Three branches already, DipnDip seems to quickly be making a name for itself around town. Located on Bliss street, Le Mall Dbayeh and Kaslik area, this cafe serves chocolate and many other sweet related items.
When I first started hunting the best waffles and pancakes in town, many suggested I check out DipnDip, so here we are today.
DipnDip Le Mall, located next to DeekDuke, is a Canadian Franchise, a cafe that welcomes you all day for a sweet treat. Enter a square space... white covered wall on the left and dark wood wall on the right, while a bar is found right at the very end. The restaurant is filled with square tables surrounded by red and brown leather chairs. Taking over the right side wall, a long bench is made of red, white and dark grey. The red DipnDip logo decorates the left wall and the bar where two chocolate fountains flow majestically.
The first impression:
- The place looks old. The tables and sofas look used.
- The lighting is too dim, not too welcoming in a mall when dining choices are endless.
- The menu has seen wars; it's torn apart like an old "Ekhraj Kayd".
The menu:
- Crepes
- Waffles
- Pancakes
- Chocolate rich
- Baked goods
- Fried yummies
- Stuff in a cup
- Dip sticks
- DipnDip mania
- Ice cream
- Chocolate shot
- Chocolate
- Dip n dip gifts
- Cold drinks (DipnDip freeze, milk shakes, frappe, smoothies, Oreo milk shake, ice tea shakes, soft drinks,
- Hot drinks
Let's try some sweet stuff:
- Chocolate waffles: Two waffle quarters are topped with chocolate and white chocolate sauce served in a branded plate with whipped cream on the side acting as decoration. The waffle is fluffy and airy without any crunchy borders which is good, but the chocolate on top is way too sweet. An overdose of sweetness, a chocolate that sticks to the tongue. Too sweet for me!
- The DipnDip crêpe: A large crêpe loaded with fresh fruit and topped with chocolate, a chocolate spread that comes with the dish and is served live. To start with, the crêpe is too chewy, the fruits inside too cold, the chocolate overly sweet and gooey. I only ate a single bite, it's really too much. A plate that lacks smoothness, lacks warmth, lacks finesse. I expected the crêpe to be warm, the fruit to be less cold, and the chocolate to be hot and not too sweet.
- The pancakes: Five thin pancakes served in a tower like we see in the movies alongside a cup of chocolate on the side. They are good, really good. Fluffy, spongy, light pancakes, moist and interesting with the chocolate cup adding the flavor you expect from a dip. A mix of different chocolates, which is good, considering that the pancakes are thick, with a bit of chocolate to make every bite special. I believe the problem with the other two orders is that the sweet chocolate overpowers the rest of the dish, here it feels more equilibrated.
So this is DipnDip, a place that has left me unimpressed to be honest.
I'd regulate the sweetness of the chocolate, look into the plates presenatation which is a mess of chocolate and work on the little details to make the restaurant more welcoming. Reprint the menus, add more lights, get the waiters some decent outfits and you’re almost there...
