Beautiful Birds of Paradise at The Red House

The Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique at The Red House Katong is a lovely picturesque ice cream parlour. It looks more like a designer fashion boutique than an eatery selling just gelato. Located in The Red House Project in Katong, Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique sells good quality delicious gelato made on site – offering interesting flavours inspired by the plant kingdom.

The iconic Red House in Katong once housed the famous Katong Bakery & Confectionery. It was a popular breakfast haunt, known especially for its signature cakes and curry puffs, and was simply referred to by many as the Red House. The bakery was closed in 2003 after the shophouse was deemed unsafe. The Red House and five adjacent shophouses were redeveloped into The Red House Project, which has 42 residential units and 5 retail shops. The Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique has just started business in the retail space.

The minimalist interior of Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique at The Red House is beautiful and inviting. It has a basically white theme accentuated by light wood and bronze elements.

Even its ice cream cups and water dispenser look very stylish.

Birds of Paradise has their own range of signature flavours derived from botanical ingredients – fruits, flowers, herbs and spices. Flavours include Basil, Pandan, Spiced Pear and Lychee Raspberry. All their gelato are made fresh on site.

Even the cones are made fresh at the counter.

Currently, the ice creams are available either in cups or in cones. The cones used are freshly made special thyme-infused waffle cones. Birds of Paradise is essentially a take-away shop. There is, however, a small standing bar counter if you like to have your gelato and enjoy their stylish space and cheery music.

We sampled their White Chrysanthemum gelato which was nice. It had the distinct floral taste of chrysanthemum tea. We ordered a cup of their Lemongrass & Ginger Gelato ($4.90). The initial taste of the Lemongrass & Ginger Gelato, with the chill background music playing, transported us to a breezy beach paradise somewhere in Thailand. The fragrance and bold flavours of lemongrass and ginger came through the creaminess of the gelato. Mildly spicy and sweet, it was uplifting and refreshing. Massages on the beach and tom yum soup for dinner came to mind. Alas, we were still in Katong; but we thoroughly enjoyed our ice cream at Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique .

Competition among eateries in Katong is keen. There are several other specialty shops selling ice creams within less than 50 metres of Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique. We hope Birds of Paradise do well. We like their good looks and unique range of gelato. We understand they will be introducing new items, like take-away gelato pies. We shall certainly be visiting Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique again to try other flavours and to check out their new items.