Soft power: the art, allure and innovation behind Hong Kong’s best gelato

A point of clarification, before we begin: ice cream is not gelato. The two share a family resemblance, sure, but gelato is the sultrier cousin, whispering in Italian while ice cream bellows in American.

Gelato’s origins are pinned, somewhat theatrically, on Bernardo Buontalenti, a 16th-century Florentine architect who, between designing fortresses and opera sets, supposedly invented a frozen custard for the Medici court. Whether true or not, Florence clings to the tale, and Buontalenti’s name endures in the rich, eggy crema still enjoyed there today.

Its allure lies in its composition: where ice cream lumbers in with 10 to 18 per cent butterfat, gelato glides by with a leaner 4 to 8 per cent; ice cream doubles its size with air (up to 100 per cent overrun) while gelato has minimal air whipped in (25 to 30 per cent). Gelato is served warmer, too, so flavours bloom instead of freezing out. The result is a scoop that doesn’t shout—it seduces. And Hong Kong, forever in search of the next edible obsession, has fallen hard: gelato shops have taken root across the city, each wielding a charm of its own.

Snack Baby’s plant-based scoops prove that indulgence can be inclusive and inventive (Photo: Snack Baby)

Texture, temperature and timing are key when making gelato (Photo: Snack Baby)

Messina, the Australian heavyweight on Pottinger Street, doesn’t believe in restraint. Forty flavours crowd the cabinet—classic, experimental, and five rotating specials for the indecisive; think milk chocolate with peanut fudge, salted coconut and mango salsa or Hong Kong milk tea. Even the gelato cakes swagger; it’s fun, technicolour indulgence.

Loud, proud, and gloriously over-the-top (Photo: Messina Hong Kong)

Messina’s gelato cakes are maximalism at its finest (Photo: Messina Hong Kong)

Then there’s Liz & Tori on Wellington Street, where chef Vicky Cheng of VEA and Wing crafts gelato in honour of his daughters. Here, each scoop is thoughtfully finished with a predetermined flourish: strawberry cream swirl topped with freeze-dried strawberries; mango yoghurt swirl lifted with a dusting of kaffir lime powder; double vanilla paired with a soft sponge cake, adding another layer of texture.

Liz & Tori is a love letter, crafted by chef Vicky Cheng and inspired by his daughters (Photo: Liz & Tori)

Tozzo weaves together Italian technique and Asian nuance in every gelato (Photo: Tozzo)

On Hollywood Road, Snack Baby flips the script. No dairy? No problem. Their animal-free, lactose-free scoops don’t compromise on indulgence: cashew milk pistachio crunch; dark chocolate olive oil; carrot cake spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. This is gelato without boundaries.

Tozzo, tucked into Tai Kwun’s cobbled courtyards, brings a touch of European elegance. Here, gelato is served the Italian way, stuffed inside maritozzi—soft Italian buns—or simply by the scoop. When it comes to flavours, though, Italian tradition meets Japanese finesse, with occasional nods to local tastes, yuen yeung and black sesame layered seamlessly into the mix.

Understated but deeply expressive, Yonna Yonna’s Okinawan-style gelato favours balance (Photo: Yonna Yonna)

Over at Kai Tak, Yonna Yonna, an Okinawa import, serves gelato that’s lighter on sugar and fat but rich in flavour, showcasing island ingredients like lemon, sweet potato and salt milk in every understated scoop.

Each plays its part in Hong Kong’s gelato affair, hitting that sweet spot between nostalgia and novelty, indulgence and innovation. It helps, of course, that gelato photographs like a dream. But its deepest charm lies in softness—not simply of form, but of nature. There’s no hard sell, no cloying sweetness—just quiet persuasion. This is soft power. And in Hong Kong, there’s nothing stronger.

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A look at Vicky Cheng’s Medora and Liz & Tori on Wellington Street