Cafe Melba, Takapuna

At $4 this was a pretty standard price, but not really worth the $4. Probably the Takapunite over-inflated sense of self-worth. Price aside, this brownie tried too hard to be something that it's not. It was was lacking the critical semi-crunchy factor that makes the perfect brownie. There was a somewhat successful attempt at layering, with a layer of caramel in between the brownie per se, and while this was not bad, it seemed rather ostentatious—no doubt a Takapuna thing. It was not too sweet, but heated slightly, and this may have contributed to its overt softness. A side of whipped cream was welcomed, but the smear of jam on the plate—yes I know, a presentation thing—was weird and probably unnecessary—again, probably a Takapuna thing. Overall, this brownie was not bad, but it just didn't tick all the boxes because it attempted to do too much and fell disappointingly short. Takapuna, like your over-inflated property prices, your brownies are over-inflated too.

Brownie points: 3

POD Espresso - CBD (University of Auckland campus)

POD Espresso down at the University of Auckland's city campus has always been a favourite of mine not for the espresso, but for the brownies, so it only seems fair that I begin reviewing there first. As far as value for money goes this is exceptional! $3.80. An Excellent texture: optimally tuned equilibrium between crunchy and chewy, with a subtle crunch. It was also not too sweet; just the right amount of sugar to pick you up and keep you going until lunch. A liberal dusting of icing sugar, perhaps a bit too much but this did not detract overall.  A free side of tasty whipped cream was the perfect match. This brownie also meets the all important triangular criteria. To summarise, the brownie was hard to fault. It hit all the right notes without all the unnecessary crap that often gets mixed up with the brownie. Well done POD Espresso.

Brownie points: 5

Welcome...

Hello and welcome to the blog. Just a brief initial post (see above for more description). Reviews hopefully will begin sometime early next month (July 2015) and will continue ad infinitum on a weekly basis as time and money allow. As my transport options are limited in scope—thank you Auckland public transport, or lack thereof—reviews of brownies outside of the North Shore and central city may be potentially less frequent. However, I will endeavour, in future, to expand reviewing capacities to meet consumers needs.

Thanks,

And remember, the perfect shape for the brownie is the triangle: accept nothing more or less (yes, this includes two-sided shapes).