I dont usually go to such high end cafes that sells high end ice creams. I do eat them at home occasionally by buying those ice cream tubs. But going to a cafe and splurging my money on deserts? Not really my cup of tea. Yesterday was an exception.
I was sick last weekend, down with a fever the night before but was ok during the day. I had this incredible urge to eat something sweet, like a cakes or ice creams. I was outside at the time with a friend of mine. I was merely following him at the time since i had nothing to do at home, and despite being sick, i went ahead anyway.
Like I said, i had this incredible urge to take in something sweet. It was like none i ever felt before. We went past haagen dazs cafe and i asked myself, why not? Just splurge a little. I deserve it anyway. I need the time to enjoy myself for once. I was feeling rather generous at that time too.
So we sat down and began to browse through the menu. Everything looks good! The ice creams, and the desert sets were really presentable. I felt like trying out everything! But the costs was way up high in the sky. But like i said i was feeling rather generous at the time, so it didnt really occured to me to really give some consideration about the price of some of those deserts before ordering.
I ordered this really nice desert set. I cant remember the name, nor do i have any pictures taken, but it was a belgian waffle with maple syrup and 2 scoops of ice cream of your choice with fresh whip cream. I ordered cookies and cream and macadamia nuts ice cream as my 2 choices. It looks nice from the pictures, and i thought, well, maybe its just ordinary tasting waffle. After all its the ice cream that is the selling point, why else would i be in a Haagen Dazs cafe right? Right?
Wrong!
First, the presentation. It was done quite well. 1and a half small-sized freshly made belgian waffle, crispy and brown on the outside and buttery and soft on the inside. Maple syrup poured over them and onto the the rest of the plate. Very generous serving of maple syrup mind you, but not too much to drown the waffle. Fresh whipped cream on 4 corners of the waffle, light and fluffy and of course not to mention 2 scoops of the ice cream by the side.
So on to the taste. I cut a small portion of the waffle with the knife. I then swiped the cut waffle across the plate where all the maple syrup goodness are. Then i scooped a small portion of the cookies and cream ice cream with the fork and laid it on top of the waffle. I took it all in. It made my day. It totally made my day. That first bite was enough to blow me away. From the creamy texture of the ice cream, to the sweetness of the maple syrup and the soft butter sweet taste of the belgian waffle, it was like a perfect storm waiting to happen in your mouth. When all these 3 fine, high quality ingredients come together, i had totally no idea, that it would taste that good. Each of the ingredient’s taste was perfectly balanced, none too empowering, but really compliments each other. The maple syrup, adds a richer creamy taste to the ice cream, while the ice cream adds an added flavor to the already delicious waffle.
Im really telling you man, of all the good deserts ive tasted, this has got to be the best cafe experience i ever had. In fact, i had to constantly remind myself to take it slow while eating and not just gobble down the 18 bucks desert. Yes the desert costed 18 bucks and I had it all to myself. 18 freaking bucks!!
My friend had a banana split which costed the same, and while he wasnt really craving for the desert, he finished it through and through and told me it was one of the better banana splits he tasted. I was sold on my desert and thinking it was once in a while kinda thing, i paid and signed for everything.
Total damage: SGD 45.00, after factoring all the taxes and everything.
Taste: Priceless
For that price mentioned, i could treat myself and my parents to Swensons, it costs about the same. What i paid for was the price of deserts, during an afternoon high tea session, out of sheer craving for something sweet. Our high tea session was much more expensive than our lunch that we had before at a hawker center which costed less than 10 bucks.
Combining lunch and dinner costs for the day, the haagen dazs cafe session was still much more expensive.
The next time im going to the cafe again, it has to be the belgian waffles again, hands down.
