Heaven in an ice cream cone

You can feel it as soon as you walk in the door. You see it in the new, more cheerful colors and the fun, factory-inspired design. Even the smells are inviting, with the scent of freshly-baked sugar cones wafting through the air.

This is the new Nestlé Creamery. Located in front of the Nestlé Plant along Aurora Blvd. in Quezon City, the Nestlé Creamery was recently remodeled and given a new look. It also boasts an expanded menu that includes not just the usual ice cream preparations you’d expect from an ice cream parlor, but also a selection of hot and tasty meals the whole family can enjoy.

In case you’re wondering, yes, this is the same place that became popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s. "They used to get a lot of people saying ‘Oh, we used to come here before.’ What we wanted to do was to make that the present tense again," says Michelle Chang-Co of Innovasian Ideas, Inc., the same company behind the success of Thumbs Up ice cream and the popular Orbitz Pearl Shakes. Michelle and her partners Joel Tuquib and Emerson Lim were tasked by the people of Nestle Philippines to develop a new concept for the Creamery. They were given three weeks to do it.

From the start, Michelle and her partners had a clear vision in mind. They wanted the families back. They wanted The Nestlé Creamery to again be a happy place where families could bond over their delicious ice cream and tasty dishes like spaghetti and fried chicken.

The first thing they did was keep what worked from the old menu. You’ll find these under "Old Time Favorites." These include the Old Fashioned Banana Split, the Classic Strawberry Sundae and the Simply Strawberry Parfait, the Peach Melba Split, the Melba Banana Split and Black and White – a half-cream, half-chocolate fudge ice cream concoction made from vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream with frozen strawberries, crushed pineapple, chocolate chip, chocolate fudge and whipped cream.

But good food becomes better when shared–and in keeping with their plans of making the Nestlé Creamery a true "family destination," Michelle and her partners came up with ice cream preparations good for three to four people, such as the Bucket of Apples (apple ice cream served in a bucket with sugar cones), Tatlong Itlog (banana turon with caramel sauce and scoops of ice cream) and Tuxedo (vanilla swiss roll with cookies and cream-flavored ice cream glazed with white and dark chocolate sauce).

Another innovation is the Marble Slab, which is, literally, "a frozen slab of marble where we mix the ice cream," explains Michelle. You can either pick your own ice cream flavors from the freezer and ask the waiters to mix them for you, or choose from their selection of "Marble Slab concoctions" which include the Vanilla Oaty Rum Caramel, the Piñata Crunch, the Vanilla Smarties Choco Fudge (yes, it’s sprinkled with Smarties chocolate) or the Vanilla Berry Cheesecake.

Those who want their ice cream served the simple, old-fashioned way can order by the scoop. Classic flavors–vanilla, chocolate, mocha, strawberry, mango and ube–cost P36 a scoop, while Premium flavors, such as Chunky Macapuno, Double Dutch, Cookies and Cream and Rocky Road, cost P41 per scoop. All of these use the world-famous Nestlé ice cream to assure quality and taste.

The nice thing about it is you can even watch your ice cream being made, thanks to its new circular counter and gallery kitchen. "We offer an interactive atmosphere where customers are treated to a view of how their ice cream of choice is made," says Michelle.

Along with the changes in the menu came changes in the place’s look and design. The old blue and white colors were changed into more playful shades of blue, green and violet. Boring walls gave way to factory-like gears, a reference to the fact that the Nestlé ice cream factory is located right behind the Creamery.

They also added lounge-type seating for big groups and an indoor play area for children.

"Our target is really families," says Michelle. "We still want this to be a destination place for them. It’s still the same place. The only difference is that it’s now more fun-looking."

The new Nestle Creamery launch was graced by celebrities like Archie Alemania, Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition housemate Bianca Gonzalez, Bobby Yan and Dominic Ochoa, and a host of other stars like Richard Gomez, Julius and Tin-Tin Bersola and young celebrities from Star Magic (formerly the ABS-CBN Talent Center) such as the Goin’ Bulilit Kids Gabb Drilon and many more.

There were also a number of families mingling with orphans from the Shepherds on the Hill Children’s Foundation. The children’s laughter and joyous shrieks as they played and enjoyed their ice cream said a lot about what Nestle Creamery hopes to be: a destination place for families, where memorable occasions are celebrated and loving ties are forged.

Open Mondays to Sundays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Nestlé Creamery is located inside the Nestle Ice Cream compound, Aurora Blvd., Cubao, Quezon City. For inquiries, call 415-7872.