Rita's Italian Ice

I've had my eye on the for some time but only got the chance to try it when I went to UP Town Center to meet some friends. The line is long, as always. I decided to try the Gelati. It was good and I like the creaminess of the custard. Will try the other flavors next time.

With Manila’s scorching heat, it was not surprising that Rita’s was a hit when it came to Manila two years ago. I still remember the long queue just to get your frozen custard fix. I have to admit, I tried my best not to give in to the craze but eventually found myself lining up a few months later (since it opened its first branch in Greenhills) and was delighted by Rita’s Gelati or a combination of Italian ice and frozen custard. Fast forward to 2016, Rita’s is still getting a lot of attention with its wide array of flavors and combinations to choose from. And I had an opportunity to sample a bunch of Rita’s bestselling items a few Saturdays ago. Hello, Rita’s Italian Ice! I dropped by Rita’s U.P. Town Center branch on a sunny Saturday afternoon and was warmly greeted by its Marketing Officer Angela who treated us to a refreshing afternoon snack. We first sampled Italian Ice in cotton candy, green apple, sugar-free dragon fruit, mango and kiwi-strawberry flavors. All are light in flavor and quite refreshing. I enjoyed kiwi-strawberry best as its slight tangy taste helped cleanse the palate. R on the other hand loved the bestselling flavor cotton candy. Well, he is pretty biased with anything cotton candy.

Booming UP Town recently expanded its third wing and now provides even more retail and restaurant options. Although Rita's is surrounded by dessert places including Manila Creamery and Mad Mark's, their's offer so much more for you and me. Their concept in its entirety is novel and creative. This enables them to cater to a much wider audience. I was overwhelmed initially as they provide you 9 ways to have a sweet moment. It starts with Italian Ice, a sure fire refreshing drink with smooth and ice cold texture. This one is similar to snow cone but made much better with even more flavors to choose from. Cotton Candy is their best selling one and I got the reason why instantly. The delicious after taste of the fluffy treat stays with you! Another favorite was the reliable mango. It was just like sipping the fruit! Frozen Custard is their version of ice cream. Not many offers it here in Manila. A touch of egg yolk is what makes it different from the popular ice cream. The yolk is a natural emulsifier, imparting a richer, creamier texture. I go to try four: Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee and Butter Pecan. I enjoyed all of it but my banner flavor chocolate stands. It's thick yet smooth feel is alive in every spoonful. Now when you combine both ice and custard you have 3 options: Gelati, Misto and Blendini. Gelati is separating them- ice below and your custard choice on top. I love the wildly combined Strawberry and Lemonade Twist topped with Vanilla and Chocolate they served to us. It's strangely a battle in your palate of sweet creaminess with an icy sourness to it. Misto is your shake as it blends your custard and ice together. They served the fusion of Mocha Ice and Choco Custard. It turned out to be a seamless drink better than your Starbucks Frapuccino. Blendini on the other hand is Misto with your choice of topping. I must say its like your McFlurry, premium version. Happy to grab a bigger spoon and dig in to their Mango Ice Vanilla Custard Wet Walnuts. It's additional texture of crunch is a big plus and it does get you going. Other options to go gaga with is Frozen Drink. It's your Italian Ice swirled better for you to straw in and drink. The Sugar Free Dragon Fruit or Green Apple is a must try on this choice. There's also the Milkshake, Frozen Custard blend in with the help of milk. Option 8 would be your Frozen Custard with unlimited toppings places on cones. The last way is their cakes! Now didn't I tell you they got you locked in?

Great place for gelato italian ice and frozen yogurt after a meal. Regular cup is enough for me. Large is big enough for sharing. Their branch here in UPtown is kinda cramped but there are tables outside (mall area so you can sit while eating your gelati. This is beside the always packed Silantro :

Dine here after our jog in UP to try their gelati and i have no regrets! I loved it. My cousin ordered frozen drink, she says it's just an ordinary drink. Well, still 2 thumbs up for the gelati!!!