The Many Ways to Enjoy Gelato at Casa Italia Cafe

Summer is already over here in the Philippines, but the thing is, regardless of the season, we just enjoy to eat iced treats. And I don't know if you can relate to this, but here at home, whenever one is down with the flu, that's when cravings for something cold and icy is strong.

Personally, I cannot eat a lot of any food product with cold milk and/or cream, but that hasn't fully stopped me from trying out different ice cream parlors and gelateria. My latest escapade was at Casa Italia Cafe, located at the lower ground floor of SM North EDSA (The Block).


Founded by Fox Hardegger, Casa Italia is a modern day interpretation of the traditional Italian bar serving wholesome menu of freshly made food, Italian beers and wine, and handcrafted premium gelato in a fast casual all-day dining setting. It originated from a gelato palour in 2010 (in Singapore), expanded into specialty coffee and comfort food place, and now has opened many branches in different countries, including two here in the Philippines. I still haven't visited the one in BGC, but the one closer to my place, I visited not too long ago.

They do offer a wide array of food choices, but this post is dedicated only to what they are most known for - the gelato. The savory food I tried at Casa Italia will be shared on a different post.



Even before you enter Casa Italia, it would be impossible not to be tempted to try out their gelato. Look at those colors! They have so many flavors to choose from, but all were churned out honestly with natural ingredients and produced absolutely free of artificial flavours, chemicals, colorants, or preservatives. Though "gelato" is the Italian word for "Ice Cream," it is generally lower in calories, fat, and sugar than traditional ice cream.


I was able to taste different flavors -

• Green Mango - Full of green mango goodness; it tasted like the real fruit, it made me crave for salt and bagoong alamang!
• Guyabano (in picture) - If I didn't know this was gelato, I would think it was real guyabano flesh smashed and refrigerated. It was that delicious!
• Ube - I was hoping it would taste like Ube Halaya, but it wasn't. Of all the flavors I tried, it was the most bland, but it could also be because I tasted it after I tasted several fruit gelati.
• Pineapple - Another very close to the real thing gelato, but this was a tad sweeter than the normal pineapple fruit.
• Choco Chili - I love that it tasted mainly of dark chocolate (very dark but very good), and the kick of chili could be felt once the gelato has melted in the mouth. 
• Roasted Rice - I understood that this is an acquired taste and at first I admit I didn't like it that much, but it kept me tasting and tasting it...until I am in love with it. If you want to try something different, I highly recommend this.

Actually, I recommend every flavor they have, but I would suggest you try something seasonal or something you don't see often, to make your gelato experience more memorable.

Casa Italia Cafe don't just offer plain gelato, they also offer different kinds of gelato-based treats:


Smoothies and Frappes

• Gelatoccino - Casa Italia's gelato and coffee in one delicious drink
• Gelato Frappe - Dairy based frappe mixed with gelato (of your choice)
• Gelato Slush - made with Casa Italia gelato sorbet
• Yogurt Smoothie - made with Casa Italia yogurt gelato

If you want any of these drinks, feel free to ask the staff for recommendation.


Gelatonini. The newest way to enjoy gelato! This one is pandolce (Italian sweet bread) panini sandwich with scoops of nutella gelato. The idea of this was taken from our everyday mamang sorbetero selling sorbetes in bread buns.

If you are into a mix of savory and sweet, they also have the Ham and Cheese Gelatonini. It's basically the same (in concept) as the one in picture, but for the filling, it has real ham and Formaggi Gelato (cream cheese and cheddar cheese flavors).


Sunny Daydream. A good-for sharing dessert, this one has an apple peach cobbler base topped with mango, melon, and raspberry gelato, as well as whipped cream, almond slivers, and Peppero sticks.


Midnight Surprise. Another good-for-sharing treat... this one has chocolate lava cake base topped with nutella, raspberry, and white chocolate gelato, as well as cookie bits, almond slivers, and Peppero sticks.


Liquoratto. A combination of gelato and liquor when you need a pick-me-up. On the left is Limoncello Liquoratto - a combination of raspberry gelato and a shot of Il Limone limoncello.  On the right is the White Velvet - a combination of white chocolate gelato and a shot of Amaretto. Actually, you may also opt for two shots of liquor, but for me, a shot will do. Between the two, I loved White Velvet more.

On the next post, I will share meals I tried at Casa Italia, but if this post made you want to try out their gelati, the shop is located at the ground floor of SM North EDSA (The Block), near the Hypermarket. For more details and future offerings, like their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/CasaItaliaPh