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)

1. Coney Island’s Original Pistachio Ice Cream brings back memories of childhood treats.
2. Carmen’s Best’s Cereal Milk Ice Cream. It’s like drinking the sweet frosted flake milk bowl.
3. 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)

1. Amorino in Paris. Creamy but not gummy. Natural flavors with wide selection of fruits and nuts.
2. Häagen-Dazs. Commercial ice cream without the commercial mouth feel.
3. XTC Hong Kong. Artisan-style ice cream with basic gelato flavors.

Chef Greg Guy (Cheesecakes by Guy)

1. 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!
2. 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.
3. 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)

1. Salted Caramel by Carmen’s Best.
2. Mangga at Suman by Sebastian’s.
3. Hazelnut Brownie of Selecta.

Chef Robby Goco (Cyma, Green Pastures, Yumi Japanese, Munchtown, Hotel Luna in Baguio and Vigan)

1. 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)

1. 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.

2. 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)

1. 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)

1. My favorite ice creams are Arce’s Mantecado, Avocado and Atis, because they use fresh carabao’s milk
2. Häagen-Dazs’ Vanilla-Almond Bar.

Chef Bernice Pimentel (Ilustrado)

1. 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.
2. I am also a fan of Amici’s Pistachio Ice Cream.
3. I find Häagen-Dazs’ Strawberry Ice Cream really good as well.

Chef Martin Kaspar (L’entrecôte)

1. 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)

1. Naturally, I like the ones we make, like the champuy ice cream and the coffee ice cream with nibs.
2. In New York, I go for chocolate caramel rum ice cream. I mix tablea with Callebaut and Valrhona.

Chef Ronnie Reyes (Bizu Patisserie)

1. 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.
2. I also love the locally made Fog City Sorrento Ice Cream for its refreshing lemon flavor, perfect after a particularly rich meal.
3. Häagen-Dazs Strawberry with chunks of fruit in a very creamy luxurious ice cream base.

Chef Vicky Pacheco (Chateau 1771 Group of Restaurants)

1. My favorite ice cream is SIA ice cream from Sweden. It’s so smooth, creamy, and has a well-balanced flavor.
2. My next top favorite is Häagen-Dazs.

Chef Baba Ibazeta-Benedicto (Classic Confections)

1. Carmen’s Best’s Salted Caramel.
2. Häagen-Dazs’ Vanilla and Belgian Chocolate, for having the right amount of cream and flavor
3. Milky Way’s Ginumis with Muscovado Ice Cream—pure heaven.

Chef Jill Sandique (Lead trainer of US Department of Agriculture Council of Chefs)

1. Peachy Paterno from Penn State Creamery. It is silky and refreshing.
2. Fruits in Ice Cream’s strawberry flavor which has the right amount of strawberry bits and swirl.
3. Breyers Butter Pecan. It tastes so pure and simple.

Chef Miko Aspiras (Scout’s Honor)

1. Magnum is very luxurious yet very affordable. I love how flexible it can be when added to my favorite desserts.
2. Artisan Glacier Nardone in Lyon. It’s simply amazing.
3. Pat and Stick’s cookie sandwiches from Sydney. They make the yummiest butter pecan cookie ice cream.

Chef George Lizares (LJC Group of Restaurants)

1. I like the Italian fig gelato. Peach and Apple, too. I also like the ones I tasted in Piazza Navona in Rome.
2. Hokkaido ice cream is also great.

3. I remember devouring the old buco sherbet of Milky Way.