When I told a friend that I was doing a food review at Swensen’s, his first reaction was, “Swensen’s serves food?!”
Such is the impression that Swensen’s has on most young Malaysians, who have grown up knowing the brand as an ice-cream parlour but not much else – and for good reason.
Swenson’s was founded by a certain Earl Swensen in San Francisco in 1948, and has since grown into a worldwide purveyor of fine ice-cream. There’s no denying that Swensen’s has carved out a niche among sundae lovers ever since the first branch launched in Subang Parade.
Countless dating teenagers and family outings later, the brand has now grown into a franchise in Malaysia with a presence in SS2 in Petaling Jaya, Midvalley Megamall, Bangsar’s Telawi district, and Solaris Mont Kiara.
As befitting the brand’s heritage, the menu takes after a typical American diner with burgers, salads, soup de riguer – even sirloin steak.
However, the menu now boasts a new Asian spread which boasts its specialty – Singapore Hokkien Mee – which also is offered as part of their corporate lunch deals. Select items on the menu go for RM16.90++ including soup and drinks, plus RM2.90 for a scoop of ice-cream if you so prefer.
In the spirit of a quintessential American diner, the food tasting of the evening featured no items over RM20, save for the steak which was RM32.90 and one of the rare indulgences when dining at Swensen’s.
We went for as diverse a spread as possible, taking cues from our host for the evening and opting for a mix of old favourites and new menu items.
The steak was surprisingly tender.The Beef Stroganoff Baked Rice was a pungent twist on the mozzarella cheese-baked rice made popular by various Hong Kong-style eateries – a twist because of the delicious inclusion of tender beef slices in that famous Russian style, but pungent because of the addition of copious amounts of very ripe Parmesan cheese.
If you can get over the acquired taste (or smell) of ripe Parmesan, the dish proved to be a satisfyingly delightful highlight of the evening’s sampling. While the dish could do with a little less Parmesan and a little more Beef Stroganoff, this was the first proof that you could have something more than ice-cream at Swensen’s.
Likewise, the steak came tender and succulent with Swensen’s own white sauce recipe, albeit a bit predictable on taste. Braised with crushed black pepper, the slab of meat was slightly tangy on the outside and surprisingly reminiscent of the perfect filling to a steak sandwich. That said, perfect sandwich fillings don’t hold much on their own.
The next two items up were the Fish and Chips and the Chicken 49ers, which were mini burgers served with Swensen’s signature sourdough buns.
I just had to try the fish and chips, which as a rare recommendation from our host demanded due recognition even as a “Western” staple.
I have to be honest – the fish and chips and the 49ers were not what I expected. Although the 49ers promised sloppy satisfaction with fried chicken strips, chicken bacon and cheese, the final presentation and taste was a bit of a letdown. Likewise, the fish and chips left much to be desired.
For a brand with its roots planted deep within Americana, this came as a complete surprise. Perhaps the kitchen had a bad spatula day, but the servings were somewhat reminiscent of my microwave culinary skills.
The evening looked set to end up like another run-of-the-mill faux American diner experience. However, the Earthquake – an eight-flavoured monolith to the god of iced desserts – arrived just in time to save the day.
To the uninitiated, the Earthquake comes in a sundae bowl wider than a human head complete with a continual avalanche of vapour emanating from the middle of the bowl.
The Beef Stroganoff Baked Rice was a pungent twist on the mozzarella cheese-baked rice.You take your pick of eight flavours out of the 31 available and choose your own topping, which is a tough call if you intend to share this gigantic sundae with others. And share you must – the spirit of the Earthquake requires multiple spoons, good company, and an appreciation for excellent ice-cream.
For the record, we chose a variety of flavours which ranged from Chendol to Yummy Raisin,Swensen’s version of the perennial favourite Rum and Raisin but a guaranteed halal version.
The first spoonful itself was a revelation. In fact, I could have sworn that the durian and chendol-flavoured ice-cream tasted better that the real thing. A pleasant surprise were flavours such as Banana Split, where an initial strawberry bite was followed by a beautiful banana aftertaste. Any ice-cream company that dares to create flavours out of actual sundaes deserve to bask in its success.
So delicious was the ice-cream that I was seriously considering buying a one-litre tub to enjoy with a Jerry McGuire DVD– two things I have never done in my lifetime.
Perhaps the old adage rings true – don’t fix something that isn’t broken. For American diner cuisine, there are better places I can think of that offer a good craving fix at similar or better value for money, although I admit that Swensen’s has an extensive menu.
For ice-cream, however, Swensen’s remains the reigning king of the hill.
The Bad: Meals at Swensen’s? Our point exactly.
The Good: Good ice-cream gets better with the addition of local favourites that challenge the real deal.
The Excellent: Earthquake Tuesdays are a permanent fixture at 50% off the usual price.
This is the writer’s observation and not an endorsement by Kuali.
