Let it snow: Vampire Penguin brings a new type of frosty treat to Manila

Amanda T. Lago

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Let it snow: Vampire Penguin brings a new type of frosty treat to Manila
These snowy desserts are a great match for tropical weather

MANILA, Philippines – When it comes to cold treats, all kinds are welcome in a tropical country like ours: classic Filipino halo-halo, your neighborhood dirty ice cream, the playground favorite that is iskrambol, and even foreign imports like Tiramisu-flavored soft serve, and, Korean Bingsu.

Recently, there’s a new chilly dessert to add to the roster: shaved snow, introduced to the country via Vampire Penguin, a dessert shop that opened at Ayala Malls the 30th in February 2017.

Vampire Penguin was started by Fil-am brothers Leo and Paolo San Luis, who opened their first store in Sacramento, California. After a positive response from customers, they decided to go back to their motherland and open a store in Manila.

While its easy to lump Vampire Penguin’s frozen desserts together with the Korean bingsu or Taiwanese baobing, Leo insists that their offerings are different.

They use shaved snow, not ice, he points out. Also, unlike similar desserts, they don’t add the flavor to the ice after it’s shaved – rather, the ice itself is flavored.

Tomato-tomahto, one might say. But once you take a scoop of the snowy treat, you will understand the difference immediately.

Vampire Penguin’s shaved snow desserts are all at once light and filled with flavor, and so powdery that every spoonful is a pleasure to partake of, both in terms of texture and taste.

Each serving also comes with generous toppings, which the store does not scrimp on. When it comes to flavors, the selection is varied, with something that will please anyone, whatever their preference or craving is.

There is, for instance, the refreshing lychee: lychee snow, topped off with lychee popping boba and condensed milk. The all-white mountain has a winter-wonderland appeal that turns into tropical freshness once you eat it. If you’re feeling particularly parched, this is the flavor you should order.

Another refreshing flavor: the Jilian, which is made up of a layer of green tea snow and a layer of Thai milk tea snow, topped off with crushed oreos and condensed milk. The earthy flavors of the tea keep the serving light, and the oreos and condensed milk add a hint of creamy richness.

Also on the menu are the rich and indulgent Smoreos and Tuxedo. The former’s base is cookies and cream snow, while the latter’s is chocolate. Both are slathered in chocolate syrup, and topped off with their own set of goodies: crushed graham crackers, marshmallows, strawberries. It’s easy to imagine these two flavors being a hit with chocolate-loving kids.

Perhaps their prettiest shaved snow serving is the Strawberry Cheesecake, which is made up of strawberry and vanilla snow, and topped off with strawberries and cheesecake. All at once sweet, creamy, tart, and Instagram-ready, it’s no wonder why this flavor is a customer favorite.

By far their most interesting flavor is the Mangoong: mango shaved snow, topped off with bagoong (sauteed shrimp paste). Yes, you read that right: a dinner time staple topping off a cold dessert. The flavor is off-menu, but it’s definitely worth a try: the sweetness of the mango snow is perfectly complemented and brought out by the salty goodness of the bagoong, and both flavors are brought to life by the cool fluffy texture of the snow.

With prices that range from P160 to P225 for the small sized serving and P195 to P280 for the large serving, Vampire Penguin may seem like a once-in-a-while splurge rather than a daily habit, but consider that even the small serving is filling and flavorful enough to be shared.

Right now, Vampire Penguin operates only through its first Philippine branch at Ayala the 30th in Ortigas, though Leo says they are looking into expanding soon, including opening an express option that allows customers to have their shaved snow fix in smaller servings. At any rate, this new kind of frosty dessert is worth a try. – Rappler.com

Vampire Penguin Manila
3rd floor, Ayala Malls the 30th, Meralco Avenue, Pasig
942-5261
Facebook.com/vampirepenguinmnl

Have you got a sweet tooth? Ride with Uber and visit dessert shops to sate your cravings!

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Amanda T. Lago

After avoiding long-term jobs in favor of travelling the world, Amanda finally learned to commit when she joined Rappler in July 2017. As a lifestyle and entertainment reporter, she writes about music, culture, and the occasional showbiz drama. She also hosts Rappler Live Jam, where she sometimes tries her best not to fan-girl on camera.