1. MADD - REVIEW - 25TH APRIL 2012 I am a big fan of cupcake shops and afternoon tea, but I’d never actually visited a ‘dessert bar’ before so when I was invited to try MADD in Soho, I have to admit I was rather intrigued. MADD’s concept is to serve mainly mango based desserts, juices, smoothies and cocktails with the idea of having a dessert bar that is based around healthy eating. I am not a large mango eater and to be honest, normally eat it in savoury cooking such as noodle salads, rather than as a sweet dish, so I was interested what MADD would be serving. MADD is based on Rupert Street right in the middle of bustling Soho and we went on a Wednesday evening and it was busy in there with a childrens party being held downstairs and some young adult gatherings upstairs. It has quite a young vibe to MADD and I can imagine in the daytime it’s very popular with families and with a younger, more student based clientele in the evening. Inside it is very funky and modern and the decor is largely orange and yellow to match the mango theme. The owner of MADD is a young man from Thailand in his early twenties who has a huge love of mango (which he informed us was the most popular fruit in the world) and decided to bring his passion to the UK to set up his first shop. Hence the name ‘MADD’ (about mangoes). He was very friendly and couldn’t do enough to help us. We started our taster of MADD with a couple of mango based cocktails - a Mango Mojito and a special of the day which was mango with a shot of mango puree and egg white, and made quite a creamy but very pleasant cocktail. We also sampled a Mango Margarita and a Mango Daiquiri while we were there and both were very fruity and refreshing. There was so much choice with the puddings and it was probably a mistake to go to the counter and look at them all as they all looked delicious! The idea at MADD is you pick a pudding then pick a topping and sauce to go on top. We were lucky enough to try the trio of puddings and opted for the Mango Cheesecake, Mango Coconut Rice and Mango Yogurt with Mango Coulis. We topped these off with some Mango and Strawberry Fruit Bubbles (something I suspect kids will go mad for as they’re really like healthy sweets!), Mango and Pineapple Jelly, Strawberries and Blueberries and Mango and Strawberry Coulis. We also had a little plate of Mango Macaroons as a naughty extra treat. All of the puddings were fantastic - the cheesecake was creamy and fruity but we were told was actually quite healthy, the yogurt was delicate and light and the rice, which was the owners mother’s recipe, was unusual but actually one of our favourites as it was nice to have a bit of a savoury taste amongst all the sweetness. The macaroons, one of my favourite desserts, were soft yet crunchy and had a really tangy gooey mango centre which was delightful. We did however slightly overdo it on the mango themed drinks and desserts and it did become a little sickly after a while and we were very full when we left! I think one dessert and one cocktail may be enough next time! MADD is a really interesting concept and one that I think will take off a lot more in the future. Cupcake shops are quite last year and people want something new to try and a dessert bar, such as MADD, may just be it. Dotty Dishes was a guest of MADD. MADD, 53 Rupert Street, Soho, London, W1D 7PH.
    High Res

    MADD - REVIEW - 25TH APRIL 2012

    I am a big fan of cupcake shops and afternoon tea, but I’d never actually visited a ‘dessert bar’ before so when I was invited to try MADD in Soho, I have to admit I was rather intrigued.

    MADD’s concept is to serve mainly mango based desserts, juices, smoothies and cocktails with the idea of having a dessert bar that is based around healthy eating. I am not a large mango eater and to be honest, normally eat it in savoury cooking such as noodle salads, rather than as a sweet dish, so I was interested what MADD would be serving.

    MADD is based on Rupert Street right in the middle of bustling Soho and we went on a Wednesday evening and it was busy in there with a childrens party being held downstairs and some young adult gatherings upstairs. It has quite a young vibe to MADD and I can imagine in the daytime it’s very popular with families and with a younger, more student based clientele in the evening.

    Inside it is very funky and modern and the decor is largely orange and yellow to match the mango theme. The owner of MADD is a young man from Thailand in his early twenties who has a huge love of mango (which he informed us was the most popular fruit in the world) and decided to bring his passion to the UK to set up his first shop. Hence the name ‘MADD’ (about mangoes). He was very friendly and couldn’t do enough to help us.

    We started our taster of MADD with a couple of mango based cocktails - a Mango Mojito and a special of the day which was mango with a shot of mango puree and egg white, and made quite a creamy but very pleasant cocktail. We also sampled a Mango Margarita and a Mango Daiquiri while we were there and both were very fruity and refreshing.

    There was so much choice with the puddings and it was probably a mistake to go to the counter and look at them all as they all looked delicious! The idea at MADD is you pick a pudding then pick a topping and sauce to go on top. We were lucky enough to try the trio of puddings and opted for the Mango Cheesecake, Mango Coconut Rice and Mango Yogurt with Mango Coulis. We topped these off with some Mango and Strawberry Fruit Bubbles (something I suspect kids will go mad for as they’re really like healthy sweets!), Mango and Pineapple Jelly, Strawberries and Blueberries and Mango and Strawberry Coulis. We also had a little plate of Mango Macaroons as a naughty extra treat.

    All of the puddings were fantastic - the cheesecake was creamy and fruity but we were told was actually quite healthy, the yogurt was delicate and light and the rice, which was the owners mother’s recipe, was unusual but actually one of our favourites as it was nice to have a bit of a savoury taste amongst all the sweetness. The macaroons, one of my favourite desserts, were soft yet crunchy and had a really tangy gooey mango centre which was delightful. We did however slightly overdo it on the mango themed drinks and desserts and it did become a little sickly after a while and we were very full when we left! I think one dessert and one cocktail may be enough next time!

    MADD is a really interesting concept and one that I think will take off a lot more in the future. Cupcake shops are quite last year and people want something new to try and a dessert bar, such as MADD, may just be it.

    Dotty Dishes was a guest of MADD.

    MADD, 53 Rupert Street, Soho, London, W1D 7PH.

    Madd on Urbanspoon

    May 4, 2012