Swensen’s is a global ice-cream chain that first started out in San Francisco in 1948. From the beginning, the company has stressed three things: quality, quantity and value for money. When compared to Haagen-Dazs, the prices at Swensen’s are more reasonable, but with ice-creams ranging from about 35-50 RMB, cheap isn’t exactly the best adjective. However, their menu does boast a good selection of classic ice-cream flavours and frozen treats, from standard scoop ice-creams and classical sundaes, to milkshakes, banana splits and more. Customers can build their own sundaes using a choice of ice-cream, syrups and toppings and menus conveniently have both English and Chinese. There’s also plenty of seating spread over three floors, including a number of outdoor tables, with free wireless internet. Besides its mouth-watering concoctions of frozen desserts, another perk of Swensen’s is its secluded location down an alleyway just off the busy, brightly lit Chunxi Lu. Chocolate and coffee ice-cream with butterscotch, fudge, mixed almonds and whipped cream anyone?