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Rumours are hard to resist. For a few years now I would hear his name mentioned in passing, along with a moan of anticipation or satisfaction. Who was this guy? Did he actually exist? Why had I never seen him? Where was he hiding? I imagined a fellow with a serious facade and a cheeky grin, covertly distributing sweets and chocolate delights in a dim back alley.

So when my sister suggested we make a trip to the Gold Coast to go to Max Brenner I jumped at the chance. I had heard to expect a wait – 30 minutes or more. This is how popular he is. How exciting, I thought! We got there, and thankfully didn’t have to wait at all. We ordered at the counter and were served by a cute happy gay fellow who happily took our order. In fact, all the staff seemed to be really glad to be working there. Not one of them looked like they didn’t want to be there. They were all positively glowing whenever they gave us our order, or even when being asked for a bottle of water.  I guess when you’re working for a chocolate company this would be fairly easy, but it certainly was refreshing.

The fit out is dark – chocolatey-brown dark, hence why all my photos are blurry! But it was a great place to sit and enjoy the food.

They had huge vats of warmed chocolate in the middle of the cafe with thick tubes to make it look like the chocolate was being siphoned off into the kitchen at the back.

When we received our order of Fondue, both dark and milk melted chocolate with portions of marshmallow, banana bread, banana and strawberries,  my daughter, 20months old,  almost lost it – “OOOOHHH!!” and grabbed for the plate. I immediately thought she would grab for the big pots of melting chocolate (as I would have done) but she quickly grabbed a strawberry and popped the whole thing in her mouth! (Yay! My kid digs fruit – over and above chocolate!)

The ‘Chocolate Souffle’ was delicious, but really it wasn’t a souffle, more like a chocolate fondant, or Lava cake. I ordered a peanut-butter chocolate thickshake, the flavour was fantastic, but SO rich, like drinking pure cream! It was served in a specially designed milkshake ceramic cup with a hole for the straw, very cute!

My sister ordered a white chocolate chai and it came out in a plastic teapot with no spout. We asked for help with pouring it: this fancy contraption fits over the top of the glass and when you press it onto the lip the tea pours through a filter and out through the bottom of the pot. Genius! But not at all intuitive. I had a taste of the chai, and it was definitely my favourite of what we had ordered.

Max also stocks a number of take home chocolates in gorgeous and fun packaging. I purchased a simple slab of semi-dark chocolate. I actually found that Max Brenner chocolate is a lot nicer as a melted version (as in the fondue) than a solid block.

If you’re a fan of chocolate and design you’ll love Max. But I was hoping for a little bit more mystery. I was hoping to need a secret handshake or a nod and a wink to enter through a heavy wooden door, but really, it was a great experience, one I would like to try again, but maybe next time not order so much!

There is a Max opening in Southbank very shortly, and… there are whispers that we may be blessed with another at Chermside… but that is just a rumour… they are just so irresistible!

COMPETITION REMINDER!! We have a mixed case of 24 bottles of Apple and Pear Cider to give away from Punt Road Wines. To enter, all you have to do is write a comment on ANY post on iatebrisbane and add your suburb name in the comment. Open to Brisbane (and surrounds) entrants only (could you imagine the international shipping fees on a case of cider?!). Check out the details and the tricky little fine print here.