There’s a big chunk of the global population that can count the number of desserts they like with one hand, if at all. Many of us are usually dreaming about sushi, pizza, or fries—cake and ice cream? Not so much. That said, Black Scoop Café might make you start counting the fingers on both hands.
The fanfare doesn’t begin until you get inside, because the exterior (at least, at the moment) is pretty deceiving. Maginhawa, while still popular, isn’t necessarily the most roaring part of Quezon City, and on the face of it Black Scoop Café fits right in.
Push the doors open, though, and you get the whole story: It’s massive, as far as ice cream parlors go, and the wood table in the center has banquet written all over it. But this isn’t where you’re going to want the feast to be. Forget ’80s mullets—this place gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, “Business in the front, party in the back”.
For all that, dairy is the real star of the show. Ease your way in to this new addiction with a Plain (P80) ice cream cup. Pick your poison of either a Mascarpone or Milk Tea base—that’s right, milk tea—and shovel the stuff in your mouth. The milk tea was going to be good anyway, given that the people at Infinitea are behind this concept, but that mascarpone is something else. Ice cream can get pretty sickly-sweet, leaving that gross film at the back of your throat (get your minds out of the gutter), but this volcanic-looking swirl does no such thing. There’s a teeny hint of salt, just enough to cut through it and hit that which people in the food industry are always seeking: The ever-elusive, stuff-of-legend bliss point. It’s true, folks—we found it in QC.
Alternatively, you could go Supreme (P125) by adding one Topping at P20 a pop, or a couple of Crunches for P25 each, which thankfully aren’t of the exercise variety. We loved the addition of white chocolate, cookies, and crushed Graham crackers. Our favorite Classic (P95) cup—that is, with a single topping—included crushed Oreos. Gym? Who’s she? We don’t know. We can’t read suddenly.
