Sebastian’s Artisanal Ice Cream, a local ice cream business by the genius artisan ice cream maker Ian Carandang needs no further introduction. Some food bloggers in Manila raved about it and everybody seems to love it. I for one is a fan right after I got my first bite of Sebastian’s Artisan Ice Cream creation.
Now the good news is that they got new products; Sebastian’s Fruitsicles and Sebastian’s Ala Mode Bars.
Couple of weeks ago, we were invited to try these new creations.
Sebastian’s Fruitsicles boasts of eight flavors same numbers for the
Sebastian’s Ala Mode Bars. We got to try all 16 of them, and as great as
all Sebastian’s Artisan Ice Cream, all of it was downright impressive
and just perfect for summer.
I could re-tell the stories as to how Ian Carandang come up with these products but nothing explains better than the man himself. Hence, I will be quoting him here, then give my take on each of the flavors.
Sebastian’s Fruitsicles
“Inspired by Fany Gerson’s La Newyorkina Paletas, I was fascinated by how Paletas have been raised to an artisanal level in Mexico where shops there specialize in selling dozens of flavors of homemade Ice Pops using fresh local fruits. I wanted to take the aesthetic of Sebastian’s of taking a simple product and raise both the quality and the creativity of it, pushing the boundaries and seeing what can be done with them. These Ice Pops are made with real fruit and plenty of it and are (for the most part) Dairy-free and fat free and are definitely a new area for me, giving light, healthy and refreshing desserts and snacks but done the Sebastian’s way.”
“When working with Sorbets, I need to take not only flavor but texture into account, so I sometimes have to add more sugar than some fruits can handle to get the proper texture. With Ice Pops, the focus is purely on flavor. And since water is a much better medium than dairy for absorbing flavors of herbs and spices during steeping, a whole new playground of flavor profiles and ingredients becomes open to me.” ~ Ian Carandang
Fruitsicles Flavors:
MANGO - Made with ripe Mango, with soft mango chunks.
~ This flavor screams Summer in your face! We have loads of mango tree back at home and as much as possible, I try to get involved if it's harvest time. So, it is safe to say that I pretty much know how mangoes taste like when it's freshly picked. This Mango Fruitsicle is definitely a thread away from the freshest mango I have ever tasted.
BUKO – The Buko Juice is boiled and reduced by half to intensify the flavor. With a touch of coconut cream to give it richness, and buko strings.
~ We are in a tropical country so, I bet most of us love coconut. I myself is a fan and Seabastian's Buko Fruitsicle did not disappoint. The buko strings is a thoughtful addition that gave off an interesting texture as you feast on a stick or two.
STRAWBERRY – Made with fresh strawberries from Trinidad Valley.
~ This come off as a bit sour for my taste. I guess that is because I usually associate strawberries with cream hence having one devoid of the cream tasted new to me. And yes, I rarely eat strawberries as it is. But this one is perfect for those who has an affinity for this beautiful berry.
AVOCADO – made with fresh Avocado and milk
~ Avocado and milk, as good as any classic can get. What's not to love? I am a fan of avocado drizzled with condensed milk, hence, this one sits well with me.
KAMIAS – made with fresh Kamias fruit.
Most of us who had first dibs of these new products by Sebastian find the Kamias variant too sour for their liking. I didn't. I used Kamias if I am cooking Sinigang, so I guess I am pretty much used to the taste. Having it in something cold was a welcome change because it was one of the flavor I liked on a first bite.
WATERMELON MINT – fresh watermelon infused with fresh mint.
~ This is definitely one of my favorites! It's taste sort of reminded of of Mojito cocktail drink because of the minty flavor going on. Very refreshing, and the color is very feminine!
PINEAPPLE TOASTED COCONUT –Pineapple infused with toasted coconut.
~ Funny how this one ended as the top on my list of favorites. I do not eat pineapple, I rarely enjoy pineapple juice, and I associate toasted coconut to Filipino desserts made of rice cakes. But the awesomeness of Ian Carandang in making artisanal ice cream and ice pops is way too mysterious to fathom, hence, I just settle for the fact that I love this flavor for the way it is.
MIXED BERRY HIBISCUS – Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry and Blackberries infused with hibiscus tea.
~ Of all the flavors of the Fruitsicles, this one is probably the most complex one. It's a party of berries in the mouth which leans on the sour side of the spectrum, but not overwhelmingly so.
Sebastian's Ala Mode Dive Bars (Cake on a Stick)
"These have been almost a year in development. The idea started out when I noticed Cake Pops (which were briefly popular for a time but faded out). The similarities between them and Ice Cream bars stuck with me and I wondered about the possibility of putting the two of them together. Easiest way to describe it is a Cake Pop and a Dive bar hooked up and this was their baby. I went through a LOT of tests and formulas, getting the cake recipe, then the consistency of it, the right serving temperature, the ratio of cake to ice cream, culminating in even the decorating of it, which uses two types of dips and garnishes to get that cake-like feel. In addition to being the tastiest, these are the prettiest things to come out of our kitchen to date. " ~ Ian Carandang
Ala Mode Dive Bar Flavors:
VANILLA BROWNIE – Chocolate Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream, dipped in Vanilla white chocolate and Dark Chocolate, topped with cake sprinkles
~ This was the first variant we have tried and I was blown away from the get go. The chocolate cake was superb in itself that the addition of vanilla ice cream felt like an added bonus. But then again, both are the stars.
FUDGE CAKE – Chocolate Cake mixed with fudge and Dark Chocolate Ice Cream, dipped in Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate and topped with miniature chocolate chips
~ I have an afinity for dark chocolate hence, this one is not hard to love. Chocolate in your face, it is. Yet, it does not borders into the overwhelming.
CARAMEL CAKE – inspired by Estrel’s, Pound Cake mixed with salted caramel, with Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream, dipped in butterscotch and topped with cake crumbs and a caramel drizzle.
~ If you love the famous Estrel's caramel cake, you will definitely love this. 'Nuff said.
BLACK FOREST – Chocolate cake flavored with Cherry Brandy, Maraschino cherries and Vanilla Ice Cream dipped in Dark Chocolate and Vanilla white chocolate, garnished with shaved dark chocolate and a sliced cherry
~ I was looking for the apparent kick of alcohol that I love on my black Forrest cake and I only got a subtle hint. But I don't mind. With the kind of incredibly rich ice cream in a tow, I wouldn't really mind.
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE – Pound cake and strawberry sorbet dipped in white chocolate infused with orange zest, topped with strawberry gelee and a slice of strawberry
~ This one looks pretty than it appears in my photos. Pretty good tasting too, but not really my favorite since like what I have mentioned, I like my strawberries with cream. But this one isn't bad, I tell you.
UBE MACAPUNO CAKE – Ube Cake, macapuno strings and coconut ice cream dipped in Ube white chocolate and vanilla white chocolate, garnished with coconut flakes
~ This ala mode variant captures the real essence of good ube macapuno cake, at least in my book. The distinct taste of ube is very apparent and goes really well with the coconut ice cream. If you love the cake, then be sure to not miss this ala mode.
MANGO TORTE – Mango Cake and Mango Sorbet dipped in white chocolate infused with orange zest, topped with mango gelee and a slice of mango.
~ The mango cake was remarkably good! I rarely eat mango cake because I rarely find that variant, and this one made me feel that I do hope there will be more mango cake as good as this available in the market.
TRES LECHES – Pound Cake soaked in condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream with Tres Leches Ice Cream, dipped in vanilla white chocolate and topped with cake crumbs and a tres leches drizzle.
~ I love well-executed Tres Leches cake. Tres Leches ice cream which is a rarity, all the more! So, this one became an instant favorite. Not too sweet, it just strike a fine balance between sweetness and creaminess. Not really photogenic but the flavor, well, it's beautiful.
These new products will be introduced to
the market two at a time; one fruitsicle and one ala mode bar. It
started last Sunday, and as of now, they are on a roll. Check out Sebastian's Ice Cream Facebook Page if you want to know the flavors they will be releasing each week.
So better catch them now and beat that summer heat with Sebastian's Fruitsicles and Ala Mode Bars!
Sebastian's Ice Cream
Facebook Page: /Sebastians.Ice.Cream
Branches:
PODIUM
4th Floor Podium Mall
Ortigas Center
KATIPUNAN
G/F Regis Center (across Ateneo)
MALL OF ASIA
2nd Floor SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City
