The new Selecta Gold Series flavor Vanilla Almond is a very rich and creamy blend of vanilla ice cream, caramel fudge and almonds.

Vanilla is one of my least favorite flavors, because often times it’s too sweet and very “milky” for my taste, but I definitely liked this one.The vanilla ice cream doesn’t taste very “milky” as other brands do, and is very smooth and velvety. And the base itself isn’t very sweet either– the sweetness you get from the caramel fudge swirling and weaving it’s golden goodness around and through the ice cream. The roasted almonds lend a smokey flavor, complimenting the sweetness of the caramel fudge and richness of the vanilla ice cream– rounding up the wonderful flavors of this very rich frozen delight.

Vanilla Almond joins Selecta’s Gold Series line up along with Berry Strawberry, Chocolate Truffles, and Hazelnut Brownie. Available in pints and tubs in groceries and supermarkets.

Opened in December 11, 2008, it offered another venue where one could enjoy the rich and sophisticated flavours of Häagen-Dazs. The shop is among the first in the world executed in the Genesis design concept, which offers a dining experience that is more refined and relaxed, which every customer deserves. The Häagen-Dazs shop is located in the 2nd floor of the SM Megamall Atrium, making it very accessible as it is located in the center of the Ortigas Business District as well as a lot of nearby villages.

In an effort to make Häagen-Dazs more accessible to customers during the rush of the Christmas season, a satellite branch will be opened in SM Megamall. Dubbed as “Häagen-Dazs Express,” it is located at the Ground floor of Building A, in front of Toy Kingdom. This gives an opportunity for customers in SM Megamall to indulge on Häagen-Dazs wherever they may be, especially if they are in a rush.

The Eat-All-You-Can Ice Cream Buffet is an ice cream connoisseur’s dream come true, while Häagen-Dazs Express allows people to enjoy and indulge in the best ice cream in the world while strolling around the mall.

Häagen-Dazs
2nd floor SM Megamall Atrium,
Ortigas Center

Selecta Gold Series

Especially crafted for discriminating gourmands, Selecta Gold Series represents Selecta’s most luxurious offering yet: a line of extra creamy premium ice cream designed to provide a truly opulent experience. Made only from the finest ingredients available, the three flavors that compose the line—Chocolate Truffles, Hazelnut Brownie and Berry Strawberry were developed with 3 of the country’s top chefs— Sau del Rosario of Chelsea Market and Cafe’, Rolando Laudico of Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino, and J. Gamboa of Cirkulo, respectively.

Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Truffles is Chef Laudico’s creation. To ensure a rich texture and mouth feel, Chef Laudico insisted on importing gourmet chocolates from Belgium. The end result is a very rich, luscious, creamy and very chocolate-y ice cream.

Hazelnut Brownie

Chef Sau Del Rosario wanted to capture the essence of “gianduja”-a treat from Italy that combines cocoa and hazelnut-and translate it into a fun and modern ice cream flavor. The end result is the Hazelnut Brownie ice cream, a mouthwatering mixture of ground hazelnut paste and rich chocolate ice cream laden with moist fudge brownies.

Berry Strawberry

Berry Strawberry, on the other hand, finds Chef J., a third generation restaurateur/chef and another Culinary Institute of America graduate, taking a more conventional but no less innovative approach. By combining plump, whole, sun-ripened strawberries with quality French vanilla ice cream, he injects a dose of flair and refinement to freshen up an old favorite.

I’ve had the pleasure of trying all three flavors, and i love all of them. But if push comes to shove, I ‘d have to say, my favorite would be Chef J. Gamboa’s Berry Strawberry. Why? For the simple reason that I love anything with strawberries. Enough said. Go try it for yourself. All three flavors from the Selected Gold series are available at all groceries and supermarkets nationwide.

The savory crepe menu includes the Pork floss Chessy Omellette, Smoked Salmon, the classic Mushroom ham with Mozarella, and the Japanese cuisine inspired Kani Mango. There’s also a BLT– bacon, lettuce and tomato- crepe, which is what I ordered since I’m a BLT sandwhich lover. This take on the classic sandwich is a rerfreshing and novel approach which I liked so much.

Kani Mango

Vegetarians and weight-watchers need not fret: there’s also something in the menu for you. Like the Veggie Crepe which is made up of sauteed mushroom, fresh lettuce and juicy tomatoes.

Crepes are widely known as desserts, and Crepes & Cream does not disappoint! Their selection of flavors is sure to sate your sweet tooth. Chocolate, fresh fruits and creamy ice cream are wrapped in crepe fro yummy delights like Carribean Cruise, Capuchocco, and Hazelnut Banana Chocolate.

If you are a cheesecake lover, then you’d be happy to know that there are cheesecake flavors on the menu. They have Strawberry, Mango, Blueberry and Oreo Cheesecake crepes. Real cake cubes are folded in with vanilla ice cream and topped with almond flakes.

Crazy For Strawberry

I love the Crazy for Strawberries crepe. Well, I love anything strawberry so I’m a little biased! This combination of fresh strawberry cubes, strawberry chocolate chips, almond flakes, whipped cream and strawberry sauce really made my sweet tooth happy.

One of the best things they have on offer, I think, is the Create-Your-Own-Crepe option on their menu. It’s perfect if you are undecided on which flavor to have, or would like to make your own creation. You can choose from any of the filling and topping ingredients they have.

So if you are hankering for a crepe fix, be it savory or sweet, give Crepes & Cream a try.

Crepes & Cream
4th Floor Bridgeway
SM Megamall
Ortigas

Crepes & Cream also have branches at the Podium; Ortigas Center; Crescent West Park; Fort Bonifacio; SM Mall of Asia; Power Plant Mall at Rockwell; SM Pampanga; and Robinson’s Place Ermita.

Jollibee is coming out with a new sundae variant that lets you indulge without having to spend a lot: the Black Forest Sundae. Our favorite vanilla soft serve ice cream is smothered in rich dark chocolate syrup, blended with a drizzle of cherry syrup, served with moist brownie chunks from Red Ribbon and dark chocolate bits, and a slice of cherry on top. The best part? It’s only Php 35 pesos.

This sumptuous treat will be available in Jollibee branches starting September 24, 2008.

Chocolate chip morsels? No, it’s Nestlé POPS

 
After extensive market research, the people at Nestlé found out that snacking is a vital part in any Filipino’s day. Be it the mid morning snack, the afternoon merienda or the guilt-inducing midnight snack, Filipinos snack as if there’s no tomorrow, and we do it in groups. With this in mind, Nestlé came up with the perfect ice cream snack that can be eaten on the go and shared with friends: Nestlé POPS.

Flick ‘em Nestlé POPS into the mouths of the rock stars and win an XBOX 360!

 
Nestlé POPS are chocolate coated vanilla ice cream that looks like chocolate chip morsels. Except frozen. And cold. If you eat it straight out of the freezer, it’s like a hard candy and you have to suck on it till the outer chocolate shell melts and the creamy vanilla ice cream ooze out. A minute out from the fridge, and you can bite into the crunchy chocolate and into the cold ice cream. Either way, it’s a fun way of eating ice cream.

The lucky bastard blogger who on the Lomo Pop 9 camera.

 
Nestlé POPS have been out in the market for months now, but it was only last night that it was formally launched to a gathering of bloggers and friends. Nestlé has clearly studied the trends, and in keeping up with the Pinoy’s penchant for anything online, they also launched the Nestlé POPS website, www.GetYourPopOn.ph. The highlight of the website is the Get Poppin’ game, wherein you have to flick Nestlé POPS into the mouths of the rock stars performing on stage. Unlike other online games wherein you only get the bragging rights when you hit the high score, you get a chance to win cool prizes. Fancy watching IMAX for free? How about a karaoke dinner, a bowling party or a trip to Enchanted Kingdom for the whole barkada? Or how about an XBOX 360 console with the Rock Band set? Log on to www.GetYourPopOn.ph, and try your luck! (I did and only got 45. Booo.)

A big thanks to Nestlé, Proximity Philippines and Mad Crowd Media for the fun, poppin’ night!

Dark Chocolate Orange Brownie

My friend Rey and I got to try their rich Dark Chocolate Orange Brownie and the luscious Waffle Dream, featuring their new ice cream flavors, Dark Chocolate Orange and Caramel Apple Crumble. Okay, so it was just glorified brownie and waffle ala mode, but it was glorious! In the words of Joey Tribbiani: the waffe? Good. Brownie? Good. Ice cream? Goooooood.

Waffle Dream

Rey and I both loved the Caramel Apple Crumble ice cream. I actually thought it was mocha at first *slaps forehead* The flavor was subtle, making you wonder what exactly was in the ice cream. But at the same time, it was great excuse to keep on tasting this delectable ice cream. The Dark Chocolate Orange scoop, however, overwhelmed us. We loved the dark chocolatey taste of the ice cream, but the orange took us by surprise (specially when we keep on tasting the rind). As Ms. Vera of Häagen-Dazs say, it’s an acquired taste. The dark chocolate sauce that came with the brownie plate had a hint of orange as well, but it had a stronger chocolate taste, which suited me just fine.

Full of Bliss

The two new flavors aren’t the only thing Häagen-Dazs has in store for us this summer. Last week, Häagen-Dazs introduced their ice cream cakes, initially offered at their Mall of Asia branch. Teasing us with Strawberry Passion, a limited edition ice cream cake, Chocolate Royale and Full of Bliss, the sight of these cakes is enough to make one’s mouth water.

Chocolate Royale

Prices of Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Cakes starts at Php 1,600 for a cake good for 8-12 people. You have a choice of ice cream bases for the cake: Macadamia Nut or Belgian Chocolate for Chocolate Royale, or Vanilla or Chocolate Ice cream for Full of Bliss.

Strawberry Passion

To Order a Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Cake:

• Call 357-2145 from 9am to 4pm Mondays through Fridays , or visit the Häagen-Dazs shop at the SM Mall of Asia (open daily from 10am – 10pm).
• Place your order at least 2 days in advance.
• Pay with cash or any major credit card upon ordering at the Häagen-Dazs shop or upon pick-up.

Häagen-Dazs Branches:
SM Mall of Asia
2nd Floor, Main Mall
Mall of Asia, Pasay City
+632 556-1111

Glorietta
Ground Level fronting Landmark
Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Makati City
+632 752-7299 / +632 892-2873

Greenbelt
Ground Level beside Max Brenner
Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City
+632 757-7570

Rockwell
Level 2 near the escalator
Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City
+632 899-3274

Shangri-La
Level 2 near Activity Area
Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City
+632 634-8101

Alabang
Ground Floor, fronting Lacoste
Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
+632 809-1996

The Dark Chocolate Orange Brownie costs Php 350, while the Waffle Dream costs Php 310.

All photos taken with Rey’s Nokia 6680 because this day was one of those rare moments when I went out the house without my camera.

Creamline Choco Mud Pie and Emi’s panties

 
What’s so special about Creamline Ice Cream, you ask? I have to admit that it started out as a joke, our fascination with this ice cream. We tried it, and we found out that it wasn’t so bad. As their website proudly proclaims, their ice cream is creamier than the other local brands. They also have a variety of flavors that other local brands don’t. So far, the two Creamline Premium Cream Cups that I’ve tried are Tiramisu and Choco Mud Pie.

Pardon the crappy shots. It was too hot and the ice cream was melting -_-

The big question now is, where to buy Creamline Ice Cream? We first tried Creamline in Batangas, and we’ve been wondering since then where to buy them in Metro Manila. Luckily enough, while I was asking my sister to be on the lookout for the Creamline logo in Quiapo, my niece interrupted to say that the sari-sari store sells Creamline. Hallelujah! Their website isn’t really helpful as to where to buy their products. However, their website announced that there’s a Creamline kiosk inside Virramall in Greenhills.

Mmmm, cookie bits!

 
Creamline Premium Cream Cups are sold between Php 18 – 25 each.