Thinking this was just another over-hyped US-franchised ice cream stores sprouting the Metro. Even when my curiosity piqued with so many people lining up in their store in UP Town Center, I was too cynical to try. Good thing I was dead wrong. Trying Rita's for the first time in Greenhills last Saturday, made me realized that Rita's is not just one of those usual ice cream stores. Rita's Frozen Custard seems to elevate soft-served ice cream to a different level with its thick, smooth creamy texture with just a soft light sweetness that cannot be found elsewhere. Some of their treats we were able to try: 1. Premium Fudge Brownie Ala Mode (P180) - A heaven in a cup for chocolate and brownie lover like me. The combination of thick vanilla frozen custard with generous amount of brownie cubes (that were warmed before putting in the cup for that soft fudgy texture) and sweet chocolate fudge drizzle provides a perfect balance of sweet, creamy, fudgy texture and chocolate-y flavor. 2. Regular Halo-Halo Gelati (P150) - It is fun to consume, with Frozen Vanilla Custard on top and buttom layer and Italian Ice halo-halo in the middle with ube halaya, langka, macapuno strips & red beans. I like how the Italian ice feels like a very fine flavored snow, I would love it if it had more of the langka, macapuno and beans inside to break its texture. 3. Regular Ube Cheesecake Ice (P100) - Also a Filipino twist on a classic dessert, with ube halaya mixed in ube ice. 4. Regular Passion Fruit Misto Shake (P160) - Fruity yet creamy. You can really taste the Passion Fruit flavor in it with good balance of creaminess from the liquid Vanilla Custard. 5. Regular Watermelon Frozen Drink and Cantaloupe Frozen Drink (P120) - Their icy drinks are smooth, without big chunks of ice that you get in others, which made it more thirst-quenching. I bit usual as flavor is mainly from syrup but prefer the watermelon flavor. 6. Affogato (P185) - Really, really good! Their frozen Vanilla Custard blends well the fresh shot of espresso. I can really the buzz of their espresso after eating a few spoonful of it. A fun alternative for those who need to stay awake and alert. 7. Aside from the above ice cream and drink treat, they also offer ice cream cakes which they called "Frozen Custard Cakes". We were able to try their Mango Gelati Cake (Mango Italian Ice and Frozen Vanilla Custard topped with rainbow sprinkles) and Cookies & Cream Custard Cake (layer of cookies and cream Italian Ice and Frozen Vanilla Custard topped with Oreo pieces). But what's great about their Frozen Custard Cakes is you can customize it to your liking. You can choose from their different flavors of Italian Ice, Frozen Custard and Toppings to make the cake as unique as you. One whole cake cost only P 1350.00 including a nice box with reusable ice packs. You just need to order one day ahead. Looking forward to go back again to be able to try what other flavors and combinations they can come up with. As Rita's brings frozen dessert to a new dimension of its own, challenging the perceptions and surprising jaded palates of what an ice cream still could be. read more

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So curiosity killed the cat one night, and I decided to find out why Rita's is always so crowded. Custard and ice. So, it's not really ice cream? Well, technically speaking, no. The custard (though it looks like ice cream) isn't as cold as a scoop of ice cream, and it tasted and felt more like mousse. It also didn't melt quickly even in the humid summer season. The flavored ice was the best part! It's somewhere between a sherbet and a shake, light and refreshing. It came in all sorts of flavors - cookie dough, cotton candy, blue raspberry, cherry, root beer, strawberry colada, and a whole lot more that I can't put down because they change the flavors every so often. There were several items on the menu and I didn't know what to choose from. The nice fellow at the counter said that Gelatinis were their best sellers, and it turns out those were the swirly twirl thingies that I saw everyone seated at the tables eating. Gelatinis are Rita's flavored ice sandwiched by two layers of frozen custard. I chose cookie dough ice and chocolate custard with extra gummi bear toppings. Funny thing about these toppings - they were at the bottom. I thought they actually forgot to put my gummi bears, but I found them when I got to the last custard layer at the bottom, hahaha! All in all, not bad for P130. I'd fall in line again, especially just to try out all the ice flavors! :) read more

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If you're sick of regular ice cream or halo-halo (Filipino shaved ice dessert) then you gotta try Rita's. Noobies try the "Gelati"! It's flavored shaved ice topped and bottomed with a portion of soft serve - either Vanilla, Chocolate or mixed. For the flavored ice - my go to is the wild black cherry. But you can't go wrong with any of the fruit flavors (make sure to test/sample first, if you're unsure) For the soft serve - gotta go neutral - Vanilla mixes well with everything. Bonus tip: Each spoonful of this delectable treat should be 3/4 ice, 1/4 soft-serve... that's how i like it :) read more

I'm always in Greenhills that's why I did not bother when Rita's opened their branch there. I was not that excited to try it because I said to myself, "ice custard? baka parang sherbet lang yan?" But earlier this summer, I got very curious about its taste because it doesn't look like a sherbet at all. I even asked my friends if they have tried one already. They said, "Yes, masarap!" So when I got to Greenhills, I listed Rita's on that day's agenda. They have a wide selection to choose from Italian ice, Frozen custard, Misto shake and Blendini, Gelati, Frozen lemonade and milk shake. Their best seller is the Italian ice + custard. They have a wide selection of Italian ice depending on your mood if you want fruity or creamy. I loved how thick and creamy their ice custard is. I will definitely be back to try other flavors! read more

Rita's Italian Ice - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, NCR

Rita's is a a dessert franchise from the US. It started in 1984 in Pennsylvania and has since expanded internationally. They offer Italian Ice, Frozen Custard, Gelati, Blendini and Slenderita, among other things. While Haagen Dazs and Milky Way didn't have luck at the current location, Rita's seems to be doing very well. Whenever I pass by their store, be it weekend or weekday, the place always seems to be overflowing with people. Everybody's already sitting outside because there's no more space. Personally, I kind of don't get Rita's. In my mind I consider it a sorbet with the flavors aren't really made with real fruit - so I concluded that it's something like ice cream without the milk or the cream. It's water and sugar and flavoring. A lot of people seem to like it, but I prefer the real ice cream. It's a bit too sweet in my opinion but it's of course a matter of personal taste. read more

Rita's Italian Ice - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, NCR

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I absolutely LOVE Rita's Italian Ice! So much so that I can actually be bothered to wait in line for one of their desserts (if you know me in real life, you'll know that waiting in line is something I can't be bothered to do, ever). What keeps me coming back? Well, let's talk about their custard. It's like ice cream, but thicker and heavier - basically what ice cream should aspire to be when it grows up. It comes in a variety of flavors, too - though you can't go wrong with plain vanilla to start with. Their multicolored vats of frozen ice makes it hard to choose just one flavor! In the end, I settled with raspberry ice topped with vanilla, and it was a fantastic decision. To Rita, whoever you are, I'd like to marry your restaurant. No kidding. read more

Rita's Italian Ice - I nibbled the top of the custard before taking the photo because I am an impatient woman. - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, NCR

Rita's Italian Ice, for me, is the lovechild of Dairy Queen and flavored/shaved ice. What sets it apart from all the dessert shops cropping up these days is that unlike shaved ice where all the flavor is poured on top and pools at the bottom within minutes, the Italian ice is smooth and the flavor is well-incorporated throughout. When you enter a Rita's, it's like a choose-you-own-adventure dessert wonderland. You can choose to have Italian Ice alone, the frozen custard alone, frozen custard with toppings, a combination of italian ice and custard and so on. In short, it is an indecisive person's worst nightmare. I KID YOU NOT. If you are indecisive, you will be standing there wondering why choosing a dessert now feels like spiritual discernment. But fear not, you can ask for a free taste to help you make your choice. Fortunately, they do have some bestsellers and signature items that you can choose from. I tried Ted's Blendini. This one's a winner for me because it's got a great fresh taste that is complemented by the smooth vanilla and the walnuts add great texture. If you like root beer floats, I would recommend the rootbeer italian ice with the vanilla custard. read more

I consider myself a pretty reasonable person, but occasionally I get those food whims, which is what Rita's Ice was for me for weeks. I braved the 2-hour Alabang to San Juan traffic just to get a taste of their Gelatini. I even literally dreamed about devouring it twice last week. So I finally did, and truth be told, it was a little overrated in my opinion. Yes, it's good, but it wasn't THAT good for me to say that it's worth all the traffic and hassle going there. I'd still go for my cheap sundaes and frozen yogurt, but that's just me. I guess I was expecting "fireworks" or I was just bummed that my little girl left her 160-peso strawberry sundae to melt. Moms, do your wallets a favor and just walk to the nearby fastfood with cheap sundaes and buy your kids that. Maybe when we do pass by Greenhills again, or they open up a store here in the south, I'll definitely give it another shot. Props to those Yelpers who struggled to describe the consistency of their ice custard and the flavored ice. Seriously guys, that's a hard one :) read more

I've heard so many good things about Rita's, but I never seemed to find time to visit any of their branches, so I'm really glad to have tried them just recently. Their custard alone is enough for me to go crazy over them, although I wouldn't say no to their Premium Fudge Brownie Ala Mode, Affogato (but only with a little bit of espresso), and Cookies & Cream Custard Cake! All of them have what I would like to call the "tirik-mata" goodness! read more

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A screenshot of their Instagram account from a friend had me curious - an ice cream made of egg? Okay, *blink*blink*. While checking some blogs about Rita's, there's something new that caught my eye: Custard. I only knew custard as a type of pastry, I didn't know it can mean to a frozen goodness as well. Rita's Ice cream was called custard because it was made from eggs in addition to cream and sugar. Gotta try what I ought to try! :D After a very exhausting commute trip to Greenhills, we finally reached V-Mall. We spotted Rita's from afar because of the brightest neon sign in the area! The airconditioned room was full of customers so we decided to sit al fresco. It was quite hot and humid outside but we had no choice. Later on we were able to grab a seat inside and that's where the fun began. The Main Event Strawberry Banana Blendini with Vanilla Custard Green Apple Blendini with Light Vanilla Custard Chocolate Blendini with Chocolate Custard Cotton Candy Italian Ice For first-timers, you might be overwhelmed with the words like Custard, Blendini, Gelati and Misto shake but no worries, they've got self-help Guide to Ordering Happiness (see photo below.) Available ice flavors and custard flavors were also on the screen making it easier to choose. Still hesitant which flavor suites your taste buds? No worries, the staff will let you try some. They were all accommodating and will make your experience fuss-free. The ice creams were Instagram friendly and it doesn't melt easily even after staying al fresco for a while. I deemed it as The melts-in-you-mouth-not-in-your-cup Ice cream! *clap*clap* Other than the fact that the place was small (Okay, granted, they were still on their soft opening), we all enjoyed it! I'll hit this again if I'm in the Greenhills area! We spent around less than P200 solo. read more

Rita's Italian Ice originates from Pennsylvania. I first tried it when I was in Greenhills with my favorite person in the world, my mother! I remember laughing as I entered the establishment because she was telling me that she was certain that the place wouldn't last. LOL. I ordered the chocolate covered strawberry milkshake while she had the black and white milkshake. I thought my milkshake was so-so. Nothing special. I've had better milkshakes at home. Nevertheless, the next time I come through Rita's, I plan on trying their frozen custard offerings as it's very interesting to me how they've chosen to sell custard as opposed to ice cream. Hopefully, the next time around, I'll be happier with my order. read more

The first time I'd heard of Rita's was on a TV show called Unwrapped and that was years ago when I was still a little kid. The concept fascinated me. Italian ice? Frozen custard? Such foreign concepts. What made it different from slushies and ice cream? Clearly, the name and place stuck since my heart skipped a beat when I saw one being built in Greenhills. It turns out Italian Ice and Frozen Custard make all the difference. The ice bit is wonderful. It's light and carries so much flavor that you would swear you're actually drinking frozen juice. And you get little chunks of fruit in some of the flavors, too! (As good as this is, I wouldn't recommend the blueberry. This is where I discovered that I'm not a fan of frozen blueberries.) And the custard. That's not ice cream. That's definitely not ice cream. It's smooth and creamy and lingers... not like most ice cream that kind of disappears with each spoonful. Personally, I'm a fan of their gelati so you can get a bit of both. read more

Immediately upon tasting a Rita's so called ice custard happiness, you're greeted with a creamy Frosty-like top that would literally make you say "Mmmm!" And then, the gelati. I ordered a s'mores gelati while my sister got herself cookie dough. It's so tangy and cold and just so delectable! It even has bits of chocolate chip. It's like eating a big cup of ice candy! What I love about Rita's is that it has so many different flavors that you just want to try. My parents were initially skeptic about buying my sister and I these ice custards, but once they took a spoonful, they couldn't stop eating! Definitely a must to beat the Summer heat! read more

Rita's Italian Ice provides the perfect treat for this summer. They offer something new to the dessert world, giving an option to those with a sweet tooth and also to those who prefer lighter, yet refreshing treats. They are known for their frozen custard and italian ice. Whenever I visit their store, I always notice that most customers order their gelati, which is a mix of their italian ice with custard on top. I personally prefer their custard alone, as the italian ice tends to get a little on the sour side. But I've tried it alone and it is definitely refreshing. I love their light vanilla custard, which is creamier and thicker than soft-served ice cream. Since it is so thick, it lasts longer in this heat and satisfies the need for something to cool my head on a hot summer's day. Rita's is conveniently located at the entrance of V-Mall, Greenhills. There is no doubt that you will spot it before entering the mall. Their store is not so big, so they can't accommodate a lot of dine-in guests, but it also works out as most just drop by to get their Rita's fix and continue on with their day. I'd recommend Rita's for those looking to try something new or for those who just want something cold to eat. read more

Rita's Italian Ice - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, NCR

Having no previous knowledge on the subject of Italian ice, I was expecting Rita's to be like a snow cone - coarse shaved ice with some liquid flavoring drizzled on top. Take it from me now: I was proven downright wrong in the best possible way. The ones here have a superfine texture, surprisingly light and bursting with real definitely-not-artificial flavor. And while their frozen custard may be reminiscent of good ol' ice cream, it's anything but - much richer and denser than the usual. I had mine in classic layered Gelati form: mango ice on the bottom, vanilla custard on top. Both tasted great on their own, but once I mushed them together, it was a whole new level of cool and creamy happiness in a cup. There are also Blendini and Misto Shake options if you want your ice-custard combination to be drinkable. I know this V-Mall space is infamous for a losing streak of dessert shops (RIP Haagen-Dazs), but I seriously hope Rita's is here to stay. read more

Rita's Italian Ice - Mango ice + Vanilla custard = Gelati happiness! - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, NCR

It seems like Rita's Italian Ice positions itself right in between the saturated Gelato and Yogurt craze. They call it ice custard because its consistency and smoothness aren't like the typical sherbet, ice cream, gelato, or yogurt that we're used to. Whatever it really is, just accept it, try it, and enjoy! I tried their mixture of dark chocolate and raspberry and I have to say it was probably the most refreshingly exciting dessert I have had all summer! The dark chocolate was rich and just the right balance of bitter and sweet. It went perfectly with the sweet and flowery raspberry. It dawned to me that that was what their unique selling point was all along. Mixing and matching the different ice cream and custard flavors will surely leave a smile on your face! read more