International Ice Cream Month: Where to get your Asian ice cream fix

Happy International Ice Cream Month!

The sweetest time of the year has arrived, and we can’t be any more excited to use this season to indulge in some chilled creamy goodness! (Who are we kidding? We live in a tropical country — every day is Ice Cream Day here in the Philippines!)

To celebrate this event, we’re taking a look at some of the best ice cream across the Metro, with a twist — we’re spotlighting unique Asian flavors that your foodie hearts will definitely want a scoop of! Without further ado, here are six creameries to consider for your next ice cream run:

1. Black Scoop Cafe

If this were still 2019, we would have been ecstatic to recommend this dessert shop’s White Rabbit Swirl for a trip down memory lane. The flavor, however, was available only for a limited time. That said, Black Scoop Cafe is certainly not lacking in its other offerings. The cafe is especially known for its Milk Tea Swirl (P120 – Plain), a creamy soft serve available in the four classic boba flavors: Wintermelon, Okinawa, Caramel, and Chocolate.

Those wanting to get a definitive Black Scoop experience may also try out the Black Mascarpone Swirl (P120 – Plain), which is famous for its activated charcoal flair!

Black Mascarpone Swirl (left) and Milk Tea Swirl (right). Source: Black Scoop, Facebook

Black Scoop Cafe accepts orders for dine in, take out, and delivery via GrabFood, LalaFood, and Foodpanda.

2. Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory

Want more cheese-flavored ice cream? Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory offers a luxurious milky experience with its selection of soft serves expertly created with Hokkaido-sourced dairy.

Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory’s soft serves are available in three flavors: Hokkaido Milk (P150), which comprises Jersey milk and Hokkaido mascarpone cheese, Hokkaido Cheese (P170), a blend of cream cheese and Hokkaido Gouda cheese, and Hokkaido Mix (P170), a fusion of both Hokkaido Milk and Hokkaido Cheese.

Hokkaido Milk soft serve. Source: Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory PH, Facebook

Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory accepts orders for pick up and delivery through its website, GrabFood, Foodpanda, and Pickaroo.

3. Tsujiri

Originating in Uji Kyoto, Japan, Tsujiri is an internationally renowned green tea brand that has more than 150 years of experience in creating matcha-infused beverages and desserts. In addition to its Vanilla (P130) and Matcha (P150) soft serves, this specialty sweets store also presents a wide variety of Japanese sundaes with delectable toppings to enjoy!

Tsujiri’s sundaes. Source: Tsujiri Philippines, Facebook

Tsujiri accepts orders for dine in, take out, and pick up via its Facebook and Instagram pages.

4. Merry Moo

This local ice cream brand firmly believes in sourcing its dairy ingredients from happy cows that are free to roam the green pastures and creating quality dairy products that would excite every ice cream connoisseur.

For our rec list, Merry Moo not only presents its own unique takes on traditional Asian ingredients with its White Choco Green Tea (from P145) and Black Sesame and Cookies (from P145) flavors but also provides customers with the opportunity to sample the Hong Kong cafe experience with offerings inspired by popular beverages Horlicks – Malted Milk (from P135), Milo – Chocolate Malted Milk (from P135), and Thai Milk Tea (from P145).

Thai Milk Tea ice cream. Source: Merry Moo Ice Cream, Facebook

Merry Moo accepts orders for delivery via its website, GrabFood, and Foodpanda. Merry Moo products are also available for purchase on various online stores.

5. Manila Creamery

Those looking for a wild flavor adventure surely won’t be disappointed in Manila Creamery’s incredibly diverse selections. After all, where else are you likely to find decadent scoops of everyone’s favorite Asian drinks? That’s right — if there’s anything that you shouldn’t miss out on, it’s this store’s amazingly creamy renditions of Taiwanese Brown Sugar Milk Tea (from P360) and Korean Dalgona Cold Brew Latte (from P360).

Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from trying out local innovations, too. Why not try a scoop of Manila Creamery’s Leche Flan (from P360) ice cream and Sapin-Sapin Parfait (from P380)?

Dalgona Cold Brew Latte ice cream. Source: Manila Creamery, Facebook

Manila Creamery accepts orders via its website, GrabFood, and Foodpanda.

6. Tiger Sugar

When it comes to brown sugar milk tea, who doesn’t know Tiger Sugar?

Maybe you’ve already heard, but this beloved Taiwanese boba brand is now available in both Cone (P320) and Popsicle (P400) form, with each box containing packs of four! Heavenly, indulgent, and convenient, Tiger Sugar ice cream has certainly become a top pick for boba ice cream aficionados all over Asia — if not the entire world.

Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Cone. Source: Tiger Sugar Philippines, Facebook

Tiger Sugar accepts orders for pick up and delivery via Booky, GrabFood, and Foodpanda. Tiger Sugar ice cream products are also available for online purchase on Frozen MNL.

7. Afters Espresso and Desserts

For those looking for healthier and more environmentally friendly options, don’t fret! This store in Tomas Morato creates utterly sumptuous blends of both gelato and vegan ice cream inspired by Asian guilty pleasures. Some flavors include Dairy Uji Matcha Green Tea (P450), Brown Sugar Boba (P420), HK Milk Tea (P420), Thai Milk Tea (P420), and more.

Afters Espresso and Desserts also offers a vegan alternative for its Matcha Green Tea Gelato (P450), among others.

The Milk Tea Series. Source: Afters Espresso & Desserts, Facebook

Afters Espresso and Desserts accepts orders for takeout and deliveries via its website, GrabFood, and Foodpanda.

8. Ambassador’s Ice Cream

The Philippines is a part of Asia, too! For this store, we’re digging deep into selections that are both local and healthy. Delicious, dairy-free, and absolutely vegan, Ambassador’s Ice Cream makes use of the country’s very own delicacies to create especially unique flavors such as Tsokolate Tablea (from P110), Malagos Mud Pie (from P130), Pili Coffee (from P130), and Pili Whiskey (P130).