Filipino ‘dirty ice cream’ a hit, opens second London branch

Filipino-owned ‘dirty ice cream’ parlor, Mamasons, will be bringing the flavors of the Philippines to London Chinatown in the first week of September, after only a year since it opened in Camden Town.

Owner Omar Shah, a London-born Filipino, has successfully created a buzz in the London dessert scene with Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream and its Pinoy-inspired ice cream flavors, such as ube, calamansi, guyabano, Milo, and black buko – a recipe with coconut and activated charcoal, making the ice cream black and striking (and undoubtedly “Instagrammable”).

Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream is the first Filipino business to open in London Chinatown, at the heart of the West End (and a two-minute walk from Leicester Square Station). It’s been such a hit that its Camden branch has been consistently sold out since its opening, according to earlier reports.

“Expect a mix of tropical prints and elements from the barrio, inspired by the ice cream carts used in the Philippines,” Mamasons ownership said in a statement, adding that they are currently undergoing the finishing touches to its second branch’s interiors.

“To help our Pinoy community in London, we’ll also be featuring art from local Filipino artists,” they added.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbNCAdsFHaB/?taken-by=mamasonsdirtyicecream

After falling in love with Filipino food and desserts, and being frustrated with not being able to find it in England, Shah founded Mamasons, importing an Italian gelato churner to make ice cream the traditional way.

It’s a family-run affair, with his partner Mae Magnaloc helping to manage the business, and her brother making and serving the ice cream. Their mothers even bake the pan de sal used in one of Mamasons’ bestseller, Bilog – a pan de sal filled with ice cream and toasted in a hot press.

This ice cream sandwich has given birth to other baked goods served in the Camden store, including their menu mainstay ube brownies, as well as limited-time specials such as macarons, doughnuts, choux buns, cheesecakes, éclairs, and even buko pie.

They intend to bring back all of their baked goods in their second branch, and also include flavors of the month like barako coffee, avocado, and queso. Mamasons makes everything in-house, using authentic ingredients sourced from specialist suppliers.

With these two branches, Shah and Mamasons want to push for awareness of the flavors and identity of the Filipino people.

“We all know that the Philippines is horribly underrepresented outside of our country until quite recently, we want to be part of the movement to raise awareness towards our homeland.”