Filipino ube (yam) is adding a pop of colour to this season’s desserts
1. Soft Swerve, New York
An Instagram favourite, this purple soft serve’s picturesque aesthetic matches its great taste. Taste the ube in a cone, cup, or a special cake cone that has a doughy texture to it. A must-try is their top seller Broadway which comes with creamy yam ice-cream, fruity pebbles, and marshmallows.
2. Cafe Bora, Seoul
Famed for their purple sweetness, Cafe Bora is just one of the many quaint eateries in the district of Jongno-gu, however, is easily recognised from its white sign with a purple blob on it. Must-tries are the ube jjinbang (steamed bread) and their unique, ube bingsu (shaved-ice dessert).
3. The Workbench Bistro, Singapore
After going through a major menu revamp, this café in Singapore’s Ang Mo Kio area now serves up vibrant purple waffles, made fresh on the spot. No additional food colouring is used to enhance its colour. Do give the purple sweet potato latte a try too.
4. Hans’ Halo-Halo, Cebu
Though a popular dessert throughout the Philippines, the halo-halo here stands out for being customisable in a cup or bowl. Choose from all-time favourite ingredients such as corn flakes and nata de coco or even additional ube toppings.
5. Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream, London
Based on traditional Manila techniques, the ice-cream here is hand-made with ice and salt in a steel drum, but their other Filipino-inspired desserts are also worth a try. The ube bilog, a milk bun filled with yam ice-cream and dusted with icing sugar is not to be missed.
Additional reporting by Darcel Al Anthony
SEE ALSO: 10 of the cutest dessert cafes in Tokyo
This article was originally published in the August 2019 issue of SilverKris magazine
