When I received an e-mail from a 'Mooberry', I went, "Who? What?" and when I found out that they sell frozen yoghurt, I instantly thought of
Moo Cow back in Malaysia. Golly, this frozen yoghurt business is no joke, hey?
According to
Wikipedia, frozen yoghurt (also called froyo or frogurt) is a frozen dessert made from yoghurt and other dairy products. It is also a leaner version of ice-cream due to the use of milk instead of cream. Interestingly, not all froyo contains live and active bacteria cultures. I have always (ignorantly) assumed that anything with yoghurt would!
Promptly, I scanned the e-mail for a phrase that allowed me to bring a plus one. When I found it, I quickly forwarded the e-mail to my Cancerian flatmate, D, with a, "Mau pergi tak?" and within the minute, she replied with an, "I want!" Haha, who would not want to be spoilt on dessert?
After an e-mail and phone call or two, D and I made arrangements to meet there directly at 6:30pm, since I was traveling from Gordon and she from the city. For those driving, there is limited street parking so I am guessing that you would have to park along the suburban streets that branch off Military Road. For public transport commuters like D and I, the buses stop just a few steps away from the store, or just four palm trees away, to be exact.
Since opening in inner west
Newtown, Janine and John recently launched their third independently owned
Mooberry store in the harbour-side suburb of
Neutral Bay to much fanfare with sponsors like
Porsche and
Patron Tequila among others. Apparently, their flagship three-level store in Neutral Bay is known for its signature dishes of brownie coconut sandwich, handmade sweet and savoury waffle, as well as churros with Belgian chocolate.
We were welcomed by not just friendly service but also a hand-fitted quirky grass wall, which I felt help exude a laid-back vibe. D and I ran our fingers through it and went, "Wah, grass wall..."
According to Jamie, the uber friendly store manager, their froyo has better texture than others because they use a really good machine and they make the froyo fresh in-store daily. He also cheekily admitted that he may be a tad biased... haha. There are six flavours to choose from - original, chocolate, passionfruit, coconut, apple pie and pomegranate.
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| Look at 'em adorable little moo-moos |
Their selection of toppings range from colourful M&M's chocolates and chewy gummy bears to burst-in-your-mouth pearls and freshly cut fruit cubes.
D chose to have pomegranate with strawberry and lychee pearls as toppings while I chose to have original with kiwi and mango pearls.
In comparison, we preferred the original flavour to the pomegranate but enjoyed both nonetheless. As usual, had lots of fun 'popping' the pearls in our mouths.
Each table had flowers and we could choose to sit outdoors, at tables with their bright pink and white metal stools indoors on all three levels or lean against their clear glass panels on the ground floor. There is refillable water in the corner next to the coffee machine. Helps to wash all that dessert down the system.
As D and I were testing which spot had the best lighting for shots, Jamie approached us with two big bright yellow cups balanced on matching saucers. One was Belgian hot chocolate while the other was salted caramel hot chocolate. As he placed the cup of salted caramel hot chocolate on the table, he said, "This is
really good..." and both of us concur! XW, we have to bring you here for this!
becausei'mhappy...
A few photo shots later, we were presented with a Belgian chocolate drizzled Wicked Waffle with chocolate froyo, strawberries and banana on the side. The waffle was still warm when it was served. It was also crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside - perfect. We noticed the chocolate a little more with this second course.
becausei'mhappy...
Our third course was freshly baked
churros sticks, which we really liked. We have only ever had this Spanish doughnut in its traditional fried form at other dessert places, which unfortunately resemble fat oil-soaked dough sticks. We were glad that these churros were not as thick, not as oil-soaked and did not leave us feeling, "Ugh, I feel sick..." after just one stick. Instead, these were light, crunchy, and super fragrant from the cinnamon. I found out later from Jamie the reason for this - they do not fry their churros, they bake 'em.
becausei'mhappy...
D made a special mention of their chocolate. "You know I am not a dessert person but this,
this, this is soooo goooddd... it's not too thick, not overpoweringly sweet and if one of my friends were here, he would lick every last drop of this off everything!" Jamie showed me the Belgian chocolate that they source directly from Belgium. I decided not to share the brand here in case it is a trade secret. If you choose not to come here for their froyo, please do come for their chocolate.
We were impressed with the steady stream of customers. When I asked Jamie if their customers are mainly locals, he revealed that they also have customers who travel from the West. Hm, wouldn't travelling to their Rhodes store be nearer? Apparently, their Rhodes outlet is also popular for their coffee, as it is
Campos coffee. Can't fault Campos coffee, can we?
A little tip: for payments under $10, it would be a better idea to pay by cash, as there is a surcharge of 50 cents should you opt to pay by the plastic card. But if paying 50 cents is more appealing than walking to the nearest ATM, then just swipe that plastic card of yours.
There is a branch of Dymocks round the corner for you to grab a book if you run out of something to read. There is free wi-fi for you to connect your lappie or tablet to if you want to just chill and surf the internet on their quiet third level. Or, you could simply order a few things from their menu and just stare out their window from upstairs to watch the world pass you by on busy Military Road.
A big thank you to Mooberry for the complimentary tasting session. We thoroughly enjoyed our dose of sweetness in chocolate heaven and as we waited for the bus, D warned, "Don't blame me if I bounce off the walls when I get home!"
Haha, I won't! becausei'mhappy...
Mooberry Dessert & Breakfast Bar Neutral Bay
Shop 2, 164 Military Road, Neutral Bay, NSW 2089, Australia.
Tel: +61 2 8957 9758, E-mail: neutralbay@mooberry.com.au
Monday to Thursday 11:00am to 11:00pm
Friday 11:00am to midnight
Saturday 8:00am to midnight
Sunday 8:00am to 11:00pm
