DIY Magnum Ice cream

Arts & Leisure

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Posted on January 13, 2016 04:53:00 PM

Make your own ice cream bar

 --Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

CHOCOLATE IS love. And chocolate, like love, is sweeter the second time around. Magnum Manila proves this -- and offers more -- with the opening of its second pop-up ice cream parlor at SM Mall of Asia.

@MAGNUM_PH INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT

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After Magnum Manila’s flagship store at SM Aura closed down on July 26 last year -- all Magnum Pleasure Stores around the globe shut down after a year or so -- the second concoct-your-own ice cream store comes back with more toppings to choose from. It opened to the public on Dec. 19.

While first store in Taguig was a restaurant with other choices on the menu besides ice cream, the store at MOA is smaller and specializes only in sweets. This is how the Magnum Pleasure Stores around the world work, said brand manager Andrea Huang. The ambiance may have changed, but the flavors didn’t.

CHOOSE YOUR FLAVORS
How does the make-your-own-Magnum work? Customers are asked to choose a “naked” bar, which comes in vanilla or Belgian chocolate flavors. To “clothe” to the “naked” bar, choose from white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate coatings.

One then has to choose from among 18 toppings: pistachio nuts, dried raspberries, chili flakes, queso de bola, dried mangoes, Nerd candies, dark chocolate crunchies, white chocolate crunchies, corn flakes, potato chips, sea salt flakes, Graham crackers, Oreo cookies, Parmesan popcorn, marshmallow, caramel balls, dried almonds, and pastillas (milk candies). The customer can only choose three toppings. An order costs P120.

Finally, one has to choose among white, milk, or dark chocolate drizzle. Then an “M” shaped coin is put on top. Voila! It’s ready to eat.

“The flavors go from conventional to unusual and gourmet. But I assure you, there are no bad combinations,” Ms. Huang told BusinessWorld. She said she like hers dark, with dried raspberries, pistachios, and pastillas on top.

This writer tried an unconventional combination. Who knew dark chocolate ice cream with chili flakes, Parmesan popcorn, and Nerd candies go well together? The sour Nerd candies complement the sweetness of the ice cream bar. The Parmesan popcorn adds a tinge of salt and the chili flakes adds a spicy punch.

The best thing about creating your own ice cream is you have something to look forward, especially during summertime. (This writer plans to try a toppings combination of sea salt, Oreo cookies and queso de bola next time.)

As an added treat for ice cream lovers, Magnum Manila MOA will be hosting a #MagnumPleasureHour where patrons have the chance to eat ice cream for free said Ms. Huang. On Jan. 22, 23, 29, 30, Feb. 5 and 6, customers can line up to the store between 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and share the promo photo found on Magnum Twitter and Instagram accounts to claim their prize.

The Magnum Pleasure Store is a global concept that started in Paris, London, Hamburg, and Istanbul, and is now making sweet, albeit short, journeys around the world.