Location: Melbourne Central
Temperature: Warm
Cost: $6.00
Take-away: yes
I've tried lots of hot chocolates at Max Brenner over the past 4 years and a worrying trend has come to my attention. I'm no Commerce student so I don't quite understand what the technical term for this is but basically the price of the hot chocolate has increased steadily and the quality has decreased steadily. The hot chocolate is still a good beverage, but I have that devil of prior experience whispering in my ear "It used to be better...and CHEAPER!"
I hate to seem like an old biddy, but back in my day, you could afford a hot choclate and would get two waffles without dinting your wallet. These waffles have now been reduced to waffle and the ice cream, chocolate pot and strawberries on the side are no longer 'standard' but classified as 'extras'. Damn it Max, you've sold out. You have turned the purest form of love, the love of chocolate, into a slogan. That ain't right!
Sure the Hug Mugs and Alice cups are darling and there's enough 50's nostalgia to sink the Good Ship Lollipop, what really matters is the hot chocolate so this is my honest review.
Max Brenner's milk chocolate has this delicate hint of caramel/toffee?...Well something sweet that my tastebuds can't identify but always want more of. You know it sounds a lot like sugar, but this lovely taste is the basis of all the Hot Chocolates. I've tried the Original, Danish Toffee, Waffle Ball and American Marshmellow all made with Milk Chocolate and I will base my comments on the later mentioned.
I first had this drink a few years back but can still remember how good it was. The chocolate liquid was densely flavoured with caramel undertones and enhanced by the layer of mini-marshmallow that floated mellowly on top, gently nestled in milk froth. Ahhhh.
That experience was tainted last week by the watered down chocolate liquid that had a distant memory of caramel flavour and two cheap marshmallows plopped unmelted in 2cms of froth. The worst part is that this experience cost me at least $2 more than the last!
No one likes to be cheated and that is the feeling I get now whenever I walk into Max Brenner's. It's like Max has become the unfaithful lover who I keep running back to hoping I will get back the joy I once had. Alas I have been scorned enough and for the good of my morale and my mortgage, I'm not going back.
Just a note for those who do enter Max's den, get the chocolate brownie with ice-cream for $8.50 as it's the only reasonably priced and rewarding experience on the menu...also invite me, so then I would only be eating there out of social politeness.
No comments:
Post a Comment