Ice cream dreams

It doesn’t take much to warm up to ice cream. INTAN MAIZURA AHMAD KAMAL is sufficiently melted at her first taste of icy delights from New Zealand Natural.

THE unconcealed delight in the eyes. The lips slightly parted in pleasure. And then the sigh as the eyes roll upwards to heaven. Well, you know what they say, tucking into rich, velvety smooth ice cream is sometimes better than… well, we won’t say it here but it’s enough to raise the pleasure quotient.

There’s something about the way this frozen treat reaches the places where other food fail to do that makes it so fascinating. It’s one of those delights that bind adults and kids alike, a shared naughty pleasure that gives instant gratification.

I have to admit I’m not huge fan ice cream — I get my kicks from other things! — but if I do lick my way around one, it has to be the good stuff. I’m not fond of sickly sweet or ultra rich ice creams.

When I heard that New Zealand Natural, a brand that prides itself on not-so-sweet offerings, had opened its 15th in Malaysia, I was game to check it out.

Its spanking new 502sq ft outlet at the Gardens in Kuala Lumpur’s Mid Valley City is at the confluence of the Gardens and Mega Mall. The cosy parlour, which seats a maximum of 16, is an intimate retreat from the mad shopping bustle outside. It’s bright and breezy inside with an informal café feel that’s inviting for both kids and big kids alike.

One of the nicest features about this outlet is that it offers a complete dessert experience. It’s not just a haven for 25 different mouth-watering flavours of ice cream, among them Boysenberry, Chocolate, English Toffee, Green Tea, Crunchy Butterscotch, Macadamia and Mint.

There are also fat-free sorbets, low-fat frozen fruit yoghurts, smoothies, chocolate brownies and even silky smooth cappuccino — Illy, no less — which goes down a treat with me as I do love my coffee.

Now who would have thought that ice cream would go so well with coffee — but it does! The Affogato is caffe espresso, a creamy, full-bodied coffee-flavoured ice cream drowned in smooth espresso and served in a martini glass was a revelation. As was the rum and raisin alternative, a rum-flavoured ice cream with plump, juicy raisins. A combination of cold and hot, bitter and rich, it was a most interesting way to enjoy the two vices together.

My favourite from the expansive selection of iced treats has to be the delicious Cookies and Cream, a concoction of crushed chocolate cookies trapped in creamy vanilla ice cream. It was pleasant, not in the least bit cloying. A close second, and one I’m told is a crowd puller for the brand is the Chocolate Ecstasy, a combination of rich chocolate fudge swirled through yummy chocolate ice cream.

For something healthier, check out the low fat frozen yoghurts — the Mango Passion, comprising 97 per cent fat-free frozen yoghurt with a tropical blend of real mango and passion fruit is simply delightful.

For those in search of a more unique offering, try the one-of-a-kind Durian Flo — actual D24 durian flesh blended with Vanilla Classic ice cream. The result? Creamy, soft ice cream with a real durian kick. More flavours ahead.

A lick of history

THE first New Zealand Natural ice cream was sold exclusively in a small ice cream store in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1984.

The brand was developed to cater for the founder who had an allergy to artificial colourings and flavourings. It is 100 per cent made in New Zealand using their strong dairy roots to create innovative premium ice cream products.

Per capita, Australians and New Zealanders are among the leading ice cream consumers in the world, eating 18 litres and 20 litres each per year respectively, behind the US where people eat 23 litres each per year. Favourite brands include Streets, Peters, Sara Lee, New Zealand Natural, Cadbury, and Baskin-Robbins.

The first New Zealand Natural outlet in Malaysia was opened in Dec 2003 at Ikano Power Centre.

Aside from the Gardens, New Zealand Natural can be enjoyed at: Ikano Power Centre, Bangsar Village, Bintang Walk, Suria KLCC, KL Convention Centre, 1-Utama Shopping Centre (old wing), Pavilion KL, the Curve, AEON Bukit Tinggi, Centro Klnag, Sunway Pyramid, The Waterfront at Desa Parkcity and in Penang Queensbay Mall and Sunway Carnival.