Ice Cream Bar

Where to get ice cream before it melts

By Margaux Salcedo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 17:20:00 05/04/2009

CAN you believe how hot it is? Now I understand why tips on what to do to avoid heatstroke (put ice under your kili-kili, among other tips) made the evening news.

With global warming becoming global heating, we might as well die—or avoid dying—while enjoying that universally loved, historically popular treat: ice cream. And it might as well happen in a hip joint called the Ice Cream Bar.

Located in the posh area of Rockwell (Joya building, outside the mall), the “bar” has equally cool interiors. Hot orange tiles line the ice cream “bar” or stand, as it is, while red stools are what you sit on. You can lazily make your selection from a menu handed by a waiter or you can go to the counter and select which scoop to seize by the color that catches your desire. Mirrors hang on the wall with scribbles of the different unique flavors of Fruits in Ice Cream, the brand that Ice Cream Bar carries. And if your eyes happen to wander, you might even catch their quote for the day: “Wake up happy, laugh out loud, hum a tune, whisper a prayer, and savor a memory. Life is like a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy it before it melts.” Cheesy, but cute enough.

On a hurried Monday, I discovered that they not only serve ice cream but real meals as well. Mostly pastas and sandwiches (don’t expect rice and adobo) but they are pretty good! I have tried their tomato basil pesto, which is basic for sure, but it does not lack in taste. I especially cherish their chili franks, which does not scrimp on the beans and overflows with cheese. It gave me memories of carnival rides and American amusement parks. Then, for those who care to disillusion themselves with healthy orders, they have a chunky chicken sandwich that tastes like a chunky chicken salad placed in a hamburger bun. The chicken is massively chunky and creamy.

Of course, on any other day the order must be ice cream. I have always enjoyed FIC because it is creamy yet light, not nakakaumay (you don’t easily tire of it). The ice cream selections here are just so. But since you are already at the Bar, you might as well go for a layered baby. The banana caramel crunch is deliriously sweet. It’s vanilla and butterscotch ice cream, but what makes it stand out is the caramel butterscotch syrup, which is in a league of its own. The Grasshopper Mint Chip is the perfect summer ice cream. It’s the classic Double Dutch, along with scoops of Chocomint and Pistachio ice cream. Nothing like mint, chocolate, and pistachio all in one glass! To add even more oomph to the flavors, cashew nuts are mixed in. The great thing about this is that the ice creams stand out; they are not drowned by the chocolate syrup. They know who the star of the show is.

In fact the syrups here must be applauded for their consistency. Not only the chocolate syrup for the Grasshopper but also the strawberry syrup for the yogurt. It is thick. I guess that is why for the classic yogurt, for which you can choose your add-ons, the strawberry syrup (if that is your choice) is given measuredly (not overflowing).

If you are not one to binge, don’t worry, FIC offers 20 flavors of scoopables to choose from. From vanilla, cappuccino, and rocky road classics to Filipino flavors ube, mango, and macapuno to more unique FIC creations such as raspberry rapture, cranberry, and black sesame. Or for those still hoping to two-piece it this summer, there are “lite” flavors too: from our favorite Mixed Berries to newbie Apple Pie.

Am I an FIC fan? Absolutely. It’s priced by reality (not like the P200/scoop imported brands) yet good enough to escape reality. So this summer, I think I will heed their quote board’s advice and enjoy life and ice cream before it melts. Give or take a pack of ice under my kili-kili!

The Ice Cream Bar. Joya Tower, Rockwell Center. theicecreambar@yahoo.com. Tel. 403-0891.