Not sure what’s with the location, but Sunset Way is pretty much seeing a boom of ice-cream/gelato parlours of the late; Burnt Cones being one of the three which we had checked out not too long ago, and Dawn’s Gelataria and Cafe being the second to have opened its doors pretty recently. There is also a third; Hundred Acres Creamery, which has is opening its doors soon to the public as at the point of writing.

Amongst the three ice-cream/gelato parlours that have opened or are opening in this neighbourhood, Dawn’s Gelataria and Cafe is the only one of three that actually serves full meals ranging from Benedicts to salad and pasta. Their expertise seems pretty much to be in their gelato though; the Amarena Cherry came with a milky base that is swirled with a “sauce” made from the said fruit; a flavour that was surprisingly deep and luxurious with its aptly sour undertones that was also pretty floral — a very unique flavour that goes well with the milk base that gives it an additional richness. The Rum & Raisin hits the expectations well; sufficiently boozy with nibs of raisins to chew on — both flavours are also smooth, sticky and creamy; pretty much on-point for gelato. The waffles served here are pretty old-school; more of the eggy sort than the buttermilk waffles that are often seen at ice-cream parlours of the late — not too dense, yet light and airy; pretty easy to finish.

Having tried Burnt Cones not too long ago, Dawn’s Gelataria & Cafe seems to be an establishment that chooses to focus on more conventional Italian flavours with an emphasis on exotic fruits, chocolate and nuts; a direction that seems to target a different audience from the more experimental, hipster flavours that Burnt Cones have to offer. That being said, Dawn’s would work better as a one-stop shop for families who would prefer to have their meals and dessert at a single destination, or those who prefer more “grown-up” ice-cream flavours in general.