Dairy Queen Holds MUDPIE Fest!

My favorite flavor in Dairy Queen is the Mudpie. My friends, and family often joke about it because I don't get other flavors other than that back when the brand started in the Philippines years back. I fell in love with it because it had the right amount of chocolate, ice cream and cookies that I loved but I was sad when some stores didn't offer it anymore in the menu regularly, so I had to order it in special ways for stores that can still make it. I thought it was going to be that hard for me to get it, but looks like Dairy Queen heard my prayers and came out with the new MUDPIE FEST!

You'll now get the chance to order different Blizzard flavors like the Mudpie Oreo Blizzard, Mudpie Brownie Blizzard and Mudpie Almond Blizzard. They also have an even extra special one called Mudpie Brownie Parfait. Aside from that, they've got ice cream cakes like the new Mudpie Oreo Blizzard Cake which you can get in 6 and 8 inch versions. If you prefer a smaller batch, they have the Almond Mudpie To-Go Tin Cake which you can share with a few people and repurpose the container afterwards.

Thing is, the Mudpie Fest only lasts til March 14, 2022. So I think if there's an opportune time to go to Dairy Queen, I think it's now, other than that, you can opt to just get it for take out or delivery. They have a hotline 8911-1111 or dairyqueen.com.ph. You can also choose other delivery apps and they're there! I'm on my way to the one in Cubao because I love it that much!

Christmas Inspired Blizzard Treats from Dairy Queen!

The holidays are already here and honestly, it's still hot outside yeah? Well nights are going to be longer, and with the endless parties and meals you're going to finish, there ought to be room for dessert! I've always gone to Dairy Queen when I was still doing a blue collar job, but nowadays, there ain't no rhyme or reason not to have it anytime of the day!

Cool thing is, they've got new Christmas inspired Blizzards now available in their stores.  Previously they had a festival for a chocolate malt brand, but this time, they're banking on your sweet tooth and what you would normally expect in holidays.

What you deserve these holidays is premium blizzard creations, three heavenly flavors that I love in its real form - but they made it into these lovely treats. First is the Royal New York Cheesecake, lovely soft serve ice cream mixed with chunks of cheese cake squares then topped with sweet strawberries on top. It's like a dream come true, something that you would find comfort having it all by yourself.

The one in the middle is for chocolate lovers, it's called the Royal Ultimate Choco Brownie Blizzard Treat. It's got chunks of chewy brownies, chocolate pieces and chocolate fudge all over. It's got a lot of texture in one cup so I suggest you get the larger size if you're ordering some. Third ones a classic, it's called the Royal Oreo Blizzard Treat. It's got crumbled Oreo cookies and lots of swirls of fudge enveloped in the soft serve ice cream. It was heavenly and I think you'll love them especially these days when you've got family and friends with you.

Now these Christmas inspired Blizzard treats are not priced outrageously, only Php 109 for the regular, Php 129 for the medium size and Php 159 for the large one. This is only availbale til January 10th, so there's no opportune time to have it but now! Make sure you drop by Dairy Queen branches nationwide, or order via 8911-11-11 or their website dairyqueen.com.ph. You can also get them on delivery apps, don't let me stop you from getting it!

ALDEN, HIDILYN, MARVIN, MEGAN and HAPPY Share Gold Moments at Magnolia Gold Label Ice Cream Launch

It looks like our friends from Magnolia are making what's special, even more special. They are launching the new Magnolia Gold Label. This event is being attended by Asia's multimedia star Alden Richards, Queen Megan Young. Olympic Gold Medalist Hidilyn Diaz, restaurateurs Happy Ongpauco-Tiu and celebrity Marvin Agustin.

The new Magnolia Gold Label products are made even richer by using fresh Carabaos milk, all natural fruits, nuts, ingredients, to make sure your moments of joy stays golden.

Marvin Agustin says "I've been busy cooking, preparing, roasting lechon. If it's about ice cream, I'm game! It's always been a gold standard, we have history with the flavors we grew up with and now that they are having new flavors, this will be even more exciting! My favorite is Double Dutch and Rocky Road. This isn't too sweet, you taste the individual ingredient, I only leave some for kids, well I try to."

Happy Ongpauco Tiu says "I know how Magnolia has always been the Filipino favorite. No artificial flavors, they really reinvented themselves. It's a world class product, and did this big bold move! I still remember the Magnolia House near our place and I love the Tablea Yema, it's so pinoy. I also like the smores flavor because of the ingredients combined into one ice cream. Aside from that, I like the Rocky Road, like the first dessert I made in my restaurant. At home, I love desserts, I can skip the meals and just eat during that part. My family loves it too and having the Magnolia Gold Label Ice Cream is something that my family and I enjoy, especially this holy week because I have to try out the new flavors!"

Miss World Megan Young "It's always my favorite dessert, and Magnolia Gold Label Ice Cream is different. When I won the Miss World crown, it was like a dream, a golden moment, it was like my crowning anniversary last month and I did it by getting a tub of ice cream. With it, I always think that anything is possible. Having Magnolia Ice Cream is a non negotiable for me when I go to the grocery. I feel I'm a proud pinoy with this world class product out there. Ice cream is comfort food, I love the Vanilla flavor, the Ube Queso. I love making Affogato and just scooping one huge ball and pouring espresso on top, it's amazing! The ube queso on the other hand reminds me of childhood, because it's pinoy flavors. We also like the Taro White Cheese because it's new and has got white cheese bits. After work, Mikael and I do games, anime, and Ice Cream, we choose the flavor, and enjoyed the Taro White Cheese last night. It was good!"

Gold Medalist Hidilyn Diaz joined in and told us "I really love ice cream, it's like a piece of success. When I go through hard work, I take a moment and chill. It's a simple gesture, but I love the new creamy Magnolia Gold Label Ice Cream. I'm eating the Mango Dark Chocoloate right now, and I'll be trying the Ube Queso, and this is also a Filipino product, I am proud! I used to have a perspective of doing strict diets, but my dietician advised me to have cheat days, it's when I do eat a lot of ice cream. It's for my mental health, it's not easy doing what I do, it's a routine. I have to reward myself. When I go out with my family, we celebrate moments with it, I even eat in advanced before my cheat days because it's my reward."

Alden Richards entered the presscon and said "When I see something I like visually, I really try it. Even though I like the classic flavors, these days, they're diversified and the pinoy palate now enjoys Tablea, Avocado, and tons of Filipino favorites that you initially wouldn't really know would work actually does. It's really good combined, and I like the new Smores and Cookies and Cream, we're the kind that says later on... masarap pala! Like Magnolia, you should be courageous, you should try something new, jump into the unknown, even if you're not sure, you will learn what you can and cannot do when you try. You'll never know until you do. I like smores because roasted marshmallows in two graham crackers and chocolate that we used to see in campfires is now in ice cream form. It's like the taste actually contradicts each other, just combines great in your mouth later on. It's something that I do to relieve stress, my teleserye will come back this November and a movie with Bea Alonzo. There will be big announcements soon, I'm sure those who support me will love this!"

Now you've seen it, go and get them in leading supermarkets, groceries and stores nationwide. Time to have your own golden moment. Get the Magnolia Gold Lable Ice Cream today!

Dairy Queen Outs OVALTINE Themed Desserts

I'm sure I'm not alone if I tell you that I've had several breakfast or snack instances where you just sit in the corner and put several heaping tablespoons of Ovaltine in a coffee cup, and eat it like a champ. I've rarely seen them on grocery shelves these days, and when I saw that they're having an Ovaltine fest on the Dairy Queen in Ali Mall yesterday, I knew I had to have em and more!

Ovaltine just wreaks of nostalgia, it brings back a lot of memories especially when I've been a good kid. Seeing it mixed with my favorite treats from Dairy Queen is just another level. See, they've had the brains to make new flavors out of it.

For the lovely Blizzards, they made Ovalcano Blizzard, Mocha Ovaltine Blizzard and the Berry Ovaltine Blizzard. They also have those fancy Ovaltine Parfait and the Ovaltine Milk Shake for those who would love to drink it off the cup. If you are a group of 3 or 4, better get the Ovaltine To Go Tin Cakes. If you have an occasion or something special, get the Ovaltine Blizzard Cake which is available in 2 sizes, a 6 and an 8 inch cake.

You can only experience this special Ovaltine themed flavors until October 4 so make sure you place an order soon. You can call 89111111 or their website dairyqueen.com.ph. You can also order them via food delivery apps like Grab Food, Food Panda or shopping app Pickaroo. I've had my fix already, it's not too sweet, so go ahead and indulge! 

Take home an Ice Cream cake, I'm sure your kids would love this!

AICE Philippines Launches "Milk and Eggs" Ice Cream

Filipinos love sweets, no contest on that. If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen, heard, and even tasted the newest cold treat player in town AICE Ice Cream. 

After being an official sponsor at the 2018 Asian Games, they’ve really expanded in the whole Southeast Asian region. I think my first encounter with this was in Jakarta, Indonesia. The company originated in Singapore and has been a great hit in Manila. In here, it really spread by word of mouth and I’ve seen family and friends enjoy it albeit it being a new brand. My personal favorite is the Sweet Corn Ice Cream, Watermelon and Crispy Choco. Their main thrust is VARIETY, they gave us choices in a pretty laid back market imho and their formula of being not too sweet and very affordable is working so much, I’ve seen people hoarding this in my neck of the woods.

Just recently, they launched a new flavor called Milk and Eggs. It’s a concoction very rich in Milk, Eggs and Honey. Now I thought I’ve seen it all, but during the event, we had a simultaneous tasting of the product happen. This stuff is made of dreams!

The Ice Cream is enveloped inside, once you bite into the thing, you’ll hear the thin chocolate coating crack, while the cream envelopes your palate with creamy milk and honey as base. Plus, there was a huge surprise inside, a Strawberry center which nobody really expected. All my favorite ice cream flavors in that form, how can I not love the new Milk and Honey flavor! The Milk and Honey Ice Cream only costs 20 pesos. It’s even better than some old ice cream brands I’ve had in the PH, there, I said it!

While we were enjoying our Milk and Honey, the told us a little about their current operations in the country. They have been quietly doing things on the sidelines, helping lots of entrepreneurs, their distributors earn a living. They are also employing Filipinos and plan to ultimately have local production happen sometime in the near future. Aside from that, they’ve gone to different communities to help as part of their CSR efforts. They are also being met with a lot of people who share their experience with AICE Ice Cream brand on social media and thank them personally as much as they can. 

Also, they got nutritionist Ms Joan Sumpio to help us understand the health benefits of protein rich foods. Ms. Sumpio says “I’m surprised they have products that are also healthy. There is no good and bad food, but there are bad eating habits. There are 22 micronutrients to meet in our diet daily; aside from the macro we need in food. The Filipino household diet only meet 31% energy requirements. The deficiency is huge hence the increase in ailments later on in life (osteoporosis). Milk intake should always be a priority til the age of 20, adequately, otherwise we would need to introduce other sources like shakes, smoothies, flavored milk, and plan meals that will be beneficial for our health. If we can’t have that, we can have eggs in moderation. It is a source of Vitamin B12 which reduces fatigue, have immunity and be a source of Vitamin D and A. Milk and Egg are good sources of protein, only 40% of Filipino households do not meet daily requirements. Milk and eggs are essential, it is good to have one whole egg a day, plus as much egg whites as you can because amino acids repair. This would be a good source of allowable intake of calories too.”

Later in the session, they introduced to us some of their celebrity influencers. They are actress Sharlene San Pedro, Volleyball Powerhouse Mika Reyes and actress soap princess Andrea Brillantes. Sharlene and Mika was ecstatic to be part of the growing brand and they’ve been having the time of their lives tasting the different flavors AICE Ice Cream  brought to Manila. 

I got to ask also about their plans to maybe have a sugar free/low sugar variety. They were happy to inform me that there will be a sugar free and low fat version of ice creams soon in the Philippines; they already have some of them available in Indonesia, so stay tuned!

Now head on and get your AICE Ice Cream fix in different outlets and stores nationwide! If you plan to be a distributor, their social channels are open and they can cater to you. I can’t do that, I might just end up eating them all in one sitting LOL! Milk & Eggs only cost 20 pesos and if you buy the pack of 5, they'll throw in a free mask to keep you safe.

Thank you AICE Philippines! Had so much fun that day!

The New Magnum Red Velvet

I can't believe my eyes. I must be seeing things. Two of my most favorite desserts just got into one good, delightful, a little sinful ice cream bar. Yes, the newest flavor that they've come up with is the MAGNUM Red Velvet. 

It's like thick ice cream with the flavor of red velvet cake, a little tangy and sweet with super moist cream cheese notes. Then if that's not enough, they pour a rich milky white chocolate outer shell that cracks when you bite into it.

Here's some excerpts from the launch:

If you haven't tasted it yet, you're missing a lot! Go ahead and grab them all, together with the white almond and other flavors that MAGNUM has in groceries, stores and shops nationwide! 

It's really GOOD!

KUMAGCOW

Fresh Blogs Fast!

After Office Gelato Heaven at Casa Italia Cafe in BGC

Had dinner with blogger friends the other day at Casa Italia Cafe over at Burgos Circle in Bonifacio Global City. It's rarely new, one of two stores of which the other one is in SM North Edsa. As the name says, Casa Italia serves Italian comfort food. It's a franchise from Singapore with Italian roots, so the store is more modern rather than plain rustic. I was expecting a woodsy, dark, oak barrel laden restaurant much like what the Godfather movies portray but I saw a different one when we arrived. Let me take you around!

The Interiors

The place tickled my fancy. It was colorful, very modern and fresh. I could tell they heavily invested in the interiors as some of the pieces were also Italian. The tables, the seating, plus one or more feature walls was reminiscent of an American Italian Diner if I were in the states. This area is pretty crowded with different restaurants and they need to stand out, I think they really did. It's cozy, relaxed, not too uptight when you want to dine and unwind with friends. You don't need to wear a tie or heels to fit in. The staff were all warm and accommodating so we weren't intimidated even if the space was huge! 

This is the ground floor where you can order your freshly made Gelato. They also have other things on the menu which you can take. They have dining areas here and upstairs.

They do what the Italians do. They have a section selling freshly baked breads and pastries, plus really good espresso, and just about the regular coffee flavors you need to get throughout the day.

The Gelato section is crazy. My jaw dropped just by seeing the sheer collection of flavors that they do. The usual favorites are the Green Mango, Avocado, Philippine Mango, Strawberry and Formaggi (Cheese). Aside from the sweet ones, they serve real deal Gelato with Whiskey, Cocktails that's got the same amount of alcohol content as the thing itself. This is part of their after office hours series, a smart idea for those who would like to unwind and just literally "chill".

If you see the jars on the bottom right side of this photo, they actually serve you Gelato with unlimited toppings. You can help yourself to any of the items here - which would make it a dream by any standards.

The second floor has a larger dining space, all in all it could fit around 50-60 people. They've got it maintained well too as it's very clean and pretty!

The Food

They serve Italian staples, more of comfort food for you and me. They cook quite good, they serve it hot so make sure you have room for carbs as you order them. The serving size is big but can be also shared if you are not much of an eater.

This is their Carbonara. I love the huge slice of Bacon on top, it makes the whole thing legit. The sauce was a little runny probably because of pasta water as it was just taken out of the kitchen. They didn't season it that much probably because they want you to work a little. There's a salt and pepper shaker in every table so you can adjust to your taste.

Their Bolognese was so good. I had to for myself way to the dish of my friend to get to taste this. Theirs is not too sour, a thing that I like when they use tomatoes for sauces. I'd have this to share.

You can't complete a meal without dessert so I had their Green Mango Gelato!

See anything unusual? Look closely on the topping. That's actually Shrimp Paste. Filipinos love Green Mango with Bagoong (local name) so they whipped this up for kicks and the recipe was approved in their main office. This is super good, you would have to try this when you step into their store!

For protein lovers, this Roasted Chicken was divine! They used herbs and put in potatoes on the bottom, probably spent quite some time in the oven to reach this point. Don't forget the lovely gravy, we actually did and  we were sorry we ate all the chicken on the plate ha-ha!

For drinks, Casa Italia Cafe actually serves locally crafted beers plus imported ones like what you see above. I like the Katipunan Indio Pale Ale and Hoegaarden. They even have a happy hour, get them beers cold while spending a bit less than the ones compared in other bars in the same area!

For those who love Gelato but still want to get a kick, they've got Johnnie Walker Black Label and other cocktails made into Gelato form. Now you can have your lovely frozen treat and get that kick you need for casual drinking. A pretty smart idea for those who just left the office and want to spend time here rather than braving the Makati/EDSA traffic. 

Casa Italia Cafe is located near Burgos Circle in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. They've got piping hot hearty meals, refreshing drinks and a whole lot of Gelato flavors to choose from. After work, invite your friends and family so you can enjoy, unwind and indulge yourself because you deserve it. You've done your job, let Casa Italia take you to Italy right in the heart of BGC.

For more information about their restaurant:

Casa Italia Cafe Philippines

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Visit their official website

http://www.casaitalia.com.ph/

New Flavor Magnum White Almond Launched

Looks like we're in for an indulgent day. 

Filipinos have been so crazy about Magnum since day 1 and it's going to get more crazy as a new flavor lands on Philippine shores. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, welcome the NEW Magnum White Chocolate Almond.

This is the first white Belgian chocolate ice cream creation and it'll be the grandest white celebration and take over happening in malls around the metro. They already had one earlier with top celebrities and influencers during a White Party last September 30. 

This October 4, 2015 Magnum will be taking over SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, SM Mall of Asia, SM Aura, Glorietta 1, Trinoma, Robinsons Magnolia, Robinsons Galleria, Eastwood Mall, Ayala Fairview Terraces, Alabang Town Center, and UP Town Center. The ultimate dream Magnum White Almond will come out together with several celebrities, world class DJ's so you can party out while having your favorite Magnum White Chocolate Almond with rich vanilla ice cream covered in thick cracking white Belgian chocolate and almond slivers.

This is also going to be available in leading supermarkets and stores nationwide on October 5, 2015. So make sure you rush out and hoard it to become the first to have Magnum White Chocolate Almond in your homes. Share it with your friends and family too! It's time to #CelebrateWhite so head on to www.Magnum.com.ph for more information or follow them no Twitter at @Magnum_ph for more details.

For more information about their ice cream:

Magnum Manila

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Visit their official website

http://www.magnum.com.ph

Oh no! Magnum Manila Closes On July 26

Ice cream and comfort food lovers from this side of the globe will bid good bye to Magnum Manila as they close their doors to public this July 26, 2015. The well loved branch was supposed to only last  a few weeks since this is a concept popup store, but they extended until this month because Filipinos have adored them so much since they got here.

If it's been a while since you've been there, I guess the right thing to do is to pay them a visit. For those who haven't been there, they don't just serve the lovely magnum bar, they've got really bad @ss burgers, bacon smothered fries and chocolate infused pasta which I think you'll all adore. They're at the topmost floor of SM Aura , very near the line of restaurants there. Take your friends and family so you can say you're part of the few people who trooped all the way there to have dreamy comfort food and your own custom designed Magnum desserts. It's well worth the wait!

Remember, they're closing down on the 26th! Make sure you get there before they close their doors to the public!

For more information about their ice cream bar:

Magnum Manila

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Visit their official website

Magnum Manila

Winter Garden Desserts

Filipinos dream of Winter, an indication of desire. They do it quite often, mostly because of our own hot and humid, mere tropical weather. When a snowflake slowly falls, you look at it with amazement as it slowly trickles down from the sky and think - how can this thing be so beautiful, so perfectly cold and crystal. You just want to snuggle up with a cup of cocoa, sprinkle with a generous amount of marshmallows, add more chocolate to it and bite off a chocolate chip cookie or two. Or if it's hot outside and you just want to chill, wouldn't it be lovely to have your own spot, sit down and with your friends? Wait, that didn't sound right. I know, we don't have Winter here... but don't worry, I think I can help you with that. I just heard Winter Garden Desserts just opened last month in Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City.

Winter Garden Desserts is at the back of ERSAO and in front of the Ateneo Gate 2.5 Overpass. There's a alley on the side and a small signage in the front so won't miss it. (Image from Google Maps and not mine)

Winter Garden serves mighty good liquid nitrogen made desserts. The place lives and breathes cold sweetness, they want to transport you into your own little cove, to ultimately make you happy much like when you see a clear blue sky or just when you get to that point where snowing starts and the snowflakes glisten in the sun. They call this "kazahana" in Japan and the owners would like you to experience that. 

Proud owners/cousins Cecile Perez and Danny Vitan felt it was time to have something special in this area. They are also planning to have more warm food items too in the next few months. Their consumers should be excited about that. As of now, they've got two types of dessert available in this place both of which are still made with liquid nitrogen techniques, a new thing in culinary progression in the Philippines. I saw this in real life in kitchens of CCA and some hotels but never for a dessert establishment, hole in the wall you may think - but this is something new.

Liquid Nitrogen is a cryogenic fluid that can cause rapid freezing. In the store, we saw two huge tanks probably sealed in vacuum where they use and apply it on the cream base so that the mix can become dessert instantly. The process isn't as easy as you think, I personally saw how they made my ice cream because they have an open kitchen. They make it right when you ask for it and it's a spectacle, a show on it's own.

Baskin Robbins Opens at Bonifacio Global City

This, is stuff made of legends.

When I heard Baskin Robbins, I had to say yes immediately. It's name doesn't only mean ice cream.. but you would need to think about the flavors, the textures and varieties that comes with it. I can even say, that it takes a lifestyle to make heads and appreciate it. I was so glad to have heard of the news that they opened their first full blown store in the Philippines.

It's located at the mall found in the Central Square, Bonifacio Global City. I immediately peeked at the chest freezer and found my favorite flavors already there. Pistacho just sounds so good in my books.

Now you've got the chance to get your Milkshake, scoops and build your own sundaes! Nobody said you can't have 2 or 3 scoops in your freshly made wafer bowls too. Top it off with chocolate syrup, nuts, whipped cream and cherry on top... it's just made of dreams! Available flavors are: Jamoca, Mint Chocolate Chip, Jamoca Almond Fudge, Pistachio Almond, Pralines n Cream, Gold Medal Ribbon, Caramel Chocolate Crunch, Chocolate Mousse Royale, World Class Chocolate, Cookies n Cream, Green Tea, Coconut, Choc Chip Cookie Dough, Mango Tango (which I've tried), Chocolate, Peanut Butter n Choc, Chocolate Chip, Very Berry Strawberry, Rum Raisin, Macadamia Nuts n Cream, Vanilla, Love Potion #31 (which I also had), Hokey Pokey, Orange Sherbet, Rainbow Sherbet, Citrus Twist Ice, Chocolate Chip NSA, Caramel Turtle NSA, Cotton Candy, Blackberry Yogurt, Strawberry Yogurt, Mango Yogurt, Maui Brownie Madness... it was heaven on Earth!

They even have merchandise that's got Baskin Robbins all over it. I specifically love the bags and drink containers as seen above. I also love the cap I got from participating in one of Baskin Robbins' games during the launch. I battled it out with other bloggers in scooping ice cream in one cone. I think I did okay and of course I ate it all! :)

We also saw hunky Azkal Anton Del Rosario and wife Samantha Richelle - Del Rosario enjoying the sundaes with their super cute kid! He also remembered me since I have interviewed him in other presscons before. I love them. His wife was also so gorgeous in that classic 60's pinup-esque outfit. Don't they look adorable? :) They truly love Baskin Robbins!

When we almost thought the ice cream and chit chat was enough for the event, they went in and surprised us with a mob dance courtesy of The Philippine All Stars!

 These guys and gals also grabbed some of the kids on the sidelines so they can dance with them in the middle of the new mall. By the way, I've only seen SSI brands on this mall. I think this place is theirs. Although Baskin and Robbins is managed by a local company, things are imported as well. It was much of a happy day! 

  Congratulations Baskin Robbins! Welcome back! The decade you went away just made you surely missed! Their store is in the Upper Ground Floor of the mall in Central Plaza, Bonifacio Global City. Make sure you save some Very Berry Strawberry while you're there. :)

For more information about their store:

Baskin Robbins Ph

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://baskinrobbins.ph