Warning: this post definitely contains nuts ;) Specifically peanuts, actually peanut butter. Australia's first dedicated peanut butter bar opens on Norton Street in Leichhardt. So what can peanut butter lovers expect?
Your Honour, I am a peanut butter addict. My favourite kind of peanut butter is Pic's Peanut Butter from New Zealand but I will give any kind a go. But did you know that fitness people also love peanut butter? My favourite fitness person Nina says, "I have no words for how much I love peanut butter." And it's actually her that I think of when I first step in here.
My first impression of Peanut Butter Bar is that it is huge. Like three or four times bigger than I thought it would be. Hanging your hat on one food has got to the a slight risk. But from the crowd eating there, peanut butter has quite a few fans.
If you're expecting a Willy Wonka-ish journey into indulgently smooth or crunchy peanut butter then you may also be surprised. The Peanut Butter Bar is about protein, has a boxing ring, "Cheat day" snacks (isn't every day a cheat day?), "Oven Baked Protein" (What is this? Help me Nina) and inspirational quotes.
It's basically about combining peanut butter with fitness. I can't tell if this is the strangest thing to happen to peanut butter or the best. There are posters saying that their protein gelato contains three times the amount of protein and 30% less sugar than others. There's even a mural of Arnold Schwarzenegger during his Mr Universe prime on a wall. We aren't in Kansas anymore.
They use two different types of peanut butter here. A brand called Buff Bake which is a higher protein peanut butter and they also use Skippy peanut butter for their peanut butter fountain. Yup there's liquid peanut butter on tap (or "liquid gold" as they call it) there and you can get it added to any of the items that you order.
I peruse the display and ask at the counter what's best to order for a peanut butter addict like me. The guy recommends a few popular things and I pay and take my number to the table.
The first thing to arrive is the cheat day shake. And it's pretty damn good. It's not too rich so you can definitely finish it and it has just enough sweetness and peanut butter. I'd order this again in a flash.
I'll admit I didn't realise that this was a healthy cake. It tastes on the healthy and low sugar side. I chose it because it looks the most delicious. It's rich in that high protein peanut butter and thick. Mr NQN likes it though but struggles at the end to finish it as it is so rich.
This is definitely a healthy choc chip cookie. I think Nina would like this but it wasn't really my style.
I did like the oven hot protein which is fitness code for chocolate chip skillet cookie. It's a similar mix to the cookie above but this time it is served hot with a scoop of their "powered by protein" fior de latte gelato and a glass of their Skippy liquid gold smooth peanut butter. The gelato and the peanut butter really made this moreish and I end up having quite a bit of this.
As we leave and pass by the Muhammad Ali mural with the inspirational quote and the boxing ring I'm don't think that I am the market for this. But I know that perhaps it's definitely someone's market as it is pretty busy here. It's for someone much fitter than me. Someone that knows what oven hot protein means without having to ask.
So tell me Dear Reader, are you a fellow peanut butter lover (and are you also into fitness)? What brand is your favourite and do you prefer smooth or crunchy? What dedicated food cafe would you like to see?
This meal was independently paid for.
Peanut Butter Bar
161 Norton St, Leichhardt NSW 2040
Open 7 days 11am-10pm
Phone: (02) 9518 3441
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