Bono Gelato, Rockstar Gelato!

Having gelato is such an gratifying experience for me. And the Bono in Podium is my no-fail go-to gelateria.  Bono gelato is an all-natural gelato made from scratch in small batches daily. It is natural: from locally-sourced fresh whole milk to stone-ground matcha from Japan. And handmade: from the chocolate-covered chips in Movie Night to the pretzel crunch in Butterbeer to the sprinkles and honey comb toppings. Their gelato is flavorful and fresh and never too sweet!

But many people do not know that gelato doesn't just mean "ice cream" in Italian. There is a difference between them.

For one, ice cream is made with cream and has a minimum fat content of 10% (and upto as high as 18% fat). Gelato is made with whole milk, and has only 4-8% fat.

I watched how they make a batch of gelato on-site.  Bono uses this Cattabriga blender on whole milk and their "secret mix" to make their popular Movie Night gelato.

     

     

Then, the mixture is transferred to the Cattabriga mixer and churned for about 5-7 minutes.  The Effe by Cattabriga is the world's standard for artisanal gelato. It adopts a slow "churning and folding" method.  This ensures that there is less air incorporated into the gelato (compared to ice cream where more air creates more volume). And this makes for another difference: the texture of gelato is more dense than ice cream, and thus it presents more intense distinct flavors for one to enjoy.   

          

Next, they layer in the unique ingredients to make Movie Night-- chocolate-covered chips, caramel syrup, and malt balls. Several layers are made to make a liter of yumminess!

     

Bono gelato is stored in Pozzetto cabinets.  They are covered to ensure least amount of contamination from the air. I truly appreiciate this.  While it's attractive to see gelato in the open, with all its colors, I would rather eat something that's clean and fresh.   Plus the covered containers are important to maintain constant temperature.  Another difference of gelato from ice cream involves serving temperature. While ice cream is frozen and served at 10 degree Fahrenheit, gelato is best served not completely frozen, at around 25 degrees Fahrenheit.  In Bono, when you order gelato for take-out in pints and tubs, they blast-freeze the gelato and then put the containers in their own resealable plastic bags.  The staff will advise you to keep your pints and tubs in their plastic bags when stored in your freezer.  This preserves the gelato flavors best and keeps it from getting too hard to scoop.  And it works-- the gelato stays smooth and tasty! I've personally tried this at home.

     

Bono also makes their own waffles, which go on top over any gelato flavor your order.

  

Each outlet carries 12 flavors to choose from.  My family's favorites are the Taho, the Mango-Ube symphony, the Pistachio, and the Cioccolato.   Incidentally, two are dairy-free: Taho (soya-based) and Cioccolato (70% chocolate).   And we are eagerly anticipating the come-back of Cereal and Milk; I hear it will be better than ever!

They also serve gelato in an affogato and in a molten brownie sundae.

Taho, Butterbeer, Matcha & Azuki, Milo Dinosaur, Cioccolato, Movie Night, Pistachio,California Strawberry

Head to Bono Gelato soon! They still have a Summer Scoop Sale ongoing!

Find Bono at the SM Aura Premier Mall, SM Mega Fashion Hall, SM Southmall, and at The Podium.

And Bono can go to your parties, school fairs, family reunions! They churn on-site using a liquid nitrogen machine.  And the nitrogen doesn't touch the gelato!  Email contact@gelatobono.com.