Being a society who is on social media 24/7, we chance upon many posts talking about the fast-rising franchises of Honey Crème and Llao Llao. Located at 313 Somerset, both stores sell soft-serve ice-cream. Selling an almost similar product, it is no surprise to sense a friendly rivalry between the two stores.
To find out what the hype was among people, we took a trip down to Somerset to have our very first taste of Honey Creme and Llao Llao and give our own take on the subject.
HONEY CRÈME
We were lucky to be the first two customers of the day as we were there half an hour before the opening. It was quite a sight to see the queue forming up to approximately 30 metres long within minutes.
As suggested by the shop assistant, we had the honeycomb ice cream which is apparently the best seller. It comes in a cup with a generous amount of ice cream and topped with a small piece of honeycomb.
If you are a fan of milk, the ice-cream would probably appeal to your taste buds. We personally felt that the ice cream was too creamy and a tad too strong for our liking, but we have to admit that its taste is definitely one of a kind. Though the portion of honeycomb was small, the sweetness did balance out the overwhelming taste of the milk. One thing that we did not fancy however was the rough texture of the honey comb after you are done sucking the honey out of it.
When asked why their customers are willing to queue for a long time under the sun, sales assistant Sherry Lim, 21, said that it is all about the toppings. “We have many unique toppings that you cannot find in any other frozen yoghurt or ice-cream shops, such as cotton candy, honeycomb and popcorn,” she explained.
Stephanie Tedja, 23, was asked the same question. “I saw it on Instagram and they’re quite famous in Korea! It’s not as nice as expected though, quite overrated,” said the banker who found time during her flexible schedule to check out this new craze.
LLAO LLAO
Despite the rants on social media about the long queues at Llao Llao that can last up to half an hour, we managed to get our frozen yoghurt within 10 minutes.
We decided to get ourselves a cup of Sanum ($6.50), frozen yoghurt served with 1 syrup, 1 crunch and 3 types of fruits of your choice, after observing what seems to be a popular choice amongst their customers.
We chose fruity pebbles with kiwis, strawberries and blueberries, topped with a layer of white chocolate.
The first bite gave our mouths the chills from the sheer frostiness of the combo. The white chocolate however, was a major plus point that helped to neutralise the sourness of the yoghurt.
We personally felt that the taste did not stand out from other existing frozen yoghurt brands such as Yoguru and Berrylite but it is definitely worth the money because of the quality of the toppings and the quantity of the yoghurt.
Even so, we did not see what the hype around Llao Llao was all about.
Gloria Koh Von, 18, a student from LASALLE College of the Arts explained why she keeps coming back for Llao Llao: “It doesn’t taste very different (from the other brands) but they have many toppings.”
Sow Yen Ting, 22, the store manager, thinks otherwise. “The taste and the way we present our yoghurt is our key to success because I don’t think other stores can present something like our Sanum.”
In summary, despite the buzz on social media, we felt that Honey Creme did not taste as fantastic as we expected. It is not worth the wait and you can always visit the shop in a few months’ time when the excitement dies down.
On the other hand, Llao Llao’s Sanum is a winning concoction with its generous portion and tasty fresh fruits. Though the queue can be quite a turn off, we think at least this one product is worth it.
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