1. Marble Slab Creamery Fudge Brownie Delight
You're either team Marble Slab or team Cold Stone. I am team Cold Stone; however, when I once found myself lost at one end of Mall of the Emirates with nothing to satisfy my ice cream cravings except Marble Slab Creamery, I re-evaluated my loyalties. The Fudge Brownie Delight is the best ice creams on the list. It consists of a vanilla ice cream scoop atop a warm brownie doused in hot chocolate fudge and whipped cream. Have I found a new favourite? Yes. The special tastes phenomenal as it is. One can only imagine how amazing it would taste if you swap the vanilla for chocolate, the nuts for cherries and add extra fudge!
Rating: 5/5
Price: Dh26
Contact: 04 366 9967
(Ibn Battuta Mall)
2. London Dairy Chocolate Brownie Sundae
The London Dairy cafe is a comfortable space, with semi-private cubicles and a layout that suits a coffee house rather than an ice cream parlour. London Dairy is known for its deliciously creamy ice creams; not much is said about its sundaes. The Chocolate Brownie Sundae was London Dairy's entrant. It comprises a brownie, a generous scoop of chocolate ice cream, hot fudge and nuts. At first glance the special seemed quite run-of-the-mill and lacked the customary whipped cream and cherry. The creaminess of the ice cream and the warm brownie rescued it.
Rating: 4/5
Price: Dh19
Contact: 04 324 0411 (Grand Cineplex, Oud Metha Road)
3. Baskin Robbins
Brownie A La Mode
Baskin Robbins, at one point of time, used to be the go-to place for all things ice cream. Despite the new parlours sprouting up, the veteran parlour has held its ground. The recommended special was the sundae Brownie A La Mode, which consists of a brownie smothered in vanilla ice cream, chocolate fudge and whipped cream. The fudge tastes exactly like the one at Morelli's Gelato (reviewed on the next page), though the dry and cold brownie would be bearable if it tasted like the brownie at Marble Slab. Can Baskin Robbins hold its own against the new kids on the block? For sure. It also gets plus points on price and accessibility.
Rating: 2/5
Price: Dh15
Contact: 050 795 4609
(The Dubai Mall)
4. Haagen-Dazs Cafe Banana Caramel Crunch
I am not a fan of caramel or butterscotch and was rather sceptical when this Haagen-Dazs speciality was shortlisted. What made it acceptable was the inclusion of bananas and a fair amount of crunch. The Banana Caramel Crunch was bigger than I expected it to be. It wasn't the prettiest sundae, though it did taste interesting. It included Haagen-Dazs new salted-caramel flavoured ice cream, a scoop of banoffi (a dessert comprising toffee, bananas and cream), crushed waffle cones and chopped bananas. This was then doused in butterscotch sauce. A tip: increase the waffles and reduce the butterscotch.
Rating: 4/5
Price: Dh32
Contact: 04 284 5344
(Mirdif City Centre)
5. Cold Stone Creamery Chocolate Devotion
At Cold Stone Creamery, you begin to enjoy the experience even before you begin eating. These are the only parlours I have seen where the staff have fun as well, and that excitement is contagious. The Chocolate Devotion was the recommended speciality: chocolate ice cream, chocolate sprinkles, brownies and chocolate sauce. Though what was served looked nothing like the picture of the sundae on the wall (no points for presentation); the blob of ice cream did taste delicious. I would suggest staying away from the large serving. Chocolate haters would be better off with Cold Stone's Cheesecake Fantasy instead.
Rating: 3/5
Price: Dh20 (large)
Contact: 055 213 6390
(Dubai Festival City)
6. Morelli's Gelato Hot Chocolate Fudge Grand Sundae
Morelli's recommended special is massive and the servings are generous. The gelato is smoother and creamier than many of the ice creams available; however despite the consistency, it tastes exactly like the rest. To break the monotony, Morelli's wedged a waffle cone, a wafer and a crumbly chocolate stick into the gelato, which is rather interesting. The highlight of the sundae is the hot chocolate fudge sauce that comes separately with the special. The sauce, served in a small jug, is exclusive to Morelli's Gelato and is imported into Dubai specifically for the sundae. We were served one tablespoon of semi-warm fudge in the small jug, though we did get a little more after protesting.
Rating: 3/5
Price: Dh31
Location: The Dubai Mall
Contact: 04 339 9053
