CHECKOUT COUNTER: Sundae’s best

MANILA, Philippines - This summer is getting hotter by the minute, and you deserve not only to beat the heat, but also to treat yourself while you’re at it. Manila Creamery’s new location may just be the staycation getaway you’re looking for.

The gelato artisans have been taking the metro by storm with their anti-cookie cutter approach to making Italian ice cream with a Filipino twist. Flavors like mangga’t suman, tutong na kanin and Kinder Bueno have all become instant crowd favorites. The matcha-taho gelato milkshake, served with two matcha Pocky sticks, is somehow both indulgent and refreshing. And who even thinks of transforming the comfort food goodness of cereal milk into a frosty, melt-in-your-mouth treat? It takes serious creativity and passion to pull off such zany ideas, but they’re going above and beyond.

The new Manila Creamery spot is one of the 12 different food concepts found at City Golf Plaza’s Industrie Food Loft, which takes everything you love about food parks and switches them up into a dining experience that’s more low-key and urban-cool but just as (if not more) flavorful. There are two outdoor areas, so seating isn’t a problem. Best of all, the main area is indoors and fully air-conditioned, so you don’t have to worry about your ice cream melting under the sun.

Sweet tooth: The leche flan soft-serve with ube crackers, calamansi jelly, and pistachio crumble; and the matcha-taho gelato milkshake.

If you’re still not convinced, here’s a fun fact: Manila Creamery is debuting and, for the time being, exclusively serving its soft-serve ice cream at Industrie. What makes it so special compared to the rest? Aside from the creamery’s signature rich and unique flavors, there’s also the method of preparation. Most soft-serve treats are made with powder mixes that are heavily processed, but Manila Creamery’s are created from scratch every day. And, yes, you can totally taste the difference.

The soft-serve ice cream can be tried on its own, but you might as well go all-out and add some fun toppings. Try the leche flan soft-serve with ube crackers, calamansi jelly, and pistachio crumble, or the Mindanao milk and honey sundae, with homemade honeycomb bits. And, if you want to try both (or more), we can’t blame you, and we won’t stop you. After all, it’s super hot out. Scoop and twirl away.

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Manila Creamery at Industrie Food Loft is located at City Golf Plaza, Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas Center.