Eat Drink KL: Milkcow Malaysia & Magnum Ice Cream Cafe Kuala Lumpur @ Mid Valley

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Milkcow Malaysia & Magnum Ice Cream Cafe Kuala Lumpur @ Mid Valley

Ice cream lovers won't be left out in the cold in Mid Valley, thanks to two new ice cream parlours that began heating up the mall this week; first up, we're checking out Malaysia's pioneering outpost of Korean soft-serve ice cream specialist Milkcow.

 Milkcow at The Gardens Mall - near Cold Storage - is all about deliciously smooth, decadently dense but delicately mild-tasting ice cream, well-constructed with organic milk, wisely crowned with various toppings. Each cup costs between RM11 & RM13.

 Gorgeous natural honeycomb steals the spotlight in Milkcow's showcase, reputedly sourced from local farms for freshness.

 Begin with the basics: Ice cream partnered with thick 'honey chips' that are lightly sweet & not cloying in the least, featuring a comfortable, candy-like gummy-chewiness that pairs well with the ice cream's rich texture.

 Ice cream with liquid honey is available too; at first brush, the smallish portions might seem expensive, but take the first bite - the ice cream is clearly not made with substandard ingredients. We really like it.

 We were sceptical about the popcorn-flavoured macaron & almond toppings, but the macaron turned out to be a triumph too - winsomely fresh, well-balanced in flavour & finely tuned in texture. This is named Macao Dream on the menu for some reason.

 Other combos include chocolate sauce with cocoa balls & organic sea salt, as well as organic cotton candy with jelly beans.

 .Next up, exploring Malaysia's first Magnum cafe, already a major magnet for crowds near GSC's Mid Valley multiplex.

 The lines are long outside the cafe, but no fear; it'll probably take only between 15 to 30 minutes to inch toward the counter. The hours-long wait only occurred on the first day, when folks were baited with free ice cream. It's more manageable now.

 Magnum has two floors - the cinema-level space is for takeaway orders, but upstairs, patrons can also opt for sit-down meals.

 The hook: Make Your Own Magnum. Choose an ice cream base (vanilla or chocolate), coated with milk, white or dark choc, then customise it further with a plethora of intriguing toppings. A novelty that has worked for Magnum in many cities worldwide.

 RM9.90 for a basic serving. Potato crisps with pretzel pieces? Goji berries plus culinary rose petals? Sea salt & chilli flakes? Blackcurrant pastilles & dried mango? Chopped pistachios, crushed Oreos & marshmallows? Seemingly endless combos.

 All in all, no surprises - as indulgent as expected, certainly crowd-pleasing. Nothing overly bold or punchy, flavour-wise.

 Magnum hot chocolate & Magnum affogato (RM14) also have their virtues, expertly crafted for a pleasurable polish.

 The Magnum dine-in section also offers a savoury selection that sounds tantalising on paper, but this brick-pressed & pan-fried Cornish chicken fell short, suffering from a frozen-meat feel. Save RM28 & skip this one.

 Battered corn-on-the-cob slices with aged parmesan & chilli salt (RM15), a bit too bland to really recommend.

 Almond-crusted fries (also not quite right in texture & lacking in taste), utterly mismatched with a Magnum chocolate dipping sauce (RM15). Based on these three savoury recipes, it might seem safer to stick solely to Magnum's satisfying desserts.

 Milk Cow Malaysia @ The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley
LG K23, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur

Magnum Cafe Kuala Lumpur
Third Floor, Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur


Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for October-December 2014, including more than 30 new entries for this quarter. 
This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.cld.bz/2014D 
This link expires Dec. 31, 2014. Please check the newest blog entries after that for fresh links.

Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings (even before they're featured on this blog), F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits.
Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: 
Note to subscribers on Gmail: The newsletter will be in the Promotions folder of your inbox.

Sausages to sambal. Muffins to marshmallows. Peanut butter to mango chutney. Cornflake ice cream to honey aloe yogurt. Lavender-laced lemonades to lychee-&-guava juices.
Eat Drink KL: Small Businesses, Huge Flavours is the first eBook to help customers navigate the diversity of independent F&B entrepreneurs who bake & boil in their own kitchens, offering some of Malaysia's finest, most fascinating food products.
This resource will be continuously updated with new listings: www.eatdrinkkl.publ.com/businesses