savory-bites » Chain

Max Brenner, Down Under

Jessie — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:57:27 +0000

vs.

Like what?? You can obviously tell which dish is the one from the Max Brenner in NYC. Even our chocolate dishes have to be flamboyant and attention catching…”

During the first day of tutorial for Globalisation, my tutor, Adeline, asked us to introduce ourselves; to tell everyone what we liked, disliked, and so forth. Well, Dan Sikora, after introducing himself, randomly blurted out, “I HATE CHOCOLATE!” Adeline gasped and drew back, making this weird face. “Are you sure? Maybe you’re just not trying hard enough…”

(I’ve managed to capture an orange essence from the cancerous rays of sunlight.)

While chocolate has its own following down under in Australia, I was surprised to find so many Max Brenner’s in Australia considering how there are only two in the US (both in Manhattan, about a mile apart!). I mean, what country could love sugar and bask in gluttony other than the Americans? But in Sydney alone, I found eight Max Brenner’s, two of which were in CBD. Though the name and chocolate may appear the same, there is a noticable difference between the Aussie Max Brenner and American Max Brenner.

The Australian branches seem to focus more on the concept of chocolate whereas in the US, Max Brenner serves anything from a savory brunch to a supper sized paella. The menu is thick with conconctions of choco-tails, crepes exploding with varying fruit/chocolate, chocolate based desserts, and well, you get the point. But in Sydney, not only is Max Brenner more of a self-serve spot where you place your order at the counter and grab a number, the menu is so small that it fits on the board behind the employees on the counter. So, you’re limited to waffles, cake, and chocolate drinks…

There is something called a Chocolate Lick (pictured above), which I wish was on our menu. It’s basically a “shot” of chocolate, but you’re given a tiny spoon from which you lick the chocolate from. It’s well portioned and seems to do the trick if you’re looking for a bit of a chocolate fix.

Pictured above is the hot chocolate with crunchy balls that Kirstie got. After our dinner at Chat Thai (and an afternoon at Manly Beach where I ate that epicially giant and once dropped ice cream cone), I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to shoulder any more solid food. I went ahead on got the White Shake made of lychee and coconut. What a disappointment! Stick to the chocolate, Max; it’s what you do best. Well, at least it was in a cool looking/named cup- the Alice cup…

Oh, but Clement, who can eat anything and everything and watch his weight evaporate into thin air as he swallows, ordered a fondue (meant for two). With it came banana bread, marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, and 2 types of chocolate for the fondue. There was so much fondue that I overestimated Clement’s ability to eat all of it. Thus, we reaped the benefits and gorged on divine chocolate. The funny thing is- the chocolate isn’t even that outstanding. I think it’s really the nonchalant and mood that the restaurant creates that makes me love the place so much. This specific love for chocolate that brings everyone together creates an experience that can only be elevated by chocolate.

(Pink marshmallows???)

But, I do want to emphasize one thing that the Max Brenner in New York City lacks and that’s the Belgian Waffle. Yes, a real Belgian waffle- the kind that crunches under the pressure of the inital bite yet retains its soft and chewiness as you continue to chew. What a divine bite that waffle was!

So, while the Max Brenner in Sydney is smaller, offers less variety, and gives smaller portion sizes (not to mention, they don’t give you a vial of chocolate for your pouring pleasure), it’s definitely worth going for their waffles. I’ve also always found it fascinating in the ways that companies, particularly restaurants, attempt to adjust to other cultures when they expand. I took one friend who frequently went to Max Brenner in Sydney to the one in Union Square and she was absolutely in shock at how different the two places were. They serve the same product, but dress it up differently.

Shop MG 24, Metcentre
273 George Street
NSW 2000,
Phone Number: +61 2 9251 7788

Other Locations!

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Meat & Wine Company

Jessie — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:57:48 +0000

Another burger post! It’s a shame that Meat & Wine Co. exists around the globe, except for the US! After jet cruising (or even before we started) around the harbor, Kirstie and I were ravished. Jenny had mentioned something about this place so we decided that it was worth a shot.

Given that it was a Friday afternoon, we were a bit concerned about the seating situation. Because we were in Darling Harbour, it seemed as if all the businessmen rushed out of their offices and planted themselves in one of the many restaurants that lined the harbour. Nevertheless, they were quickly able to seat us and in a booth! When you walk in, this gorgeous display of wines run up and down the rear wall.

Obviously, getting a burger was a must. But which one? They actually don’t have many choices so right off the bat, I knew I wanted the Hawaiian. Served with cheese, pineapple, and bacon- that sounded mouth licking-licious. And it was; I love burgers that are intricate in flavor with each bite. The mingling of spices, onions, and seasonings always adds depth to the average burger. I think that the pineapple really adds to a burger. It’s a delicated balance of sweet and savory. The thing was gigantic and I had to cut it in half with a knife to avoid the whole thing from toppling over.

The crunchy chips however, I wasn’t too fond of. I would have preferred my traditional fries than chips. I mean, these chips were to thin that they were almost like American potatoe chips. All burgers are served with these super crunchy chips as well as onion rings. Those were good, but not great.

A bit on the expensive side ($19), but totally worth it especialy if you can get a window seat. The harbour is beautiful, afterall.

MENU
L1, 31 Wheat Road
IMAX Theatre Complex, Cockle Bay
Darling Harbour
Sydney NSW 2000
View Map?
(02) 9211 9888

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Royal Copenhagen Ice Cream

Jessie — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:09:26 +0000

Pre-dropped ice cream

Based on a true story…

One fine afternoon after getting swept away by the roaring waves and struggling against the rips, Jessie, Jenny and Niels left Manly beach in search of some mouth watering, cool licking ice cream. They stopped along Royal Copenhagen Ice Cream where they found toppings galore amidst buckets full colorful bliss. While they did have to pay around $6 for two gigantic scoops on a hand-dipped chocolate waffle cone, they gorged on the complimentary nuts, caramel, sprinkles, fudge, and more.

Jessie, in her excitement of trying boisonberry (but of course had to get her favorite flavor, mint, too) wanted to remember this moment with a picture. After taking a lovely snapshot of the good life, she proceeded to place the camera back into her bag and zip it up. In a hurry to get back to her boisonberry, a “SPLAT” ensued. A melting mess of mint green and berry purple graced the dirty concrete.

“What do I do??!” the sad girl exclaimed.

“Pick it up!” Niels replied.

Obeyingly, Jessie picked up the two scoops, somewhat still intact, took her napkin to wipe off the contaminated parts and proceeded licking.

And yes- that ice cream was indeed ground licking-licious.

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Gloria Jean’s Coffees

Jessie — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:02:09 +0000

I have officially found my study haven for my semester abroad in Sydney. I find that I am most productive when studying at a coffee shop. They usually the perfect balance of a not too loud / not too quiet atmosphere. At home, I’d study at Starbucks despite their not-too-great coffee. Gloria Jean’s is just like Starbucks, only their coffee is actually good.

This isn’t to say that I don’t like Starbucks. I still love their Iced Caramel Machiatto- I mean, how could something possibly taste bad with all that caramel? But, at Gloria Jean’s, there’s a wide variety of options to choose from. Instead of your standard Frappuchino, you can get an Arnold’s Tim Tam (Tim Tams are the cookies of Australia), a Cookies ‘n’ Cream, or a Crème Brûlée blended iced drink. That’s only three of the many options they give you for their blended iced drinks! I’ve had all three of the above mentioned and man, are they yummy!

(Light silk that melts on your tongue!)

Sometimes, I really need to control myself and order a hot drink. I inhale the blended iced drinks because they they taste like ice cream that’s on the verge of melting. Whereas at home I always ask for no cream, here, it’s one of the reasons why I actually want to get an iced drink. Their cream is flawless. Totally unlike any other I’ve had!

(I love how they give you your coffee in a mug when you sit in)

Their hot drinks, cappuccinos, lattes, etc… are all just equally as good. The foam that sits on top of the drink is to die for. It’s so thick that it almost feels like cream. I don’t know how they do it, but it’s heaven in a cup. On the counter where you grab the sugar and napkins, they also give you bottles of chocolate syrup, caramel, and honey!

I’ve also had their spinach and cheese roll which was awesome (no surprise there). Still, at $3.95 a piece, I think I’ll just stick with the coffee. Angela has had their apple tart, which is delcious and around $3 a pop too. Hot drinks usually run around $3.60 for a medium sized cup while blended iced drinks are around $4.20 for a small size. At this rate, I’ll be spending the majority of my money on coffee- happily, that is.

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Lindt Chocolat Cafe

Jessie — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:57:44 +0000

Ahh, I can almost hear the angels sing as I think about our dining experience at the Lindt ChocolatÂ CafÃ© this afternoon. Angela found out that there were a couple of LindtÂ CafÃ©s, but the closest one to us was at Martin Place. We were set on getting hot chocolate and figured that this was a suitable substitute for our weekend ritual coffee.

When we arrived, the dining area was a bit empty, save for a couple of casual diners here and there. They have an exterior seating, full with heating lamps, but we decided to sit inside since the decor was so elegant. One thing to note is that takeaway prices for drinks are about $2.50 less than dining in drinks.

That being said, we eagerly searched the menu for possible items to share, but alas, how can one share chocolate? It took a long while to decide, but finally we did. I ended up just getting their Chocolate Milkshake since I had a huge breakfast. Jenny and Angela both got hot chocolate (dark and milk, respectively) and cake (Chocolate Cake and Excellent Moment, respectively once again). It took less than 10 minutes for our orders to arrive.

At first glance, if you’re paying around $6 for a cake, you’d probably be disappointed at the sheer size of the cakes. They’re no longer than 4 inches and no taller than 1 inch. Angela’s Excellent Moment truthfully didn’t look so excellent; it looked like a lump of black sponge sitting lonely on a large white plate. Jenny’s Chocolate Cake looked much more appealing- it had shaved chocolate toppings adorned with the signature Lindt chocolate piece planted onto the top of the cake like how a flag is planted into the soil. Quite ironic how Chocolate Cake looks more like Excellent Moment and vice versa.

(Left over hot chocolate drizzled onto the Excellent Moment!)

But, thou shall not judge by looks alone! Indeed both were rich and intense with chocolate-ty goodness. The Chocolate Cake was so dense, it took a bit of strength for each spoonful. There’s no way I could have eaten that without a drink. On the otherhand, the Excellent Moment, which is made of dark chocolate, reminded me of a GhiradelliÂ brownie- dense, chewy, a bit dry, but full of chocolate.

(Step 1)… (Step 2)

Moving onto the drinks. The hot chocolate came with 3 cups. One for the pure melted chocolate, one for the steamed milk, and an empty cup for the diner to combine the two. There was only a slight color difference between the milk and dark chocolate (disappointment there), but both Jenny and Angela seemed to thoroughly enjoy their hot chocolates.

I, on the other hand, after from my run this morning, wanted something cooler so I opted for their Chocolate Milkshake. Made with their Lindt ice cream and garnished with shavedÂ Lindt chocolate, it was pure bliss in a tall glass. Hands down THE BEST chocolate milkshake I’ve ever had. It’s so hard to describe, but the shake felt so light, delicately packed with chocolate, smooth- so unorthodox from the usual dense and heavy shakes we get in America.

Overall, a very pricey experience, but a very good one at that. And unfortunately, they do charge a service tip. But I guess if they share the chocolate, we share the wealth.

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