Sebastian's Artisanal Ice Cream

Crack in a cup {in stick for Dive Bar and in a wrapper for Chilly Burger} is my best description of Ian Carandang's Sebastian's Artisanal Ice Cream. 
I first tried the now frozen cult fave over a year ago. I was drawn to taste the product by the flavors' names - Champorado, Sapin-Sapin, Once in a Blue Moon, etc. Many products are named with wow factor to catch a customers attention. The interest of the customers immediately dies down due to the lack of "follow-through" by some products. Good name, bad product. Sebastian's does not belong to that category. It has a good follow-through.    
The first words {simultaneously with "*bleep*, this is good" inside my mind} that came out of my mouth after I tried a sample of Champorado were, "Do you sell by the pint?"

Sebastian's Ice Cream is the kind of amazing product that you'd wish to high heavens you thought of first. Yeah, I'm a bit pissed at Ian Carandang for being a creative genius. Pffft! Kidding! *poker face*

According to Lori Baltazar's post, the circumstance that prompted Ian Carandang to create his very own line of frozen beauties was due to Duty Free Phils. discontinuance of his favored ice cream brand known for its crazy flavors: Ben & Jerry's. Thank you Duty Free Phils.! 

He created his own version of my favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor: Chunky Monkey. I also like Everything But The and Cherry Garcia, but Chunky Monkey tops my list.

The Podium Branch

Though inspired by Ben & Jerry's, we find Sebastian's ice cream texture more akin to Graeter's. It's got that Play-Dohesque texture, thick, heavy {not airy} and very creamy. The taste is superior. You won't have that yeah-it-kinda-taste-like-insert food here-but reaction which translates to "what a waste of money". 

Speaking of money, how does Sebastian's fare in the pricing category? Given that the word artisan is technically synonymous with pricey, Sebastian's is still an affordable luxury. 

My favorite flavors are Champorado, Leche Flan, Once in a Blue Moon and Green Mango with Bagoong {shrimp paste}. They also have some misses; for me at least. One of which is the Sapin-Sapin. It's actually one of their best sellers. It's just not for me.

I'm sorry for saying this, but I never really liked Magnum. I think that it was overrated. The Dive Bars tastes far better than that. Many won't probably agree with me, but that's ok 'cause I found an ally: my youngest son. He's as crazy about the Peanut Butter Paradise as I am. 

I've always been in love with Klondike, so these {Chilly Burgers} I love more than Dive Bars!

My husband, a self-confessed ice cream junkie, shares my love for the Champorado. It reminds me of my grandmother's version of the delicious sweet porridge. She used tableya with finely ground peanuts. This one's dead on!  

The Red Velvet Chilly Burger plain is heavenly. It has all the right kind of flavors of a really good red velvet cake plus a rich, tangy cream cheese ice cream sandwiched between two soft and chewy cookies. Chunks of red velvet cake are mixed in for extra oomph!  

My husband has zero love for bagoong. I kept telling him that you cannot call yourself a full-blooded Juan without propensity for bagoong. It's against the Philippine Constitution; do you know that? No? Well, now you do. 

This is a very bold move by Sebastian's. One of the reasons why I like eating green mangoes with bagoong like a starved pregnant woman on her first trimester is because of the crunch factor; not just the taste. 

Before I had a taste of Sebastian's Green Mango with Bagoong, I was seriously thinking of how it would fare given the extremely different texture. It turned out great! The combination of a smooth, cool and sour green mango sorbet with warm sweet bagoong is surprisingly great!

My husband would always look at me with an equal amount of awe and repulsion every time he'd see me eat the stuff; like I'm some contestant from Fear Factor eating cockroaches or something. Freak.

I'm amazed that a simple frozen treat can boost one's patriotism. Go Pinoy! It's more fun in the Philippines!

*Apologies for the photos. I used my phone's cam 'cause I forgot my real camera......again.

Sebastian's Ice Cream

Podium Mall

4th floor, near escalator

ADB Avenue, Ortigas

0927 453 7426

COLD COMFORT Ice Cream Parlor

SM Mall of Asia

New Entertainment Mall, 2nd Floor

(near IMAX exit)

0915 489 5753

Katipunan

Ground floor Lobby. Regis Center

In front of Ateneo

0927 290 1633

RESELLERS:

THE MARKET Deli

(Chilly Burgers & Dive Bars)

G/F Tiffany Place

156 L.P. Leviste St.

Salcedo Village, Makati City

THE KNUCKLE SANDWICH STATION

(Chilly Burgers)

308 Aguirre Street BF Homes,

1718 Parañaque

Facebook: Sebastian's Ice Cream Twitter: @iloveSEBASTIANS

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