Review:
Haagen Dazs
The
most fond memories I have of my childhood is going with my family - parents,
cousins et al to this ice cream parlour called Yankee Doodle’s at Marine Drive.
We sat together on the bench swing, me holding on tight to my cone, wrapped in
a tissue, licking my chocolate ice cream while the melted cream slithered
around my hand and made its way to my dress. Life was carefree, homework the
only biggest tension and ice creams the bestest thing in the world!
It’s
raining outside, as I wait anxiously for the door to swing open. With every swing
I spring to see, but no sign of him. I am at the Haagen Dazs, New York’s finest
ice cream parlour, newly opened in Mumbai waiting for the glimpse of mi amour.
Reminiscing
my childhood days, I wonder, if I can ever feel that carefree again? I look at
the kids around and see their satisfied expressions while licking that dripping
creamy ice cream and immediately come to a conclusion that ‘it's a child
thing’. The innocence just fades, you get conditioned!
While
waiting, I order for a Raspberry Sorbet... Rs 200 for one scoop! Hell this
better be good. I take the first bite of crystallized ice cream – the tangy
flavour is refreshing, but can’t sustain you for long. After a while you get
bored and can’t eat much of it.
The
door swings open, he walks in and my heart skips a beat. My arms fling open, as
naturally as when bird unfurls ready to fly. A leap, a hug and there is
electricity in the air!
 |
| Banana Caramel Crepe |
We
order. The Banana Caramel Crepe -
wafer thin French dessert drizzled with butterscotch sauce, one scoop of Dulce
de Leche and another of Pralines & Cream on the side, scattered with banana
slices and hazelnut bits. The entire combination – the buttery sauce, the rich
ice creams, and the layered crepes can make the world seem like a better place!
We
talk. Actually we talk a lot. I love talking to him. That’s the best part of
being us. We can talk about anything under the sun.
Our
next dessert is the Lone Ranger,
these come in 3 different flavours, we order for the ‘Summer Berries &
Cream’ one - summer and berries ice cream on a bed of raspberry sauce, some
cream, raspberries and crushed biscuits. The ice cream’s fruity flavour
combined with the rich dollop of cream below was yum. The only thing I didn’t like
about this dessert was that the raspberries were frozen, once you put them in
your mouth all you could taste was ice!
 |
| The Lone Ranger |
We
both are sarcastic in our own way, we share that. A sense of humour only we can
understand. A side I could never share with the world, not many people appreciated
cynicism. We let it out with each other, sometime we make fun of others,
sometime poke fun at each other, sometimes try to hurt just so that we get
attention. It’s our dark side, we may not be proud of it, but we live with the
solace that there is one person in the world who will live with us inspite of
it.
The
fourth dessert (yes fourth! Statutory warning: These stunt i.e. eating four
desserts I mean, can be performed only by experts...DO NOT TRY THIS on your
own) was the Love in Belgium. Now
this is a huge dessert! A lava cake with molten chocolate inside waiting to pour
out with Belgian chocolate and normal chocolate ice cream on the side. But the
best part of this dessert was two small pieces of flourless brownie. The moment
we put it in our mouths – something happened, our eyes closed to fully taste
the ambrosia, then opened we looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Suddenly I was transported back on the swing of Yankee Doodle. Then came my
moment of Epiphany!
 |
| Love in Belgium |
Divinity
lies within, it’s there somewhere, beneath the dust of cynicism, the cobweb of
distrust, it’s there waiting for a trigger. Chocolate is the trigger, Love is
the trigger!
A meal for 2 would cost between Rs.1000
-1500/-. Each dessert is in the range of 440 – 1300 bucks. But Haagen Dazs is a
dessert meal not an after food option!
Verdict:
Food: Divine
Ambience:
Serene
Service: Good
Quick Tip:
Spread the joy, take your most favourite people here and experience the divine!
The
Co-ordinates:
Haagen Dazs
Where: Palladium, High Street Phoenix, Senapati
Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai
Tring Tring: 022 43474449, 022 42952900, 022
42952902
Timings: 11:30 AM to 1 AM
Food Type: Dessert Meal
Payment Methods: Credit cards accepted
