SEBASTIAN’S BEST: Grilled Cheese, Taho Milkshake, Bonsai Sundaes, and more!

First established in 2005, Sebastian’s Ice Cream has continued to keep reinventing the wheel when it comes to local Artisanal Ice Cream. It’s been 14 years since their inception, and they still continue to impress with their genius innovations.

Their closure at Podium in 2017 was met with a lot of sadness, but fret not, as they are back! Recently reopened in the new wing of Podium, Sebastian’s has come out with a new menu that covers both sweet and savoury.

Here’s what we liked from their new menu:

Sebastian’s Ice Cream
5F The Podium, 12 ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong
Mobile: +63 927 453 7426
Facebook: Sebastian’s Ice Cream
Instagram: @sebastiansicecream
Website: https://sebastiansicecream.com/

FIRST THINGS FIRST

The new Sebastian’s is located on the 5th floor, right across the cinema.

At the moment, Sebastian’s is the only establishment that’s open at Cinema wing. But even if that’s the case, there’s always people lining up, especially after lunch.

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The Food

The new menu of Sebastian’s is only available in Podium for now, but they will soon roll out the offerings to the other branches – Katipunan and Vertis North.

Menu: Ice Cream Scoops, Frozen Pleasures / Sundaes, Hot Grilled Sandwiches / Masterpiece Milkshakes, Taho Milkshakes, Beverages

SWEET

Dipped Banana Split (₱ 395) • Three scoops of ice cream (your choice), three flavored whipped creams, two dipped bananas, with sauce and toppings

A Sebastian’s staple, the Dipped Banana Split (DBS) has been modified ever so slightly with the sliced bananas instead of a whole uncut serving, to make the dining experience much easier.

They have a handy guide so you don’t get overwhelmed with creating your own Dipped Banana Split.

The idea behind the smaller location of Sebastian’s is for customers to just Grab and Go. The containers and utensils are all suitable for takeaways.

Masterpiece Milkshakes (₱ 185)

We tried two variants, the Snack Attack and Birthday Cake. The Snack Attack has a base of Sweet Cream Ice Cream and Salted Butter Caramel, topped with a Peanut Butter Whipped Cream, and the Snack Attack Mix (Peanut Butter-covered pretzels, Chocolate covered potato chips, and honey-roasted peanuts).

If you love caramel and peanut butter, then the Snack Attack is for you.

The Birthday Cake Milkshake is an explosion of color, and may appear to be sickeningly sweet, but that isn’t the case at all. The base is Sweet Cream Ice Cream, Pound Cake, and sprinkles then topped with Ube Whipped Cream with Fruity Pebbles and pink frosting. The flavors are mild and blend well together.

Taho Milkshakes (₱ 160) • A blend of Soy Milk Ice Cream and a block of silken tofu, mini tapioca balls, and topped with a slice of tofu pudding.

In line with celebrating its Filipino roots, Sebastian’s has a whole line of Taho Milkshakes. The four variants are Classic, Honey, Tablea and Passionfruit. The whole line is dairy-free, and apart from the honey variant, the rest of the options are vegan.

You have to mix the milkshake so you can get a bit of everything when you sip.

The Classic would be my go-to, but the Passionfruit is also nice if you’re looking for something new.

Leche Flan Torte (₱ 145) • Cookie base, a thick layer of ice cream or sorbet, finished with a layer of Leche Flan

There are three variants – Classic, Mango, and Chocolate. My personal preference is the Mango. The chocolate version was a bit heavy for me.

Bonsai Sundaes and Artisan Flavors

While you’re at Sebastian’s, go and grab a serving of their Bonsai Sundaes. This has all the fixings of a sundae, but in a miniature serving. The Sapin-Sapin (₱ 185) is probably one of their most iconic flavors. Taking inspiration from the Filipino kakanin, the namesake Sapin-Sapin is a colorful mix of ice cream flavors (Coconut, Jackfruit, Ube, Kutchinta Kakanin) topped with ube-flavored whipped cream, pulot, and crunchy latik.

Another Artisan flavor you can try is the Green Mango and Bagoong (₱ 150), or its Thai counterpart, Green Mango and Nam Prik or Thai Chili Sugar (₱ 135). It tastes exactly like how Green Mango should be, only this one’s cold! A Western variant that I personally like is the Once in a Blue Moon (₱ 155), which is Blue Cheese Ice Cream topped with Walnuts and Honey.

SAVORY

Atop their ice cream display case are jars filled with nut butters and jams, a new addition to Sebastian’s menu. All the nut butters and jams are all-natural and made in-house.

I didn’t grow up with PB&Js so I was a bit hesitant to try this at first. I do love jams and nut butters separately, but having them together just isn’t something I’m used to.

They have a set menu with recommended combinations (from ₱ 125 to 140), or you can choose your combination from the jars on display. I made my own combination of Almond and Mixed Berry. The bread is beautifully buttered and toasted and I love that they don’t skimp on the filling. The tartness of the jam and the peanut butter work well too.

If you’re not sure which nut butter or jam to go with, you can ask for a sample.

Grilled Mozzarella (₱ 140)

Now, who doesn’t love a classic Grilled Cheese? Sebastian’s takes it up a notch by adding fillings to the cheese.

Look how stretchy that is!

We had all three variants and the clear winner is the Chili con Queso; the jalapeños gave it a nice kick. We wish the Margherita and Garlic Bread versions used fresh basil instead of dried.

Rainbow Grilled Cheese (₱ 150)

A Foodie Instagrammer’s dream come true, the Rainbow Grilled Cheese gets top points for its instagrammable look.

The Rainbow Grilled Cheese sandwich starts off with this block of rainbow cheese, exclusive and personally developed by Sebastian’s.

Look at that cheese pull! The Rainbow Grilled Cheese is even more stretchy compared to the Grilled Mozzarella sandwiches. Flavor-wise, the rainbow version pales in comparison to the other sandwiches.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It’s no wonder Sebastian’s has lasted for 14 years. Their constant reinvention, and courage to pursue ideas out of the box has kept them relevant and they definitely won’t be stopping anytime soon.

Order the Taho Milkshake (₱ 160) for your nostalgic fix, the Green Mango with Bagoong (₱ 150) to blur the lines between savoury and sweet, or the Chili con Queso Grilled Sandwich (₱ 140) for a hearty meal. Budget at ₱ 150/head for two.

Sebastian’s Ice Cream
5F The Podium, 12 ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong
Mobile: +63 927 453 7426
Facebook: Sebastian’s Ice Cream
Instagram: @sebastiansicecream
Website: https://sebastiansicecream.com/

Live an Awesome Life,

Monique of Team Our Awesome Planet

Disclosure: Our meals were courtesy of Sebastian’s Ice Cream. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.

P.S. If you’re watching a movie, grab some of their ice cream nuggets called Poppits (₱ 130/8 pcs., ₱ 240/16 pcs.)