It’s been a nasty 10 months, and I hang my head in shame for neglecting my beloved food blog for so long. Spent the last six and a half months in Paris & travelling Europe, dining on good bread, fine wine, and ….reindeer !
More about that later, though …
Because the call of food photography and dessert has coaxed me out of my lazy shell to blog about what may possibly be the best thing since sliced bread – Oliver Brown !!
In my humble opinion, dessert ice cream is quite possibly the greatest invention known to mankind. So you can only imagine my excitement when my darling friend told me about a cheaper Max Brenner-esque place, with delicious waffles and tasty ice cream!
Hot Chocolate (dark) – $ ?
As an avid non-drinker of hot chocolate, steering clear of dark chocolate as well, it is a testament to how delicious a dark hot chocolate is if ….I can stand drinking it. Either that, or it’s very sweet.
And I have a sweet tooth … sooooooo..:)
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Belgian Waffles for 2 – $14
Waffles, banana slices, strawberries & whipped cream with melted chocolate
After visiting Belgium and feasting on Belgian waffles for three days’ straight, you can imagine my reluctance to try Australian-Belgian waffles again…
Unfortunately, Belgian waffles are renowned for a reason, and despite this café’s claim to be a Belgian chocolate café, one does well to remember that chocolate ≠ waffles.
But that’s okay !! Crusty, crunchy warm waffle (a bit on the dry side) drizzled with delicious hot chocolate, fresh bananas and strawberries …with a side of whipped cream (eek)!
Nevertheless, it was still good enough to seduce me into coming back just under 2 weeks later, and boy am I glad I did !
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On my second visit, the first beauty we saw was this :
A friend’s dessert – $ ?? (to be updated)
Vanilla, strawberry and mint ice cream, with Oreos, fruit loops & a wafer stick
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And although this dessert is a sight for sore eyes (and I can only imagine how delicious), the real kicker is below ..:
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Ice cream fondue for 2 – $18
Strawberry, vanilla and mint ice cream; marshmallows; bananas; strawberries; and two dipping pots of dark and milk chocolate
Orgasmic! The very first time I saw ice cream fondue was at Häagen-Dazs on the Champs-Elysées ..and from that point in time, I vowed I’d find somewhere in Australia to try it. And whaddya know !!
I don’t know about you, but all the other fondues I’ve had just aren’t as …amazing as this one. The fondue stays warm with a small candle burning merrily away underneath, but I must say I do prefer the milk. :)
You use one of those long-stemmed utensils with a spoon on one end and a fork on the other (anyone know the name ??) to dip your ice cream in the chocolate fondue ….which hardens within seconds Ice-Magic-style :).
And of course, this was so delicious, I just had to go back less than a week later.
Ice cream fondue for 2 – $18
Vanilla, chocolate, and mint ice cream with strawberries and bananas (no marshmallows!!); with milk & dark chocolate fondue
Helpful hint: don’t leave the ice cream next to the burning candle if you’re going to eat another dessert first. …unless you like ice cream soup.
Belgian waffle for One & ice cream – $9.50
And of course, who can resist another waffle if there’s a side of ice cream ? :)
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Oliver Brown Chocolate Café (visited 20/04/11, 01/05/11, 06/05/11)
Top Ryde City Shopping Centre
Level Street, Shop F1, Cnr Devlin St & Blaxland Rd
Ryde NSW 2112
Ph: (02) 9809 7007
Great review! While I’m glad there’s a chocolate cafe in my area, I think Oliver Brown is a cheap rip off of Max Brenner. What happened to originality?
That’s true, but competition makes the world go round! :)
At any rate, Max Brenner doesn’t do ice cream fondue (although they do do this amazing ice cream sandwich – the Maxwich)
Besides making me hungry, this post made me wonder which chocolate “bar” in Sydney is the best. Haven’t tried any of them.
There is another one called Fink’s Chocolate Cafe in Lane Cove that I’m keen to try ! You should definitely try them – I’m not a fan of chocolate but there’s just something so satisfying about desserts :)
great review – i want to check this place out pronto!
waffles look great! and cheaper then max brennar i think? doesnt matter if its a rip off, this is how businesses work..!
Hello,
I am one of your costemers,i realy love your prodocts,cofee choclets ,if you need someone for work there i like to join you,and this is my contact number 0420508783 sona
Thanks for your comment but I’m not the owner :( If you’re looking for a job, I’d suggest going straight to the cafe & dropping off your resume !
Does this cater to gluten free
Oliver Brown’s Cafe is simply AMAZING! I have, so far tried Lindt, Max Brenner and Guylian. Compared to Oliver Brown, they are nothing compared to the flavor and texture of this TO DIE FOR hot chocolate! The belgian waffle is a MUST TRY on your first visit. I would recommend the Frutti Waffle. =)
~ Enjoy
Oliver Brown is awesome I love it- greatttt waffles!