi Church Street Japan Kitchen, 23 Church St, S049481. Tel: 6226-1278. Open daily 11.30am to 9pm. Last orders at closing. www.paletas.jp/user_data/en.php

Photos: Mark Lee & Bryan Lim