Freshly-Churned Gelato, Everyday...at Bono Artisanal Gelato.

Behind the glass walls, the shiny stainless steel mixers silently churn out a batch of freshly made gelato, and it's just another typical day at Bono Artisanal Gelato...

Ever since it first served its very first scoop back in December 2012, Bono Artisanal Gelato firmly established its name as the metro's best gelato with its creative and inventive flavors like Speculoos, Cereal and Milk, Bourbon Butterscotch, Taho, and Summer Lavender. And those sleek high-tech gelato mixers at Bono Artisanal Gelato have continuously churned out the very best gelato using the finest local and imported ingredients ever since.

Along the way, Bono Artisanal Gelato was awarded Manila's Best in the Dessert, Ice Cream, and Cake Shop Category at Manila's Best Kept Restaurant Secrets (MBKRS) in 2014. Zarah Zaragoza-Manikan, Bono Artisanal Gelato's Chief R&D, is responsible for all the gelato magic that happens behind every Bono Artisanal Gelato store, now numbering five branches in the metro. And the secret behind Bono Artisanal Gelato's success? Real ingredients, with each small batch made fresh everyday.

And there's no better way to enjoy a creamy Affogato than with a freshly made batch of Vanilla Bean gelato and a freshly brewed shot of espresso. Zarah Zaragoza-Manikan takes us inside the glass walled area for an exclusive peek behind the real scoop at Bono Artisanal Gelato...

And it all starts with the best and freshest ingredients, and the best equipment. Bono Artisanal Gelato uses the traditional slow-churning method with top of the line Cattabriga Effe mixers from Italy, the undisputed industry standard of authentic Italian gelato.

Using more of the freshest, local whole milk than cream as a base, Zarah Zaragoza-Manikan then adds premium Madagascar vanilla beans before heading to the stainless steel mixer for the first part of the gelato making process.   

After the mixture is blended, it is then poured in the Cattabriga Effe mixer for the slow-churning phase, and the magic begins. At Bono Artisanal Gelato, everything is made from scratch, with each batch made no more than 12-20 hours before serving. 

Slow-churned the old-fashioned way, it's amazing to see the creamy mixture transform right before your eyes. The slow-churn method incorporates less air into the base, resulting in the distinctly smoother and denser texture of Italian gelato. The flavors are also more intense and vibrant, coating your mouth as it melts.

Just a few more minutes and the fresh batch of Vanilla Bean gelato is just about ready to serve. Scraped with a paddle, the freshly made gelato sticks without sliding off, a sign that it's ready to serve.

The fresh batch of gelato is then transferred to a stainless steel tub and kept in Pozzetto cabinets to minimize exposure to both light and air to maintain the rich flavors as well as a constant temperature. Then, it's time to brew some espresso...

Bono Artisanal Gelato's Affogato combines the silky smooth consistency of gelato with the bold and robust flavors of espresso. The intense flavors of the espresso, made from coffee beans roasted and blended by UCC, is perfectly balanced by the creamy gelato. An indulgent scoop with a caffeine boost from a shot of espresso, definitely different. And an exciting new alternative to the usual espresso.

"Affogato", which means "drowned" in Italian, perfectly describes this unique and refreshing beverage. A scoop of gelato is "drowned" with a steaming shot of espresso, as the gelato slowly melts fusing its rich flavors for a cup of coffee like no other.  

More batches are made, including one of its old favorites. With summer just around the corner, Bono Artisanal Gelato brings back one of its popular flavors, the cool blue Kooky Monster with cotton candy, marshmallows, and chocolate chips, topped with a chewy chocolate chip cookie. The blend of flavors and textures from the finest ingredients makes this another winner. There is an unmistakable sense of playful, out-of-the-box creativity behind every flavor, redefining the way we see gelato, a passion that continues to drive Bono Artisanal Gelato to even greater heights.

Like their gelato, Bono Artisanal Gelato also prepares their waffle cones the old-fashioned way by hand, with a single scoop of waffle batter at a time and slowly shaped fresh off the waffle iron.

Seen through the glass walls, the process is slow and tedious, and also quite entertaining. After it's shaped and formed, the finishing touch is applied to each cone, a piece of chocolate chip is placed on the bottom, heated and melted for a secure seal, guaranteeing no leaks with your favorite gelato. 

And there's more. Bono Artisanal Gelato's Zarah Zaragoza-Manikan is the country's sole representative to the Gelato World Tour as one of the Top 16 Asia-Pacific Finalists vying for the world's best gelato on March 20-22, 2015 at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Bono Artisanal Gelato's entry, the Mango Ube Symphony, combines two iconic Philippine flavors, smooth mango gelato laced with swirls of purple yam jam, with rhum-soaked dried mango strips for the finishing touch. The distinctly Filipino flavor bested over forty entries from fifty countries to qualify as one of the Top 16 Asia Pacific Finalists for the Gelato World Tour. Good things continue to churn from Bono Artisanal Gelato, as it shares its gelato with the Asia-Pacific and the world, one scoop and one freshly made batch at a time.

Bono Artisanal Gelato is located at the Lower Ground Floor, SM Aura Premier, C5 Road corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

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