Review: Once Upon a Milkshake

When I was young, my favourite meal was a hot dog and a chocolate milkshake. The hot dog might become the subject of a future post, but I loved chocolate milkshakes. I could have one with every meal - sometimes two per meal.

The perfect milkshake is a very difficult thing to make, and I've never attempted to make one, as I can no longer afford the calories. You'd think it'd be fairly straightforward - chocolate ice-cream and milk - but that's not all there is to it. It must be a good quality ice cream that is rich and fairly creamy, but cold or firm enough that it will not melt completely during the mixing process, as there's nothing worse than a milkshake that's just melted ice cream diluted with milk. The depth and intensity of the chocolate has to shine through, and far too often I've taken my first slurp of a milkshake only to be confronted with the rather commercial and generic taste of Magnolia chocolate ice cream. In terms of texture, the milkshake has to be thick, with the right blend of melted and unmelted ice cream to give it sufficient body, consistency and coldness.


I'm not sure I would call this the best chocolate milkshake in Singapore, but it comes pretty close. It has the right sort of consistency (although I thought they'd over-mixed the ice cream), it's almost cloyingly rich, and it's perfect on a hot, muggy Sunday afternoon. For the weight-conscious, it even comes in two sizes (although, if you're looking for a real milkshake fix, the small, pictured here, probably will not satisfy).


I'd first heard about Once Upon a Milkshake ("OUaM") from my cousin, who, knowing my fervour for milkshakes, recommended that I try the place out. Looking oddly out of place in the new Maxwell Chambers, a clean and simple purple and white theme, as well as decorations that range from chic to flighty, proclaim that OUaM is in no way affiliated with the serious arbitration sets located upstairs.


OUaM doesn't just offer chocolate milkshakes; they also have other flavours such as strawberry and mocha that come with imaginative names (Pirate Queen Peach and Nutty Peanut Butler, for instance). Conveniently located a stone's throw from Tanjong Pagar station, OUaM provides a convenient teabreak spot for the many accountants, financiers and lawyers who work in the area.

Once Upon a Milkshake
Maxwell Chambers
32 Maxwell Road, #01-08
Tel: +65 9823 3779
Website
Opening Hours: 11am to 11pm everyday