Magnum’s first ‘Make My Magnum’ store in Pakistan – yummy but where’s the luxe factor?

Magnum launched their first “pleasure store” in Pakistan with a sparkling event featuring bright lights, celebrities and even a trapeze artist. But does Pakistan’s first dedicated “Make Your Own Magnum” store live up to the hype?

A glitzy launch for Magnum’s first Dipping Bar in Pakistan

Magnum’s Pleasure store is essentially a posh “Dip Shop”. An ice cream bar is dipped in chocolate, coated in toppings of your choice and drizzled with yet more chocolate. You can choose up to three toppings, which are popped into a silver cocktail shaker and tossed. None of the Magnum boys come close to Tom Cruise in Cocktail but it’s a nice twist. You can choose between vanilla and chocolate icecream, with milk or dark chocolate coating. Toppings range from the Classic (chopped nuts etc) to the Experimental (rock sea salt, chilli flakes etc).

Coating the icecream in Belgian Chocolate

Here’s what you do

Here come the toppings

The finished Magnum

The custom Magnums pass the taste test pretty well. The freshly-set chocolate sticks better to the ice cream than the chocolate coating on ready made bars and doesn’t do that annoying “falling off at the first bite” thing. The ‘snap’ of the chocolate coating is less on the custom bars but, in my book, that’s a good thing.

My custom Magnum – grated coconut, dried cranberries and chilli flakes on chocolate ice cream with a dark chocolate coating – drizzled with milk chocolate

I tried a combination of grated coconut, dried cranberries and chilli flakes on chocolate ice cream with a dark chocolate coating. It was delicious but my other half wasn’t so lucky with his choice. He chose grated coconut with peanuts and sea salt. Although we asked for very little salt the server was heavy handed with the salt and that ruined the taste of his vanilla ice cream with a dark chocolate topping. Also he said he prefers the readymade Roasted Almond flavor. Almonds weren’t on offer the day I went with my hubby and the server said that they usually have only one nut topping on any given day.

The toppings available in London are distinctly posher

Which brings me to the most disappointing thing about Magnum Pakistan. The Magnum Bar at Selfridges in London has the most amazing toppings including dried cornflowers, cinnamon sugar, gold and silver dust, Mint rubble, Rose petals and more. Their nut toppings are much better than the finely chopped nuts you get here.

Covered in toppings you won’t find here

Crushed Pistachios at Selfridges

In London they offer crushed pistachios, almond flakes and roughly chopped hazelnuts. Magnum Pakistan is let down by it’s toppings. Think of the difference between the toppings at local Frozen Yoghurt places and those abroad. Magnum Pakistan suffers from the same problem.

Some of the more adventurous toppings at Magnum Pakistan

The toppings here consist of cereals (chocolate rice krispies, cornflakes), chopped smarties, chocolate and multi-coloured sprinkles and the like. The experimental toppings include blue poppy seeds and dried pomegranate but overall the toppings are a little pedestrian. While fresh berries, cornflowers and gold dust may be asking too much, surely Magnum Pakistan should be able to afford better nuts, especially as they grow in the country. Head to any ‘dry fruit wallah’ and you’ll be offered a huge range of nuts at reasonable prices.

You can’t actually make a Magnum like this at the Clifton store – there are no lovely big chunks of nuts & no M logo chocolate buttons

I know cost is an issue. A custom Magnum here costs Rs250 while the one at Selfridges costs £4.50 (around Rs750) but not only are overheads higher in London, the ice cream is also slightly different. You don’t get those black Vanilla Bean flecks in Magnum here that you get in London Magnums. However, even the (seriously yummy) kulfi at Iceberg in Saddar uses better quality nuts – and their kulfis cost a fractions of a Magnum. I know you shouldn’t compare apples and oranges but if Magnum can’t offer a better quality of nut in Rs250, maybe they should offer a “premium topping” range for a bit extra? Preferably using local ingredients. Oh and another thing! Why don’t the local custom Magnums have the little chocolate coin with the M logo? Don’t they know we Pakistanis love our designer goodies – if we’re gonna buy something BRANDED, it better have a logo on it ;)!

The store itself is plush and welcoming

Cribs aside, Make Your Own Magnum is still a lovely, tasty experience and, if the queues are anything to go by, quite a hit here in Karachi. Don’t just take my word for it – go try it for yourselves – and make sure to tell me if you hit on a great topping combo!

Model Rubya Chaudry at the launch

Ayesha Omer in Shehla Chatoor

Hira Tareen in Sania Maskatiya