My mom’s family used to live in a quaint apartment along J. Ruiz St. street in San Juan. Back then, I remember that my sister and I and at times my maternal cousins would visit our Lola Lourdes’ apartment during family occasions or weekends. The place was also like the family’s day care center, particularly when our parents would have to leave us in our Lola’s when they went off to work or attend to errands where our presence would not be ideal.
When we moved to Antipolo, I would always look forward in going to our Lola’s apartment because we often visited the Magnolia Ice Cream House along Aurora Boulevard.
EVOLUTION. From Magnolia Ice Cream House to Nestle Creamery, for many years, this has been a haven for children who loves ice cream.
For many years and across generations, this iconic family place was a staple among families. It was a place where we would go after movies on a weekend or drop by for ice cream after dining out or visit for celebrations.
It was the place to be in the ’70s and ’80s, as Filipinos flocked to this giant gray building that served an endless array of ice cream concoctions. Banana splits, parfaits, sundaes, and cobblers abound with amusing and delicious-sounding names like Merry Martian, Merry Widow, Black & White, Peach Cobbler, Marshmallow Nut Sundae, Merry-Go-Round and much more.
Each smoothie delight is made with two or more combinations of Magnolia Ice Cream’s many flavors and each creation is decorated with an endless and colorful array of toppings like cashew nuts, peanuts, syrups, sprinkles, cones, wafers, marshmallows, chocolate chips or candies.
The delight that was inspired by these ice cream creations was matched only by the delight brought about by Magnolia’s mascot, Howie. The cute, white fluffy Pomeranian always brought kids like me to laughter.
NOTHING BEATS THE FIRST. Howie, Magnolia Mascot was the first ever mascot I saw when I was a kid.
For many years, the ice cream house ensured wide smiles and created priceless memories for kids and the kids-at-heart and was a place where family bonding, friendships, and even teen romance was created.
Years later, the Magnolia Ice Cream House was rebranded to become the Nestle Creamery when Magnolia Ice Cream was sold by its parent company, San Miguel Corporation, to the global food and beverage giant, Nestle Philippines.
Later on, the property was sold when Nestle ceased the ice cream house’s operations. The property was subsequently bought by Robinsons Land Corporation, which then built the Robinsons Magnolia mall. It’s interesting to note that the mall was named after the Magnolia Ice Cream House. With the return of the Magnolia Ice Cream brand to the market, so too did the ice cream house.
Today, the Magnolia Ice Cream House now called Magnolia Flavor House, is located within the premises of Robinsons Magnolia. The fact that the mall brought back this iconic establishment is proof of how this once glorious ice cream house, created enduring memories.
NEW LOOK, SAME FEEL. The fans cannot hide their excitement when they learned that Magnolia Flavor House had a special area inside a sprawling lot of Robinson’s Magnolia.
Interiors of Magnolia Flavor House, Photo by Dale Villanueva, MNLtoday.ph
Though times have changed and despite a lot of new restaurants and specialty ice cream shops mushrooming all over the Metro, the Magnolia Flavor House still brings back the fondest of my childhood memories that is truly Filipino and I consider as my second home.
Photo by Dale Villanueva, MNLtoday.ph
