The BROWNIES cafe

How many of you noticed this shop in de Garden, Ipoh? Or rather, how many of you have stepped in to try it? I finally did last weekend with a group of friends THE BROWNIES has been opened for quite some time, situated just next to Daorae. I haven't try the latter yet as I heard its kinda pricey. But let's see how well The Brownies fare as a place for teatime and chitchat.

The Brownies, as the name goes, takes pride in their brownies. Besides that, they boast in serving Haagan Dasz ice cream to go along with their brownies. Haagan Dasz ice cream is sold here at RM7.90 per scoop, and currently they are running a promotion of a complimentary piece of brownies (a few variation to choose from) (worth RM2.50) for every scoop of ice cream ordered. At first I was abit skeptical about the ice cream, is it being the REAL Haagan Dasz. I peeped at the ice cream refrigerator and saw big tubs of unlabelled ice cream. Somehow, I have no idea Haagan Dasz can be sourced in big tubs. Yes, those big tubs of ice cream where you can freely dig into in a buffet steamboat. No further comments since I didn't dig into this. However, my friend said it was "quite nice" and it does taste like "Haagan Dasz", did you said that Xing? (I know you are reading my post)

Brownies aside. I find the other cakes quite good. Take for example the Chocolate Moist Cake. Topped with velvety smooth chocolate butter icing (correct term used?), it may not be the tastiest one you tried but still have the home made touch in it. Personally I felt the Chocolate Mud Cake or Moist Chocolate Slice from Secret Recipe to be slightly more superior compared to this.

A well worth mention is the Pumpkin Cheesecake. Yes, PUMPKIN! Kudos to the one who invented this as it may not be a conventional match. But pumpkin and cheese turns out to complement each other well. The cream cheese layer is much creamier and richer thanks to the addition of pumpkin. I forgotten the price, but it should be around RM6-7 per slice.

Last but not least, my choice of Cranberries Layer Cake deserved a good mention too. In terms of taste and price. Soft but firm, it's a great comfort food to have it in your mouth, breaking the layers gently and savour the richness of the large amount of eggs used. The cranberries was not too sweet but added a twist to the traditional layered cake we normally have. At RM5.50 per slice, it is kinda pricey but considering the meticulous effort involved in baking it, it's money worth spent. Indulge in eat but not in a hurry. Savour bite by bite as if you are taking a pause in life. =)

With around 5-6 tables, The Brownies is normally empty when I pass by. But it certainly provide a quiet place for people to meet up and have a chat. Can come for an "underground" date too, chances of you bumping into somebody familiar is near 0. Hehehe....

Perhaps its due to its location or less publicity made. Drinks are very reasonably priced here. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate are priced around RM3-RM4. Canned drinks are available at RM2! Isn't that a steal (air condition environment) since Chinese coffeeshops in Ipoh are selling canned drinks for RM1.80-RM2 already. You might wanna consider this place during your next yumchar session with friends.... or with that someone special. =)