With its dark decor and low lighting, the Haagen-Dazs outlet in Select City Walk, Saket, keeps the blazing summer sun out even when it is at its highest. Flanked on one side by low-seated white sofas, in addition to the usual tables, its golden mesh curtains doubling both as a partition and a backdrop, even the most harried customers are lulled into a sense of leisure.
Its palette of ‘creations', on the lower side at 22, make up in the sheer richness of their flavour what they lack in numbers. For those who love to play it safe, there is the usual chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, the Belgian chocolate deserving special mention, but it's their more offbeat ice-creams that truly delight.
The strawberry cheesecake and the cookies and cream are both winners for the delightful medley of flavours they unleash.
The green tea ice-cream, though, is a bit too offbeat. It can best be described as a mouthful of strong tea in every spoonful of ice cream, leaving, quite literally, a bitter taste in the mouth.
For lovers of chocolate, though, the cappuccino truffle is a must-have. The soft and creamy cappuccino ice-cream is offset brilliantly with the bits of truffle embedded in it, bringing with it a dash of strong chocolate in each spoonful.
For those looking for further indulgence, the ‘Royal Monte Carlo' and ‘Flower Blossom' present the ideal choice.
The former, served in a tall glass, with a crushed waffle cone at its base, dollops of chocolate and coffee ice-cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and almond nibs, will send your sweet tooth into a frenzy. A word of caution though; this dessert can be truly enjoyed and appreciated only by a true blue chocoholic. Being ravenous might come as an added advantage for its sheer size.
The ‘Flower Blossom', a signature creation, is served in a star-shaped waffle cone with its four ice-creams in happy harmony with the two sorbets. Whipped cream, green apples and strawberries complete the quintuple. Delve into it, close your eyes and enjoy the interplay of each contrasting flavour. Follow each spoonful of the tangy raspberry sorbet with the sweet mango sorbet, take in a mouthful of strawberries coated in cream and follow it up with a spoonful of chocolate ice-cream. Alternate between the strong and the subtle. Haste will most certainly make waste as far as this dessert goes.
Another signature creation is the ‘Haagen-Dazs Fondue', which deserves every laurel showered upon it. Served on a large platter with warm chocolate syrup at its centre, surrounded by trays of fruit, cookies, pieces of sponge cake, marshmallows, almond flakes and, of course, ice-cream, it is ideal to unwind over with a large group of friends.
Of course, you will have to loosen your purse strings quite a bit to enjoy this extravaganza.
In addition to its desserts, Haagen-Dazs also has a patisserie and beverages section. Their coffee, made from ‘illy' beans, is definitely worth a try. However neither can stand on its own; it is their ice creams that take the centrestage.
