I was taking a post-dinner walk with my husband in our neighbourhood when I noticed a new setup ‘coming soon’ at the end of our street. I thought it was an appliance store, but my husband argued that it was a restaurant. As we walked right past it, I finally spotted the sign that read Crumble. That was it!
Being a cookie lover myself, I was obviously excited to try it out. However, I was also slightly frustrated by the thought that our neighbourhood was about to become chaotic and jam-packed. And that’s exactly what happened when Crumble finally soft-launched on Wednesday!
The place was extremely crowded, with cars parked all over the street and even spilling onto the main road. There was barely any room to walk. Honestly, anyone looking at the scene would have thought some sort of promotional freebie distribution was taking place. But no, the place was just a normal Karachiite hangout with a new offering in town. Food is a calling and Karachiites do what they do best, answer it. They simply couldn’t wait to get their hands on those cookies!
And I would be lying if I said I was any different.
Since then, I’ve been trying to sneak in and get my hands on my favourite flavours, but I finally struck gold yesterday. My husband, braveheart, finally went in, managed to battle the crowds and brought me the three flavours I had really wanted to try.
So, here’s my review of Crumble! As someone who loves cookies and has tried them from multiple outlets across Karachi, was more than curious to see what all the fuss was about. And let me tell you, Crumble has opened at three different locations in Karachi: SMCHS, Bukhari DHA, and Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 14. I visited the Johar outlet, and here’s what I got and what I thought of it!
Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie
Priced at Rs. 390, the Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie stayed true to the name. Loaded with chunks of chocolate and baked into a warm, gooey and moist vanilla-based cookie, it nailed the formula to the tee – neither overly sweet nor too floury, with just the right balance of sweetness and chocolate in every bite. The chocolate chunks add a lovely texture and make each bite worth the calories. It’s a simple classic, but one that does it to perfection. I’d give it a solid 9/10, and it’s definitely one flavour I’d recommend picking up from their classic range!
Oreo Cheesecake Overload Cookie
Priced at Rs. 430, this one is part of Crumble’s monthly drop and isn’t an official menu regular. Honestly, this is a flavour I’d ask you to think twice about before ordering. I found that the cookie itself had very little flavour of its own, with the Oreos doing all the heavy work, and they pretty much taste the same. There wasn’t much about it that made me think of what Crumble brings to the table. Another disappointment was the cheesecake filling. Despite receiving the cookie piping hot from the outside, the filling inside was still cold and slightly frozen, which really took away from the experience. Overall, a 5/10, and I’m giving those five points to the Oreos!
Kunafa Chocolate
If you’re a Karachiite, or from any part of the world really, you know just how crazy we’ve become about kunafa! From cookies and coffees to chocolates, cakes and just about everything else, we’ve somehow managed to make kunafa a part of almost every dessert. Priced at Rs. 430, this cookie is definitely on the excessively sweet side. The pistachio kunafa filling inside is already super sweet, which is why I feel the double chocolate cookie base could have saved on the sugar to balance things out. Unfortunately, pairing an intensely sweet filling with an equally sweet, if not sweeter, cookie base makes the whole experience a mere sugar blast that doesn’t sit right on the palate. It’s almost an explosion of sugar in every bite! If you’re someone who craves sweet desserts with the sugar doing all of the work, you might actually enjoy this one, but if you’re a mild meetha lover like me, this probably isn’t the flavour I’d recommend. A 6/10 for sure.
One thing I’d like to mention is that I tried Crumble just a day after its soft launch, so it’s possible that the experience wasn’t quite as good because of the crowds and the staff still settling into things. With so many people showing up, they must have had their hands full! That said, I’m definitely willing to give Crumble another try. I’ve already got my eye on the Chocolate Hazelnut Filled Cookie, which I couldn’t get my hands on yesterday. So yes, I’ll be going back for sure!
Have you tried Crumble yet? Share your experience with us in the comments below!