After Hours Gelato (Bishan)

Caught wind that After Hours have been working on a new outlet some time back whilst scrolling through the phone some time back; for those whom find the name particularly familiar, After Hours isn’t exactly a new player in the local F&B scene here around the island. These folks had been in operations for a while now; their debut in the local F&B scene being in 2023 where they had first opened at ORTO West Coast which is within walking distance from Haw Par Villa MRT Station along the Circle Line. Fast forward to 2025 and these folks have expanded their operations with a brand new location that is situated at Bishan — they are located within a two-storey shophouse unit that is situated at Blk 150A Bishan Street 11. Occupying a shop unit that is located at the corner of the HDB block, After Hours should be relatively easy to spot — the shop unit being pretty brightly lit and consists of both indoor and outdoor dining areas; the latter likely being a move to enable the space to be pet-friendly as well. The decor of the entire space at After Hours’ location at Bishan follows closely to that of their ORTO West Coast location; the use of metallic elements with the white walls and concrete floors does provide a raw and minimalistic look, while the use of orange accents for its seating provides a vibrant look that creates visual contrast for the entire set-up. Whilst the tables at the ground level are smaller and accommodate to patrons dining in the establishment in groups of two (2) to four (4), there are larger tables that can be found at the upper storey alongside with a mix of dining tables configured to accommodate those visiting in pairs or groups of four (4) pax as well. Being pretty much a gelato parlour at heart, the offerings at After Hours at its Bishan location remains the same as what is being offered at their ORTO West Coast location; patrons do get the option to enjoy their gelato in cups or with cones, or they can also pair them up with Classic / Mochi / Churros Mochi Waffles, or their Golden Butter Toast. After Hours also does serve up quite a variety of beverages as well, with the beverages menu sectioned to categories such as Specialty Soda, Tea by the Pot, Iced Shaken Tea, Cold Brew and drinking chocolate — just to name a few.

One of the items that After Hours had been most notable for ever since the days of their ORTO West Coast location would be their Churros Mochi Waffles — this also eventually turned out to be what we had decided to go for and we have also decided to pair it up with two scoops of gelato. The two scoops of gelato which we had opted for would be the Grape Yakult with Oreo Bits Gelato, as well as the Earl Grey Lemon Tea Gelato. Replicating the usual Churros that we are now pretty much very well-exposed to, the Churros Mochi Waffles at After Hours does come with a dusting of sugar and cinnamon all over the waffles — it also does come with a drizzle of chocolate sauce on the side which is also pretty much essential to the typical Churros dish where it would appeal as a dip on the side instead. Digging into the waffles, we did find that the waffles were sufficiently dense; it is worth noting that the waffles at After Hours weren’t done too thick as compared to the Belgian waffles that some ice-cream / gelato parlours would serve up, while the insides do come with a thin layer of mochi that provides for some bite and a chewy texture within. The dusting of the cinnamon sugar does give it a hint of spiced sweetness, while smothering the waffles with the chocolate sauce does provide for some pretty familiar notes that reminds one of the actual Churros. Between the Grape Yakult with Oreo Bits Gelato and the Earl Grey Lemon Tea Gelato which we had opted for, our choice would be for the latter — the Earl Grey Lemon Tea Gelato is a flavour that is being described on the description that is a non-dairy flavour; we especially liked how there is a strong hint of brewed iced lemon tea that runs throughout the entire scoop being the more dominant flavour, before it starts to mellow down to reveal notes of Earl Grey tea towards its finish. Considering how this flavour does not feature any dairy, we did find it pretty impressive that the texture of the gelato doesn’t come as “icy” as some sorbets would do — still coming pretty close to that of typical ice-creams / gelatos out there.

The Grape Yakult with Oreo Bits Gelato does feel like a little bit of a twist to the standard Cookies and Cream flavour that is being offered at most other ice-cream / gelato parlours out there. The use of Grape-flavoured Yakult meant that the ice-cream carries a tangy note similar to that of yogurt, while the Oreo bits still carries a soft crunch and a cocoa-esque note for a flavoural contrast. During our visit, we had also opted to go for the Lychee Rose which is an item that is listed under the “Specialty Soda” section of the menu. A sparking beverage, this was one that carried a floral note of rose with a slight hint of sweetness that one would typically associate with lychee; suitably sweet and not too fizzy, and goes well as a beverage to go along with the order of waffles and gelato. We hadn’t given After Hours a visit for a while despite finding their gelato offerings to be pretty decent during our very first and only visit to their ORTO West Coast outlet. That being said, it does seem that the folks behind After Hours had definitely maintained their standards of upped their game even further during our visit to their new Bishan location. Considering how their new location does seem to be a little more centralised despite still being slightly off the beaten path, perhaps this would be the outlet where most would head to if they are looking to resolve their cravings for After Hours’ gelato, waffles and golden toasts once the word about their opening here has spread out even further.