Looking for some sweet chills in Manila’s balmy clime? Then take a seat at The Peninsula Manila Lobby and revel in ice cream desserts Frozen by the Sun.
Teaming with premier ice cream brand Selecta, the hotel recently debuted a revitalized roster of frosty treats featuring old favorites and new concoctions that are sure to be instant classics.
The updated menu was two years in the making, revealed Peninsula executive pastry chef Sebastien Cocquery-Beraud, who worked closely with executive chef Patrick Boucher and Selecta to choose just the right combination of flavors for each specialty sundae.
“It was a lot of tasting to match the ice creams [together and with garnishes], like the way a winemaker matches wine with food,” he explained.
The result is a delicious medley of the Lobby’s most popular standards and fresh original offerings like sweet-tart Berry Madness with blueberry marmalade and black currant coulis adding zest to creamy vanilla and strawberry ice cream.
For the health-conscious in search of a light yet still indulgent treat, there’s Summer Ice, composed of raspberry and mango sorbets, fruit salad ice cream, chunks of fresh fruit and finished with a delicately crisp caramel tuile.
But the breakout star may be the imperative Can’t Say No and its triple “threat” of chocolate truffle, vanilla almond and coffee almond ice creams embellished with thick chocolate curls. This tempting treat is already a favorite among The Peninsula Manila staff, including Chef Sebastien, who stated confidently, “I expect it to become one of our top sellers.”
If so, it will join a stellar selection of sundaes that have helped make The Lobby the de rigueur dessert destination in Manila for over 36 years.
Reinterpreting its much-loved menu meant not only introducing new creations but also preserving longtime favorites.
“Of course, we couldn’t change the bestsellers—we’d have a revolution by our clients,” teased assistant food and beverage manager Adam Lifshitz, referring to such tried and true frozen delights as the colorful Halo-Halo Harana.
This towering homage to the Filipino masterpiece of shaved ice is chockfull of sweet fillings and topped with creamy leche flan and Selecta Ube Royale ice cream, earning it the title “Best Legal High” from Time Magazine.
Also entrenched in guests’ affections are Pen Pals, a 19-scoop behemoth of ice cream and sorbet adorned with waffle sticks, maraschino cherries and other fresh fruits, presenting an epic eating challenge perfect for a group of friends; and The Nutty Pageboy, with its kid-appealing trio of chocolate, vanilla and double dutch ice cream girded with fluffy marshmallows and chocolate batons.
From banana splits to milkshakes, the new menu includes many more classic ice cream confections.
Inspired by the inner child in everyone, brought to delightful fruition by The Peninsula Manila and Selecta, and served in the most elegant of settings, Frozen by the Sun is certain to create warm memories for years to come.
