MANILA, Philippines ? You?ve seen the advertisements on television and print many times over?images of lusciously flavored ice cream blended with chocolates, nuts and fruits being whipped? delicately, almost sensually?into delightful concoctions by three chefs.

Chefs J. Gamboa of Cirkulo, Rolando Laudico of Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino, and Sau del Rosario of Chelsea Market and Café bring the pleasures of eating ice cream to a whole new level with their premium creation for the Selecta Gold Series: Berry Strawberry by Gamboa, Chocolate Truffles by Laudico and Hazelnut Brownie by Del Rosario.

The collaboration between Selecta and the three chefs to come up with gourmet ice cream for the Filipino masses was said to be long and tedious, but well-worth it in the end. All three chefs didn?t think twice about saying yes to this unique project, the first time Selecta was releasing a designer ice cream.

Here, the three chefs talk about how they created their own dream ice cream flavors.

J Gamboa?s Berry Strawberry

Gamboa?s Berry Strawberry is a rich French vanilla ice cream with chunks of plump and sun-ripened strawberries.

?Strawberry was a personal choice because I wanted to make a flavor that?s easily appreciated by people,? says Gamboa.

?It?s familiar but can be prepared on a different level. There?s no strawberry ice cream like this in the local market today. It?s rich and creamy and you can actually see the strawberry chunks. It?s sweet but not cloyingly sweet. You can still taste the sweet tartness of the strawberries.?

Gamboa worked closely with the people from Selecta?s plant and laboratory group to create the base flavor.

?Selecta told us that once you?ve decided on the flavor, then you make it to your specification. It was my call. So they made different samples of the strawberry ice cream in their plant and showed them to me. We went through each batch of samples, tasting and assessing to get the right taste I wanted,? says Gamboa, who admits he was the last person approached by Selecta to do the project.

He also personally chose the color of the ice cream, the size of the strawberries and the mixture.

?It?s really a long process. There were days when I couldn?t see the strawberries anymore, or the blend was too rich and sweet. So we had to re-do everything.?

He is very happy with the finished product. He serves his signature ice cream in his Cirkulo restaurant.

Rolando Laudico?s Chocolate Truffles

Laudico?s Chocolate Truffles features a bittersweet chocolate with rich, creamy milk chocolate base with generous swirls of dark chocolate fudge.

?When Selecta approached me, they asked me what my favorite flavor was. I told them I don?t have a sweet tooth, but I love chocolate,? he says.

Laudico has been making his own Belgian chocolate truffles in Bistro Filipino. So it wasn?t surprising that he broached the idea of a chocolate truffle flavor to Selecta.

?They found it interesting. It?s been Selecta?s plan to introduce a high-end chocolate ice cream line. It?s their first time to come up with this flavor, and to actually use Belgian chocolate. What?s nice about it is, they use the same Belgian brand that we use in the restaurant,? he says.

It took two months to complete the process, from making the base flavor to choosing the right texture and the proper size of the truffles.

?I didn?t hesitate to do this project because it?s not your usual product. I would only endorse a product if I believe in the concept. In this case, I really like the concept.
Selecta got us not just to be endorsers but as developers. It?s like giving us control over what the end product would be and putting our name on it. For me, that?s more attractive than giving us a product and forcing us to endorse it.?

Sau Del Rosario?s Hazelnut Brownie

Del Rosario?s Hazelnut Brownie is a mixture of ground hazelnut paste and rich chocolate ice cream laden with moist fudge brownies. It?s based on a traditional Italian specialty called gianduja that combines cocoa and hazelnut.

The chef invokes his childhood love for brownies to explain his choice of flavor.

?Every scoop has a story to tell,? explains Del Rosario, who was the first chef to be approached by Selecta.

?Every texture has a drama to it, and I think that?s me! That?s my personality, a bit complex. You need to get to know me further to be able to judge me. It?s the same thing with this ice cream; the more you scoop it, the more it gives you texture and flavor, until you say, hey, this is a good ice cream!?

He feels privileged to have worked not only with Selecta people, but with two chefs whom he respects and admires.

?It?s good partnership. You?ve seen the commercial. We had fun doing it. There was so much bonding. I?m proud of that commercial. People recognize who we are and the ice cream we offer. My Facebook is always full because of that ad. Businessmen, students and people from the provinces I haven?t met have become my friends,? he says.

And there have also been indecent proposals. ?Oh well,? is all Del Rosario says, grinning.