From Australia to Alabang: Kariton Brings Its A-game With Taho Soft Serve, Turon Gelato + More
The gelateria is known for their playful scoops and swirls featuring Filipino flavors.
by Bea Faicol
Published on Nov 17, 2025
(SPOT.ph) Filipino chefs aren’t the only ones making huge waves in Down Under; Filipino flavors—especially the sweet, nutty, can’t-miss-it purple charm of ube—have caught the attention and palates of the Aussies. One of the key players in this steady ube takeover? Kariton, the gelato shop that began as a lockdown-era home operation and has since opened brick-and-mortar shops. And now, call it a full-circle moment or a homecoming of some sort; they’ve finally opened their first shop in the Philippines, right at Molito, Alabang.
Kariton is an homage to good ol' dirty ice cream cart, but it's also a playground where locally sourced ingredients get their main character moment and unexpected pairings take center stage—like their most famous Ube Halaya, which uses ube from Leyte swirled with blackberry jam. And while that purple scoop is the obvious first stop, there’s plenty more on the Kariton roster worth digging into.
Also read: Chef Miko Aspiras on Being on MasterChef Australia: "It Was Such a Surprise"
What to try at Kariton
Taho Soft Serve
There have been countless attempts to turn our beloved morning taho into something new, but one that truly does its source material proud is Kariton’s Taho Soft Serve (P230/small, P270/large). It starts with a swirl silken tofu soft serve; from there, Kariton piles on blocks of soy milk panna cotta, tapioca pearls, and a sweet oolong syrup that ties everything together. It’s basically taho that went abroad (literally, Australia), learned a few tricks, and came home feeling fancy—but still comfortingly familiar and nostalgic.
Turon Gelato
If there’s breakfast-turned-gelato with the Taho Soft Serve, Kariton’s Turon Gelato (P180) is your merienda-turned-gelato moment. This flavor is part of the shop's core menu for the same familiar but elevated reason. Banana gelato serves as the base before Kariton drizzles over muscovado butterscotch, folds in bits of jackfruit, and crowned the cup with a candied, sesame-studded spring roll wrapper.
PBJ
Kariton rotates limited-edition signatures on the menu such that each flavor sticks around for a few months before making way for another flavor. If you spot the PBJ (P240) in their display, don’t overthink it—just ask for a sample, or jump the gun, get an entire serving.
This is not your standard peanut-butter-and-jelly nostalgia in the sense that this uses a gelato blended with roasted pili and peanuts from Sorsogon, plus a polvoron crumble, a muscat grape confit to add the jelly to the equation, and a generous drizzle of Pili Nut Sauce. It’s called PBJ, but it's nothing like the PBJ we know—it's much better.
If we may, an honorable mention is due for Kariton's Kalamansi Hinebra (P180). This is a sharp, citrusy sorbet spiked with gin—just enough for pizzazz but not too much to give you a buzz, so it's perfect as a pick-me-up even if you're getting it before lunch. There’s also the ice cream sandwich calledYemabon (P250), which is built with malted milk semi-freddo, salted egg biscuit, yema-miso fudge, and caramelized white chocolate.
And should you have commitment issues and trust issues, don’t worry: Kariton offers samples, so you can try what's available before making a purchase. Should logistics be the problem, you also don't have to worry since Kariton has plans on expanding in Makati and Bonifacio Global City in Q1 2026.
Just keep in mind—the lineup isn’t fixed, and flavors may change from day to day.
Bea Faicol runs on questionable amounts of coffee.