Only over a year after opening the first “dirty ice cream” parlor in Camden Town, Mamasons will be bringing the flavors of the Philippines to Chinatown London first week of September.
Founded by London-born Filipino Omar Shah, Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream has successfully created a buzz in the London dessert scene, with its Pinoy-inspired ice cream flavors such as ube, calamansi, guyabano, Milo, and the “Instagrammable” black buko—a coconut concoction with activated charcoal.
The ice cream parlor is such a hit that, according to earlier reports, it has always sold out since its Camden Town branch’s opening.
Mamasons is the first Filipino business to open in London Chinatown, which is a two-minute walk away from Leicester Square Station at the heart of the West End.
In a statement, Mamasons said it’s currently adding the finishing touches to its second branch’s interiors. “Expect a mix of tropical prints and elements from the barrio, inspired by the ice cream carts used in the Philippines,” said the ice cream parlor.
“To help our Pinoy community in London, we’ll also be featuring art from local Filipino artists,” added Mamasons.
Shah founded Mamasons after falling in love with Filipino food and desserts, which made the painful lack of it in England quite frustrating.
“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,” said Mamasons.
Shah imported an Italian gelato churner to make ice cream traditionally.
His partner, Mae Magnaloc helps keep the business running smoothly while her brother helps make and serve ice cream. Their mothers make and bake the pan de sal used in Mamasons’ bestseller, Bilog—a pan de sal filled with ice cream and toasted in a hot press.
Mamasons’ ice cream sandwich has given birth to other baked goods such as ube brownies, which is a mainstay on its menu, as well limited-time specials such as macarons, doughnuts, choux buns, cheesecakes, éclairs, and buko pie served at its Camden store.
“We intend to bring back all of our baked goods and more for encores at Chinatown London,” said Mamasons.
Flavors of the month include barako coffee, avocado, and queso.
“Everything we sell is freshly made in-house, using authentic ingredients sourced from specialist suppliers,” shared Mamasons.