HONG KONG - By the time I reach the Star Ferry Terminal at Pier 7 where people hop on the iconic green boats and sail off to this city’s outer islands, the oppressive summer heat has taken its toll. Sweat drips off my body like rain and the hot, humid air has drained me of all my energy.

Suddenly I pine for a Canadian winter.

Then, out of the corner of my eye I spot the word “Igloo” hanging above a stylish shop at the entrance of the busy terminal building.

As I approach the shop, a swoosh of cool air washes over me. I’m instantly refreshed.

“You look like you need something to cool you down,” says the lovely young woman standing behind the display counter at the ice cream shop she’s christened Igloo.

Larvina Wong, part owner of Igloo (dessert bar), invites me to sample some of her freshly made gelato.

“We make everything in house with all natural ingredients,” says the woman born in Hong Kong but who later immigrated to Toronto at a young age. “I love experimenting with gelato and just this week came up with a new variety - peanut butter, jam and bananas. Here, have a taste.”

The tiny sample Larvina offers instantly melts on my tongue and the creamy goodness is like a shot of adrenaline to my taste buds.

“Is there a gelato flavour you’d like to try?” asks Larvina while pointing to flavours like pina coloda, apple pie and pineapple.

I tell her I’m partial to pistachio and add: “the best pistachio I’ve ever had was in Florence (Italy).”

“Well, let’s see how my pistachio stacks up,” says the woman with the infectious smile who put a career in architecture on hold while she pursues her dreams of becoming the next Ben and Jerry’s ice cream success story.

Larvina’s version of the green gelato with the pistachio nuts is amazing - equal to anything I had in Italy.

“Pistachio is the most expensive gelato to make because the nuts cost a lot,” says Larvina, who proudly tells me she designed to multi-coloured Igloo logo, store interior and branding herself. Then she invites me inside her cramped air conditioned premises to see how she makes the creamy goodness.

“Most of the process is done by machine - the ingredients are first pasteurized at very high heat and then the mixture is quickly frozen so the gelato does not crystallize. Then I add the solid ingredients like the nuts, bananas … The whole process takes about one hours,” says Larvina.

The final consistency makes the gelato look like frozen pillows sitting in stainless steel tubs. The colourful varieties are then showcased in a large display freezer and they quickly draw a crowd.

Above: Larvina Wong, left, has the real scoop on Hong Kong and it's very refreshing.

“We’re just getting started so it’s a bit of a learning curve for us,” says

Larvina, who remembers her time in Canada fondly.

“I guess I should create a distinctly Canadian gelato - do you have any suggestions for the ingredients?” asks Larvina, who quickly answers her own question by saying: “maybe a maple sugar gelato would sell well here.”

As a line of overheated Chinese mainland tourists forms in front of Igloo’s display cases, I get Larvina to stuff two large scoops of pistachio gelato into a sugar cone, wish her good luck with her new venture and head back into the heat of Hong Kong - this time armed with some cooling protection.

As I walk away, I see smiles creep across the faces of the tourists as they dive into Larvina’s frozen treats.

In a city where there is so many treats for tourists, Larvina Wong and her Igloo gelato and frozen treats are without a doubt the sweetest.