Piccoli Lotti Artisanal Gelato in SS 18, Subang Jaya

With the events of the past fortnight a faint distance in my mind, I slowly trained myself to brace for a new normal. My calm acceptance of the consequences might have been a result of me expecting it weeks, if not months in advance. It’s not like throwing fits about it would change anything either.

It’s been a while - at least two years and counting - since I last delved in the realm of food reviews, making this my slow and tardy return to a once-familiar topic. Blame the delay on life’s responsibilities of studies and career.

After procrastinating for weeks to sample the lovely dishes of the new kid of the block (Piccoli Lotti Artisanal Gelato Subang Jaya), I was driven towards there as a result of what you can call an emotionally testy week. You could also say that seeing a chum tasting it compelled me to give it a try too. I sprinted there after dinner at Mama Carrie’s favourite haunt, hoping that the dessert place was devoid of crowds considering that it was a weeknight. A quick peek into the glass windows revealed everything: there were built-in furnitures towards the front of the cafe and a stand-alone table with roughly six chairs towards the back followed by a compact outdoor dining area for those who wanted Instagram-worthy pictures of the decorations heightened by a twinge of serenity.

Standing guard at the door was a table with a book spread open to the last page, bearing details of visitors of the day who opted not to check-in with the QR codes of MySejahtera & SELangkah and an employee ever-ready to scan your body temperature with the infrared thermometer. Throwing consideration to the fragile and uncertain times that we are now in, it’s pertinent that you record your entrance through the portal of MySejahtera or SELangkah. If you so wish, you could always pen your name, contact details, and your temperature in the log book provided.

Being the only customers for the moment proved beneficial as it granted us the luxury to choose our seating arrangements. Once that was determined, I dumped my bag on the chair to exert sole possession of the table while protecting it from other diners who might arrive for desserts while I was away. I moved towards the cashier and the industrial fridge not too far to survey the choices of gelato that Piccoli Lotti offered.

But one flavour caught my attention the moment I laid my eyes on it: Genmaicha.

And so that was what I ordered: “a single scoop of Genmaicha, please.”

A single scoop of Genmaicha

Translated as toasted brown rice green tea, it’s part of the green tea family but distantly related to the more commonly known matcha. One packs a nutty punch and leaves a pungent aftertaste whereas the other carries a slightly bitter kick to the palate. I was a tad bit apprehensive with my selection because genmaicha was something that I always took as a drink in our family, not part of a dish and that was rare in itself.

The first bite reeled me in like a fish to a hook. It tickled my taste buds, leaving a bitter but not overly bitter aftertaste with slight traces of saccharine swimming, and tempted me to reach out for a second scoop to satisfy the sweet tooth. Factoring both my pancreas and liver, I promised myself that I’ll return for another time to sample a differing flavour and possibly compliment with a round of favourite caffeine.

Location of the shop is as follows:

The exterior of the dessert place 

Piccoli Lotti Artisanal Gelato, 

No. 9, Jalan SS 18/1B, 

47500 Subang Jaya, 

Selangor

Searching for the shop wouldn’t be an arduous task as it fronts the SS17 police station and the fire station on top of the Petronas gas station. The cafe also shares the same street as La Juiceria and Foxhole Bakery.