Summer’s almost here, and one of the coolest ways to beat the heat is a scoop or two of the creamiest, tastiest ice cream. We asked our local chefs to tell us their Top 3 favorite ice creams, either local or international. What do you think they crave?
Chef Peter Ayson (Clawdaddy, Chops, Italian Market)
- Coney Island’s Original Pistachio Ice Cream brings back memories of childhood treats.
- Carmen’s Best’s Cereal Milk Ice Cream. It’s like drinking the sweet frosted flake milk bowl.
- Sebastian’s Once in a Blue Moon Bleu Cheese Ice Cream topped with candied walnut and honey. I like the taste and smell of stinky cheese and candy. Weird description but soooo good.
I love ice cream. I actually have 6-8 pints in my freezer on reserve.
Chef Johnlu Koa (The French Baker, Lartizan)
- Amorino in Paris. Creamy but not gummy. Natural flavors with wide selection of fruits and nuts.
- Häagen-Dazs. Commercial ice cream without the commercial mouth feel.
- XTC Hong Kong. Artisan-style ice cream with basic gelato flavors.
Chef Greg Guy (Cheesecakes by Guy)
- Grom. It’s an Italian brand of gelato with stores in different parts of the world. It also serves sorbets and frozen yogurt, and only uses the best ingredients: cage-free eggs, natural spring water, real fruits and the best-quality milk. I remember having the pear sorbet; it was the best-tasting, smoothest and lightest sorbet I’ve had!
- Häagen-Dazs 5 Strawberry Ice Cream which uses only 5 ingredients. I was able to try this while in New York. You can really taste the difference.
- Cheesecakes by Guy Cheesecake Ice Cream. Love your own. It’s real cheesecake ice cream—not just cheesecake-flavored ice cream—with bits and pieces of cheesecake inside.
Chef Sau del Rosario (Center for Culinary Arts-Manila)
- Salted Caramel by Carmen’s Best.
- Mangga at Suman by Sebastian’s.
- Hazelnut Brownie of Selecta.
Chef Robby Goco (Cyma, Green Pastures, Yumi Japanese, Munchtown, Hotel Luna in Baguio and Vigan)
- Adam’s Seriously Good Ice Cream’s Figgy Blue—creamy, savory Italian blue cheese with honey-soaked figs. Just add walnuts and serve it as it is. Or, you can put jamon on shredded lettuce with a cookie. Sublime!
Chef Fern Aracama (Aracama Restaurant)
- We have our own ice cream in Aracama at BGC. It doesn’t have a brand, and the most popular flavor is Chocnut Ice Cream.
I came up with the chocnut flavor back in 1999 for my first restaurant, Uva in Tomas Morato, Quezon City. I liked eating chocnut when frozen, and that’s how I hatched that ice cream flavor. No one had done it commercially then. It was such a big hit.
Chocnut Ice Cream is available only in Aracama Filipino Cuisine in The Fort, BGC. You can have scoops of ice cream or 1-gallon tubs to go.
- I also like Milky Way’s ice cream, especially the avocado flavor. It’s so intense, rich, creamy and full of natural avocado flavor. I grew up in the ’70s eating homemade frozen avocado desserts. Milky Way’s version takes me back to all these good memories.
Chef Miguel de Alba (Alba’s Spanish restaurant)
- I like the French vanilla flavor of French Blue Bunny and Tillamook, available at S&R and major supermarkets. French vanilla is richer and smoother than plain vanilla because it’s custard- or egg-based.
Chef Jessie Sincioco (Le Souffle, Top of the Citi, 100 Revolving Restaurant)
- My favorite ice creams are Arce’s Mantecado, Avocado and Atis, because they use fresh carabao’s milk
- Häagen-Dazs’ Vanilla-Almond Bar.
Chef Bernice Pimentel (Ilustrado)
- I really love Butter Pecan. I can have it from either Carmen’s Best or Blue Bunny, available in S&R. I also like Carmen’s Best’s Malted Chocolate Ice Cream and Salted Caramel flavor.
- I am also a fan of Amici’s Pistachio Ice Cream.
- I find Häagen-Dazs’ Strawberry Ice Cream really good as well.
Chef Martin Kaspar (L’entrecôte)
- Movenpick Swiss Ice Cream’s Chocolate and Tonka Truffle. Sadly, they are not yet here in the Philippines.
Chocolate truffles are a closely protected Swiss tradition, and the tonka truffle is one example. It’s a dark-chocolate treat flavored with the rich vanilla and almond sweetness of the tonka bean. Sweet home away from home.
Chef Romy Dorotan (Purple Yam)
- Naturally, I like the ones we make, like the champuy ice cream and the coffee ice cream with nibs.
- In New York, I go for chocolate caramel rum ice cream. I mix tablea with Callebaut and Valrhona.
Chef Ronnie Reyes (Bizu Patisserie)
- I love the nutty and smoky flavor and creamy texture of Dojo Dairy Japanese Ice Cream’s Black Sesame. I also get the Wasabi or the Miso Sake.
- I also love the locally made Fog City Sorrento Ice Cream for its refreshing lemon flavor, perfect after a particularly rich meal.
- Häagen-Dazs Strawberry with chunks of fruit in a very creamy luxurious ice cream base.
Chef Vicky Pacheco (Chateau 1771 Group of Restaurants)
- My favorite ice cream is SIA ice cream from Sweden. It’s so smooth, creamy, and has a well-balanced flavor.
- My next top favorite is Häagen-Dazs.
Chef Baba Ibazeta-Benedicto (Classic Confections)
- Carmen’s Best’s Salted Caramel.
- Häagen-Dazs’ Vanilla and Belgian Chocolate, for having the right amount of cream and flavor
- Milky Way’s Ginumis with Muscovado Ice Cream—pure heaven.
Chef Jill Sandique (Lead trainer of US Department of Agriculture Council of Chefs)
- Peachy Paterno from Penn State Creamery. It is silky and refreshing.
- Fruits in Ice Cream’s strawberry flavor which has the right amount of strawberry bits and swirl.
- Breyers Butter Pecan. It tastes so pure and simple.
Chef Miko Aspiras (Scout’s Honor)
- Magnum is very luxurious yet very affordable. I love how flexible it can be when added to my favorite desserts.
- Artisan Glacier Nardone in Lyon. It’s simply amazing.
- Pat and Stick’s cookie sandwiches from Sydney. They make the yummiest butter pecan cookie ice cream.
Chef George Lizares (LJC Group of Restaurants)
- I like the Italian fig gelato. Peach and Apple, too. I also like the ones I tasted in Piazza Navona in Rome.
- Hokkaido ice cream is also great.
3. I remember devouring the old buco sherbet of Milky Way.
