Naming its product after the homespun style of ice cream served by Filipino street vendors off pedal bikes, (dirty meaning non-corporate, as opposed to unclean), Mamasons is the brand new opening from popular Kentish Town Road pan-Asian restaurant, Bintang.
Located right next door, this all-day coffee and ices parlour makes everything fresh on site – up to four times a day – sourcing authentic, often unexpected ingredients from specialist suppliers. We tried a scoop of everything on our visit, although regular new varieties and creations will be appearing on the menu too.
1. Bilog
A twist on the Filipino ice cream sandwich. A scoop of your choice comes surrounded by a freshly baked and toasted pandesal milk bun, the salty sweetness of the springy bread melting into the ice cream interior for a truly decadent dessert burger.
2. Calamansi Sorbet
These small citrus fruits taste like a hybrid of lime and tangerine, which makes for a striking sorbet. From our taste team, Amyrah (age 9) liked this the most, saying “it’s very sour and sharp, but still my favourite”. Her sister Sara (7) preferred the “marshmellowy” choco-creaminess of a scoop of the Asian store cupboard classic Milo flavour.
3. Black Buko
Jet black and full of little coconut pieces, this is another Mamasons’ signature dish already picking up its own Instagram cult following. Detox superfood du jour activated charcoal gives it its hue, and is also produced from the coconut husk.
4. Guanabana
The soursop fruit has a particularly creamy texture, which makes this completely vegan sorbet taste more akin to a scoop of something full fat dairy. “I didn’t realise just how many vegans there are in Kentish Town,” says Mamasons’ boss Omar. “They’re already flocking here for this one.”
5. Ube
The purple yam long beloved of Filipino desserts has made a big impact on foodie culture in the US and over here recently, and not only for its attractive lilac colour (see Bilog filling above). A subtle nuttiness and vanilla notes make for an unusual yet unchallenging new taste. Have this as the filling in the toasted Bilog for your very own mini-Manila streetfood experience, albeit created in Omar’s state-of-the-art Italian imported ice cream machine on Kentish Town Road.
