Top Picks: Ice Cream in Taft

Intense heat is the norm in Manila, and just a short while out in the open can will make you feel like you’re being cooked alive. To fight this heat, there’s nothing more refreshing than ice cream, whether it’s sold on the streets or in a fancy restaurant. Our very own Taft Avenue is no stranger to ice cream, and in order to cater to the needs of melting students, many ice cream places have popped up along the DLSU area.

Here is a list of our top picks.

Ministop

One of the first convenience stores to offer soft serve ice cream, Ministop can satisfy your impulse ice cream craving. Their soft serve ice cream is usually served in two forms, on a cone (P15) or in a cup (plain, P18; with toppings, P25). It tastes like the usual plain soft serve, not too distinct and not too bland either. With such an affordable price, it’s definitely worth your buck. Creamy, cold, and light on the pocket, Ministop’s soft serve could help you beat the heat on a budget.

7-Eleven

Another convenience store that is patronized by many, 7-Eleven offers a remedy for your suffering in this Manila heat. Currently their soft serve ice cream has two flavors, Ube and Chocolate. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, you may order the two flavors in one cone for the same price (P15). The flavors aren’t that bland and they taste as they should be, although a bit artificial. Even though it melts a bit faster than the other ice creams on this list, 7-Eleven’s soft serve could be one of your much needed pick-me-ups.

McDonald’s

The famous fast food joint offers a lot of delicious ice cream treats. Their soft serve ice cream, however, already tastes good on its own. Served on a cone (regular, P10; large, P15), their soft serve has the distinct McDonald’s milk flavor. You may also enjoy it with a crunchy shell, available in different flavors (McDip, P15-P20), with different syrup flavors (Sundae, P25-P45), mixed with crunchy toppings (P45-P52), or on top of your Coke or Sprite (P25-P35). With a dessert station that offers all their cold treats located outside their Vito Cruz branch, McDonald’s soft serve is your go-to after meal treat.

Exile on Main St.

Unlike most of the other restaurants around Taft that import their own ice cream, Exile makes their own in-house ice cream. The Loving Cup is offered in only one flavour: vanilla bean, coming in either a single scoop (P45) or double scoop (P85). But what The Loving Cup lacks in variety, it more than makes up for in quality. Without any clumps and shards, The Loving Cup has a smoothness that leads many to think of The Loving Cup as the creamiest ice cream in Taft. It also doesn’t have the artificial taste of most fast food ice creams. And thanks to the vanilla bean extract used in making it, it has a strong taste of vanilla. If you are looking for something extra special, The Loving Cup is your ice cream fix.

Sorbetes

Located next to One Archers, the sorbetes cart offers students and passersby alike the classic Filipino ice cream treat. Sorbetes flavors range from ube, cheese, coconut, to cookies and cream, chocolate, and strawberry. Aside from getting it in a cone, it is also possible to get the ice cream treat in sandwich form, the ice cream in between a soft pandesal. The soft pandesal offers a welcome texture contrast to the ice cream. Compared to the other restaurants around Taft, the sorbetes cart is quite simple, which is reflected in the low prices of their ice cream (P5/10).

Manang’s

Manang’s has become one of the most popular fast food restaurants in Taft. One of the things that draws people to Manang’s (aside from their signature fried chicken), is their ice cream, specifically, their Cupcake Sundae (P49). Available in either Red Velvet or Triple Chocolate, the Cupcake Sundae is basically an ice cream sundae where the bottom is filled with a soft,velvety cake then topped with vanilla ice cream. What makes the Cupcake Sundae so good is the warm cake on the bottom, which offers a nice contrast to the coolness of the ice cream. Aside from the Cupcake Sundae, Manang’s also offers a Sundae Cone (P15) and the Fudge Sundae (P29), which you can add various toppings to. If you’re craving ice cream with a warm, fluffy twist, then Manang’s is the place to go.

The weather is getting even hotter and it’s rare to go from one end of DLSU to the other without getting drenched in sweat. Whether you like your ice cream chunky, fluffy, creamy, or mix of a bit of everything, hopefully this list will be helpful in finding a cool, creamy refuge from the blistering heat.