Magnum Manila's Premium Pop-Up Store Opens at SM Aura

It's here! And only for a while - to be specific, ONE YEAR!

Just as they've done in premium locations around the world, Magnum, that velvety smooth ice cream with Belgian chocolate in one decadent bar, has put up a pop-up store right in the heart of cosmopolitan Metro Manila -- SM Aura.

It opened to the public last April 8 and is expected to be around only till April 2015. Some of us were treated to their soft launch where we got a gastronomic glimpse of what's in store for the public when you pay them a visit. And mind you, they don't just call it a pop-up store. They refer to it as a "Pleasure Store". Read on and find out why.

As soon as you walk in you are greeted by a luxurious restaurant. Yes, this is not your kind of ice cream bar but a full-blown restaurant complete with full meals!

Magnum logo -- Can you guess what it's made of?

You guessed it -- their pop sticks!!!

The Make-Your-Own-Magnum bar greets you right at the entrance

Architect Ed Calma is responsible for Magnum Manila's sleek, modern architecture

At the Make-Your-Own-Magnum-Bar, they've got 18 toppings to choose from:

Classic: chopped salted almonds, pistachio, dried mangoes, chocolate chip cookies, oreos, pretzels and mini marshmallows

Special: Honeycomb, gold nuggets, yogurt nibs, premium chocolate crunch balls, Speculoos bits, freeze-dried raspberries

Experimental: Parmesan popcorn, salted potato chips, shaved queso de bola, chili flakes, sea salt flakes

I couldn't imagine what chili flakes would taste like on my Magnum bar so I skipped that (but some daring bloggers went for it!).

Making my own Magnum bar was really cool.

Step One: Choose your toppings (I chose pistachio, gold nuggets and freeze-dried raspberries)

Step Two: Open up a plain Magnum bar and choose your coating (vanilla, caramel or chocolate).

Tear open plain Magnum bar...

...and dip in your coating of choice. Mine was chocolate!

Step Three: Pour selected toppings over the coated Magnum bar.

Step Four: For the final touch, add a round chocolate button with the Magnum logo

Voila! I had my very own custom-made Magnum bar!

But wait till you try their menu for a sit-down lunch or dinner as well as their dessert concoctions. Chef Him Uy de Baron, owner of Nomama and executive chef of Chef Cuisine, created Magnum Manila's main dishes while Chef Miko Aspiras, an award-winning pastry chef in global competitions, created all the wonderfully delectable Magnum dessert items. Here are some samples.

Rainbow Dream, PhP 250
White chocolate covered vanilla Magnum bar covered in rainbow cake crumble
on a slice of cream cheese rainbow cake

Cookie Dough Skillet, PhP 250
Warm chocolate chip cookie dough
topped with 2 vanilla Magnum bars, dark chocolate and chopped pecans

Go try Magnum Manila and hurry because they are only here for a limited time. I want to go back and bring the kids so we can all sample the dessert items that I could only ogle after a full meal c/o Chef Him Uy.

Magnum Manila is located at the 5th level of SM Aura's SkyPark Dining area.

Follow Magnum Manila:
Websites: www.magnum.com.ph and www.makemymagnum.com
Twitter: @magnum_ph
Instagram: @magnum_ph