BONO Artisanal Gelato: The Rockstar Gelato in Manila!

Just like a true rockstar, BONO Artisanal Gelato entered Manila gelaterie scene with a cool swag that immediately created foodie followers comparable to proverbial groupies. Dropping the statement “We do gelatos the traditional way” with such a casual aplomb, owners Rea and Zara take pride in creating artisanal gelato in which process was rooted from a gelato university named Carpigiani University in Bologna, Italy where they mastered the craft.

Springing from a firm ground of deep-seated knowledge in the art of gelato making, BONO Artisanal Gelato was easily tagged as the best gelato in Manila.

Recent visit at BONO Artisanal Gelato located in SM Makati paved way to a heart-melting gelato overdrive I would not soon forget. 16 flavors, two talented gelato craftswomen, one rockin’ afternoon of gelato-driven euphoria. Expect loads of photos ahead, and if you’re ready to rock, read on and check out how BONO rolls.

Staying true to their mission of providing authentic, artisanal and the best possible gelato made the Italian way; BONO uses what is considered as the best gelato maker machine in the world, Cattabriga EFFE. Coupled with the commitment to use only natural and fresh ingredients in season, each well crafted scoop of gelato at BONO suggests a marriage between art and science, palatably executed.

The process of gelato making at BONO takes no short cuts. It takes effort and time before each slow-churned gelato is made ready to be served. Slow food process is keenly observed and emphasis on quality is treated of equal importance. Hence, customers could only enjoy BONO gelatos made not more than 12 to 20 hours. 

BONO’s stall is already an eye candy in itself, but one should not expect a display of gelatos as everything is house in a traditional containers called Pozzetto. This container is used to maintain needed temperature and to protect the gelatos from possible sources of contamination such as light and air which can mess up with its flavor. Gelatos are served either on a paper cup or sugar cones depending on the customer’s preferences and the number of scoops they choose to indulged in.

Generally, the texture of BONO gelato is luxuriously silky soft that melts slowly in one’s mouth. Depending on the flavor, each spoonful screams of the distinct taste of the ingredients it was incorporated with. Every spoonful calls for successive nod of approval with eyes close as one savor the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of the gelato. That’s what I have experience on my first dib of their freshly made Straciatella or the Chocolate Chip Gelato.

Be prepared to choose from a slate of flavors available to match your preferences.  While some of the choices can also be found on the usual gelateria, BONO’s own rendition of flavors is nothing but ordinary. BONO is in constant development of new flavors to add to their gelato line up

Vaniglia, Pistacchio, and Cereal and Milk (Php 130 /single scoop ~ Php 200 /double)

Cereal & Milk ~ a flavor that made me feel kid at heart. A cool reminder of days gone by when breakfast means a bowl of cereal soaked in milk and nothing more. There's a mellow play on creamy texture flirting with subtle sweetness in flavor and delightfully interrupted with bits of crushed cereals. This takes comfort in gelato to a whole new level.

Vaniglia ~ What was supposed to be a downright simple flavor turned out to be so utterly rich in flavor and ethereally creamy in texture. The use of Tahitian vanilla beans adds a flair of romantic sophistication in the palate.

Pistacchio ~ Its subtle color is a proof that no artificial coloring was used. Its light hue however does not equate to the magnanimous nutty flavor that will embrace your taste buds once it hits your palate.

Malted Milk, Fragola, Lavande (Php 130 /single scoop ~ Php 200 /double)

Malted Milk ~ Malteezers on a rich milk base gelato is what this flavor is all about. The gelato was already good on its own but since it's coupled with crushed malteezers, albeit not overwhelmingly so, the experience was taken a notch higher.

Fragola ~ I am not crazy about strawberry flavored ice cream nor gelatos, but I have to make an exception when it comes to Bono. It wasn't too sweet nor too sour, just a perfect balance between the two mixed with creamy goodness texture.

Lavande ~ If you are in for something rather adventurous and different from usual gelato flavor, then Lavande may be perfect for you. Its interesting flavor isn't something that everybody would love from the get go. Although it is suggestive of a refreshing tone in the palate, it is the kind of flavor that grows on you.

Coffee Honeycomb, Brownie Fudge, Chunky Ube, Movie Night  (Php 130 /single scoop ~ Php 200 /double)

Chunky Ube ~ I was apprehensive on trying this flavor at first since I am not big on such flavor, but surprisingly, I fell in love with it in an instant. It has an interesting texture comparable to the real deal without losing the distinct silky rich texture that Bono is known for. In terms of taste, it was way better than the best purple yam flavored gelatos and ice creams I ever had.

Movie Night ~ Chocolate, potato chips, and caramel; a trifecta of all things good and delicious combined together and mixed in a milky based gelato to create a concoction aptly called Movie Night.

Coffee Honeycomb ~ The name itself was a dead giveaway that every coffee-loving person would adore this flavor. But since it's Bono we are talking about here, expect that delightful experience taken several notch higher will greet you. I love that the flavor of coffee wasn't overwhelming, rather it met a fine balance between its robust flavor and the sweetness of honey.

Brownie Fudge ~ Bits of chewy brownies and some chocolate syrup made this treat rather delightful. Perfect for those who wants chocolate on their gelato but does not want to be overwhelmed by it.

Cioccolato, Speculoos, Chocolate Peperoncino (Php 130 /single scoop ~ Php 200 /double)

Cioccolato ~ boasting of 70% dark chocolate, this treat is made for those hardcore chocolate fanatics especially those who wants their chocolate dark and downright rich in taste. 

Peperoncino ~ Chocolate and Chili combination is not really a new thing but Bono succeeded in making this flavor rather delightfully unusual to the palate. First spoonful will introduced you to the rich flavor of chocolate and its innate sweetness only to be interrupted with the feisty flavor of chili as you go dig into the goodness in your cup, or come for that matter.

Speculoos ~ as much as I avoid riding into bandwagon of everything considered as hype, I cannot help but fall in love with BONO's Speculoos. Its Belgian Cookie butter flavor is more apparent than the real deal found in a jar, I tell you. I fell deeply in love with it that it was an obvious choice for my second cup. 

Aside from gelato, BONO also offers sorbetto for those who is not big on dairy kicks. During our visit, we tried two of their new flavors; Buko Lychee and Piña Colada. Between the two, my palate favored the Piña Colada more since I find it a great palate cleanser and very refreshing too.

Buko Lychee and Piña Colada (Php 130 /single scoop ~ Php 200 /double)

Recently, BONO tied up with City Delivery so that people who do not have the liberty to go to their location can still enjoy servings of their gelatos. It can be a perfect treat to your loved ones and friends especially that we are now experiencing scorching heat of the season.

As a way to further introduce their gelatos to people, BONO offers end of day discounts as well as new flavor discounts for their customers. Discounted price promotions are announced on their Facebook page so be sure to visit and hit the "like" button.

Serious increase on numbers of stores offering gelatos is very apparent but nothing really rocked my world the way BONO does. I could only pray for them to branch out really soon so that more people will get to experience #TheRealScoop that BONO Artisanal Gelato is known for.

BONO Artisanal Gelato
2/F SM Makati, Highway Dr.
Ayala Center, Makati Ciy
City Delivery (02)- 87878
Website: http://gelatobono.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BonoGelato
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BONOgelato