The Piccolina Gelato Project: Eight Chefs in Eight Weeks
Last year, Piccolina owner Sandra Foti enlisted the help of eight top chefs for the inaugural Piccolina Gelato Project, which introduced fun, limited-edition gelato flavours from chefs like Tom Sarafian (yoghurt gelato with Persian saffron), Shannon Martinez (vegan cardamom and cinnamon doughnut gelato) and Victor Liong (jasmine tea and burnt caramel).
Now a new line-up of chefs has stepped up to the gelato plate, with all six of the gelateria’s locations scooping their limited-edition flavours. Each chef has developed three flavours that speak to their individual techniques, cuisines and favourite ingredients, and the specials will only be available for a week each.
From February 16 to 22, try coconut and pandan gelato with Davidson's plum and puffed rice; sourdough-infused gelato topped with kaya (coconut jam) and macadamia; and condensed milk gelato with Vietnamese coffee caramel and wattleseed honeycomb from Sunda and Aru's Khanh Nguyen.
Ides chef Peter Gunn is next with peanut butter gelato (his peanut butter at the fine-diner has a cult following) and dark chocolate ganache; yoghurt and honey gelato; and a lamington creation with milk chocolate gelato topped with sponge, raspberry jam and coconut – they’re available from February 23 to March 1.
Then, from March 2 to 8, the team is scooping Zackary Furst of Bar Liberty’s buckwheat gelato with mead honey; toasted fennel and Daintree Rainforest chocolate-chip gelato; and date gelato topped with fresh nutmeg.
Thi Le of Vietnamese diner Anchovy and banh mi shop Ca Com gives her spin on things with a custard apple gelato topped with butter biscuit crumble and ginger beer sorbet; durian and white chocolate gelato with lemon sorbet and Mount Zero olive oil; and a toasted jasmine rice gelato with banana-rum jam, candied walnuts and nutmeg from March 9 to 15.
Insects will feature on the Piccolina menu for the first time when Vue de Monde executive chef Hugh Allen and Yamatji/Noongar woman Sharon Brindley of Jala Jala Treats team up for a menu showcasing native ingredients. They’re making cantaloupe, carrot and coconut sorbet with green ants; river mint and mountain pepper-infused fior di latte gelato; and wattleseed gelato topped with local leatherwood honeycomb, available from March 16 to 22.
There’s more kaya on the horizon from March 23 to 29, with South African-born chef Almay Jordaan (Neighbourhood Wine and Old Palm Liquor) giving her own twist on kaya gelato with brandy-soaked brioche and brandied apricots, as well as a South African milk tart gelato with burnt caramel syrup, and an elderflower-infused fior di latte gelato with confit lemon.
Game-changing chef Jo Barrett (currently at Flinders Wharf in Tasmania, soon to be at Harvest in Byron, and ex-Future Food System plus Oakridge, to name a few) is using byproduct from local beverage producers in her specials. There’s a gelato flavoured with red wine lees (the residual yeast left over from the wine fermentation process) with pink grapefruit sorbet; a gelato infused with koji (a mould culture commonly used in Japan) with lemon sorbet and Geraldton wax oil; and a gin-orange gelato with dark chocolate shards. They’re on the menu from March 30 to April 5.
And to close off the series, Etta head chef Rosheen Kaul is filling the pozzetti with butter gelato, vanilla sponge, buttercream and sprinkles; a mix of green and yellow mango sorbet with lime, chilli salt and marigold; and pandan-infused coconut gelato with dark palm sugar syrup and sago pearls – available from April 6 to 12.
Piccolina has locations in Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn, St Kilda, Degraves Street and Hardware Lane. All specials cost $8.50.
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