Its been a long long time ever since I made my last visit to Old Hen Coffee — the last time being even before this thing called “COVID-19” actually existed; definitely miss those times where one could head out without actually wearing a mask, and it feels like this “new norm” has already been this way for a while.
Having seen Old Hen Coffee Bar’s updated menu via their social media pages, I was really attracted to the Brownie Affogato — a relatively new item being introduced to the menu (at least to me) that is exclusively available at Old Hen Coffee Bar (i.e. their original space at 88 Rangoon Road). Those whom have been following my Instagram feed for a while may have come across the “Bittersweet” from Percolate, and the same conceptual ideas have brought upon the Brownie Affogato here at Old Hen Coffee Bar — brownie, served with a scoop of Vanilla ice-cream over the top, and with a shot of espresso served on the side to be poured atop the scoop of Vanilla ice-cream for maximum enjoyment.
There is something about how simple this dessert may be in terms of its set up, but takes into consideration more details than one might think. The brownie here comes all fudgy; served warm, its rich, dense and chocolatey — glad how this does not burn the throat and is nowhere near being heaty. The Vanilla ice-cream is where the details lie; considering it has to be served atop a warm slab of brownie, and also doused with warm espresso atop, the ice-cream has to be served chilled, and should not melt too easily to end up in a mosh due to the warm elements around it — the Vanilla ice-cream here stays true to those concerns, and holds much of its integrity down to the last morsel whilst slowly infusing itself into the espresso as it gently melts to the heat of the surrounding elements and climate. With that, the flavours of all the elements in the Brownie Affogato melds into one; the bittersweetness of the brownie along with a slight hint of saltishness from the sea salt, the aromatic vanilla beans of the smooth and creamy Vanilla ice-cream, and the roasty, earthy notes of the espresso shot comes together as one — almost akin to having a brownie with ice-cream and a cuppa on the side.
Being the first specialty cafe to have launched bottled cold brews, Old Hen Coffee Bar has since become an established name in the local coffee scene. Whilst they have expanded their operations into Old Hen Kitchen several years ago, Old Hen Coffee Bar has always been seen as a more down-to-earth establishment with its more earnest food offerings that does away with the fussy fusion elements in cafe offerings of the modern day coffeehouse. No doubt the food offered may not be quite as adventurous or even interesting as some may say, but Old Hen Coffee Bar is a spot I would return to when looking for a safe option that I know I would leave satisfied.
