The Japanese enjoy their dairy. Cheese and milk products are widely available, sold as is or assigned a supporting role in meals. You can find them in crackers or bread, cakes or pastries, pasta and even ramen. The Japanese have their ancestors from the Meiji era to thank when the government adopted the Europeans’ dairy diet to their national nutrition strategy. School lunches and family meals thereafter have been never the same.
Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory heeded the call of the dairy-hungry Japanese and established a chain to create sweets that “combine the new with the nostalgic, the unexpected with the flavourful”.
I patronised Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory back in Singapore when I was feeling a little luxurious. Their cookies are no stranger to me, and I relished every single crunch and bite when I ate one. But there was so much lusciousness in each biscuit, eating more than one would have been sheer decadence.
So you can imagine my excitement when word went round that Cow Cow Cafe has come to town, the factory’s first branch to offer seating and a new savoury menu.
I was offered the ice cream to sample, in both cup and cone variations. The cup, in particular, was divine. It was Hokkaido milk soft servewith a slab of milk cheesecake and a salt and Camembert cookie ($59). I had thought that the ice cream was the hero, but all three elements were superstars. The cheesecake was light and wrapped delicately with a piece of crêpe. The cookie was made with Hokkaido Jersey milk, rare French Guérande salt and a savoury-sweet Camembert cheese white chocolate filling. The ice cream was delightfully smooth and didn’t melt quickly even though I took awhile for pictures. It was a glorious cup of cheese, leaving me feeling very contented.
The other ice cream I sampled contained a mixed flavour of soft serve, made with Hokkaido milk with Gouda cheese and cream cheese ($48) to create an ultra-smooth, luscious texture. The cone was also uniquely infused with Cheddar cheese, making for yet another cheese heaven in my hand.
Cow Cow Cafe also offers tiramisu rolls, which are exclusive to Hong Kong, a selection of savoury and fruity waffles and sundaes.
Verdict
Cow Cow’s cheese cookies are awesome, and their milk and cheese ice cream is divine, particularly the cheesy trio. Quite frankly, the savoury offerings in the café looked a little mediocre, so I recommend diners opt for their famed milk confections instead. Their cheese items are good but rich, so if you’re planning on having them for dessert, be sure to save some room.
Besides the ice cream, tiramisu rolls and waffles, the Cow Cow Cafe boutique also sells their renowned salt and Camembert cookies, honey and Gorgonzola cookies and milk cheesecake in gift boxes. Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory has another shop at Hysan Place, Causeway Bay, that caters only for takeaways.
Shop 8, 4/F, Langham Place, 8 Argyle Street, Mongkok, 6577 9503
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
