Roger Monsale was supposed to fly to the United States to fulfill his dream of becoming a pilot. But because his love for his now wife, Angelina, is stronger, he decided to stay in the Philippines and build a life in Lipa, Batangas.
Staying here in the country opened another door for Monsale, a door that allowed him to pursue his other passion: Europe and gelato. He flew to Bologna in Italy to take a formal training in gelato-making.
His search for the perfect and original recipe then led him to Venice, where he found a gelato flavor (Cremino, made with layers of hazelnut and salted caramel gelato with chocolate hazelnut ganache) that became the inspiration and benchmark for Koibito’s World of Gelato—Monsale’s very own gelato brand.
Koibito’s—from the Japanese term of affection which Roger and Angeli call each other—offers “a little piece of Italy” in every cup.
To ensure each batch features the distinct texture of this frozen Italian dessert, Monsale makes them using the techniques he learned in Italy, but with local ingredients.
The decision to use ingredients such as cashews sourced from Antipolo as well as tablea and local coffee fulfills Monsale’s advocacy to help Filipino farmers and serve farm-to-table gelato.
Koibito’s offers a wide range of gelato flavors including Choco Hazelnut Bon Bons, Strawberry Cheesecake, Kapeng Barako, Batangas Tablea, Cashew Butter, Nocciola, Caramel Panna Cotta, Salted Caramel, Cookie Butter, Sweet Cream and Cherries, and Mango Sorbet (seasonal), among others.
The Batangas-based gelato brand also has no-sugar options in Pistachio and Giandujia flavors.
Koibito’s serves its gelato at its branch in The Outlets in Lipa. Its products are also available in Manila at Lipa Grill Makati in Chino Roces Avenue. It also delivers for free for orders placed through www.koibitos.com.
