I remember I was in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia when Baskin Robbins first opened up in the 80s. As excited as we all could be, our eyes would feast upon the multitudes of various colors and textures of the 31 types of ice cream– namely Rainbow Sherbet and Bubblegum (which actually had bubblegum inside the ice cream!)

Last year, Baskin Robbins made its entry into Lahore, Pakistan, amidst much fanfare. With extremely long queues, the people went berserk to try out the ice cream.

I had gone out last night with some friends, and talking about Baskin Robbins made us nostalgic, so we thought, let’s actually have Baskin Robbins for a change.

It would have been 25 years for me personally to not have had Baskin Robbins. I had since moved on to Movenpick, TCBY, Marble Slab Creamery, Ben and Jerrys, and of late visit Cold Stone Creamery to get my fix of ice cream. So I did contemplate whether I should have it or not.

So standing at Baskin Robbins, I felt like a child once again as I scanned all the 31 flavors. The fresh aroma of just-baked waffle cone made the prospect of having ice cream all the more appealing.

After scanning through, I finally settled on Maui Brownie Madness, a chocolate flavored ice cream with pieces of brownies inside them.

Verdict: the experience was just about average. (It may take another 25 years for me to try another scoop!)

There is no issue with the taste and flavor of the ice cream, and at Rs. 200, it’s actually a great deal. The problem is that there is a large variety of better quality ice cream available out there– so why should I go to Baskin Robbins?

Albeit, Baskin Robbins has finally made it to Pakistan, decades late, but still, it’s made its way. The people of Lahore loves it, and that’s a great sign for Baskin Robbins.

As for me, I will stick to Cold Stone Creamery!