Cafe launch: Have the coffee you always wanted

Icepresso offers a blend of coffee and fresh ice cream.

ISLAMABAD: Coffee enthusiasts can now choose the aroma and intensity of their brew at Icepresso cafe that launched an outlet at the busy Jinnah Super Market on Saturday evening. As the name suggests, the cafe focuses on serving the rare combination of ice cream and coffee under the same roof.

“There are already too many coffee and ice shops in the country and we thought of combining the two to bring something new to the table,” said Ali Azhar, one of the owners of the franchise. “Some people like their coffee strong, others no too much. So to provide that flexibility, we blend the coffee bean in specialised machines that control the flavour. The ice cream is prepared on the spot — something that does not happen anywhere else in the country,” he added.

The café offers ice cream made on-the-spot to go with the 16 various blends of coffee. PHOTO: MYRA IQBAL/EXPRESS

Both Azhar and his friend Zuhad Sultan, accountants by profession, were working in Sydney when decided to make their own brew of coffee and ice cream. They looked up recipes from well-known brands such as Ben and Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs and eventually launched the brand, Icepresso, which uses ingredients of Nespresso, an Italian coffee brand.

Customers get to choose their coffee beans from 16 premium blends, packed and shipped from Switzerland.  The ice cream is made with the help of liquid nitrogen, which is compressed at -197°C and infused with flavour.

The weight-conscious customers can also pick an item from the sugar-free list on the menu.

“It is a good place to hangout while you’re out shopping for clothes since there are so many boutiques in the vicinity. But going to the first floor of a cramped plaza might be the only thing that holds anyone back from having customised coffee,” said Maha Javaid, a guest at the launch. Javaid tried the Butter Pecan flavour and liked the combination of crunchy walnuts in the creamy ice cream. The brand has other outlets in America, England, Australia, Thailand and Hong Kong.

The red carpet launch was hosted by Rezz Events.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2013.