Cowch Dessert and Cocktail Bar - South Brisbane. With all the negative buzz going around here, I admit to being baffled. This dessert cafe/bar provides some rich, tasty treats that may not be at the cheapest prices, however the vibe and aesthetics were relaxing and welcoming. There are several dozen lamps hanging from the high ceiling shaped like udders, and for those who sit at the long table, looking up they see some lower lamps shaped like milk bottles. Outside are couches, with some comfortable cushion stools to really give it a communal feel. Lots of neon light appears after hours making it comforting.
Relaxing, lounge music plays from the speakers and there are numerous treats to be seen in the glass cabinets. It has some of the best decor around the nearby area. When at night, this place truly comes alive in a chilled way. It has been twice that I have been here. Once, at night because no other place was open and I had the laptop with me to do an assignment, and second was with a friend after a movie.
The first time, upon walking in, the service had already started. A waiter walked straight up to us being friendly and welcoming; the first question was whether coffee was still being made - hallelujah it was. Even so, with the ordering part of the dining it was told that it was counter service. Menus were given to peruse before taking turns to walk up to the counter for ordering (don't leave technology unguarded in public). Each order is given - presumably - a "buzzer" with a number on it. If it were a buzzer, neither time did it go off and hearsay tells me that it acts more as a tracking device; effective if it ever gets stolen.
Second time, there were no belongings to worry about so both of us walked up and had the same buzzer number. It depends on how many people are there, since it was relatively quick the first time (if you order the cabinet sweets, then yes) and took a little while the second time (menu item). Nevertheless, it is prompt.
Assignment or not, if you have that chance for me to get a coffee I am going for it. First time, double shot cappuccino to test the waters; second time to be different, iced coffee. The coffee here is pretty big. It comes in a solid cup and has a full-on flavour; they must have put a minimum of three shots of coffee in the cappuccino - when studying that is more wanted. It was really creamy and the foam left was delicious and infused with plenty of chocolate. For the regular kinds of coffee, it is the best value that I have seen. For the iced coffee, it was also good. The tastes were unadulterated, having a few actual coffee beans on top along with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Admittedly, it does lose out value-wise.
If you want dessert for dinner, or lunch, or just skip to somewhere guaranteed for dessert then this is the right place. Just try making a choice, you could be there for a long time tossing up what to get. Some of their signatures include several dessert pizzas, and the naked pops which there is a choice from five flavours of ice cream (seeing hanging up-side down in a glass case), then from three types of chocolate it is dipped in one and the choice of three toppings. That is only the beginning. Much of the menu is cocktails utilised with chocolate and sweets.
The first time, what got my attention was a choc brulee gateau. Think of a chocolate-based creme brulee; there was the caramlised crust on top of a lot of chocolate mousse and cake. This was served with a side of berries, crushed nuts and a scoop of Lick ice cream in the choice of flavour. Although there was the chance to have samples beforehand, seeing peanut butter as an option meant I need not look further. So that is what I got. Suffice to say, it made one impressive looking dessert. Everything about it was delicious, well balanced with tart berries, sweet caramel on top, somewhat dark chocolate mousse and the distinct taste of peanut butter - how could one resist?
With the iced coffee, I got churros with dark chocolate dipping sauce. The dipping sauce here is delicious, enough so that it could be consumed on its own (by the by, you can order it as such). It has a rich texture that clings to the Latin doughnuts very well. As for the churros, there were four of them - not bad value - dusted with a good amount of cinnamon sugar and soft in texture to eat. These were also good.
This will please the sweet tooth in you, but it does offer some more than that. There are several kinds of flavours offered throughout, therefore variety is present. Something is there for everyone and it ought to be a crowd pleaser. At least on this site, I find it to be one of the most under-rated.
There will certainly be many gambits in bringing me back here. To treat the sweet tooths that I know, for assignment meetings (best consume straight from the source) and definitely has my nomination as a catch-up spot. Heck, there is a lot to try that is not available from most other places - even dedicated dessert bars. So, for a few reasons I do see myself returning. For once, I find the quirk factor to also be cute. It goes well with the kind of food that is being served. This might well be the pinnacle of nightmares for dentists.
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