Japan's Famous Ice Cream Sandwich Is Finally Here!

Japan introduced the world to some really delicious treats: ramen, sushi, cheesecake, and mochi. If you've visited Japan, there's another famous sweet bun with a distinct crisscross pattern on the top, which is often offered in most Japanese bakeries called the melonpan.

Best eaten when warm!

Photo by Bea Faicol

Locals love snacking on the melonpan as is, but they also found a different kind of appreciation when a cold slab of ice cream is sandwiched in between the warm melonpan buns. We can thank The World's Second Best Melon-Pan Ice Cream, who started this Japanese food phenomenon in their humble food truck in Dotonbori, Japan back in 2013. They're called the second best to give a nod to the OG melonpan masters who taught them how to perfectly make these buns. Now, Melonpan Ice is bringing these Japanese treats to the Philippines.

Before you try it, it's important to note that there are no melons involved in the process of making melonpans. The melonpan is called as such because of its cookie-like bun that resembles a melon's skin. The classic Melonpan Ice Cream Sandwich consists of the soft warm bread with its crunchy cookie crust, a twice-baked rusk (which you can use as a spoon!), and a thick slab of premium ice cream. To make the base of this pastry, they envelop a flattened cookie dough in a ball of bread dough. They flatten the combined dough a bit and use a cutter to imprint the distinct melon-like look.

The yellow cutter gives the bun it's melon-like crust

Photo by Bea Faicol

Ready for baking!

Photo by Bea Faicol

In the case of Melonpan Ice, they switch the classic ice cream sandwich up by using their own rich, creamy gelato. Melonpan Ice's Melonpan with Premium Ice Cream (P180) comes in four classic gelato flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and matcha. Their Vanilla has a classic sweetness, the Chocolate has a stronger and darker taste, the Strawberry is sweet and tart, while the Matcha is earthier and bittersweet. What you can expect from Melonpan Ice's premium gelato is its taste is far from artificial counterparts.

Melonpan + Matcha Ice Cream!

Photo by Bea Faicol

Just by the looks of this pastry, it seems light and perfect for merienda on a hot, summer day. It definitely is, but it's actually more filling than what it looks like, which makes it good for sharing! If you want to enjoy this treat solo, you can opt for their Minipan with Ice Cream (P120) which is half the size of the regular melonpan.

Dessert for one? Try the mini melonpan!

Photo by Bea Faicol

But if you want to skip the ice cream and enjoy the melonpan on its own, you can satisfy your craving with a piece (P85) of melonpan, box for sharing (P400/five pieces), or with a combination of a cup of coffee (P150). While if you want to enjoy the gelato, Melonpan Ice is also offering a Gelato Rusk (P120/one scoop; P220/two scoops) where you can use the rusk to spoon the gelato!

Melonpan Ice is located at Eastwood Citywalk 2 (in front of Nike). For more information, follow Melonpan Ice on Facebook.

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