Sunday, April 16, 2006
London by Chocolate
All good vacations require a reasonable amount of chocolate tastings and excursions to off-the-beaten-path chocolate shops. From my room at NH Harrington Hall in London, I researched the possibilities, and then kidnapped my friends Rob (of Temposhark) and Dan for an afternoon of decadence. In retrospect, I was overly cautious in my purchasing due to the dismal state of the US-UK exchange rate. I will definitely require a trip back to London soon, or be forced to reconcile my reticence in paying to ship online orders over $25.
Our first destination was a little boutique called L'Artisan du Chocolate, off Sloan Square. To be sure, a high-class joint, with sparkling windows, impressive chocolate sculptures, and hoity-toity sales clerks. Decked out for Easter, we first ogled a case filled with Chocolate Pearls and egg-shaped versions in brilliant colors. I bought a bag of the egg variety, which I later shared with office folk, and regretted not buying in bulk. The centers contained near-liquid chocolate in various exotic flavors. Their sparkling colors caused several people to try to peel the nonexistent foil off. Next, we moved onto the truffle collection, showcased under pristine glass. I hand-selected a box for myself, and treated Rob to a box of his own choosing. For my own box, I made sure to get two of each flavor so Matt could enjoy the experience with me. The chocolates are quite lovely--delicate little bites, only an inch on the long side, and about half an inch tall. The ganache has a satiny caramel quality to it and comes in flavors like banana and thyme, honey, rose, sun-dried lime, and ginger (I could go on).
After a brief stop at the local Starbucks to realign our senses, we headed onto Rococo Chocolates on Kings Road for an altogether different experience. As we entered the shop, Alessia burst out from behind the counter to exuberantly greet Rob and Dan. Lucky for me, we had the inside track to a true chocolate experience. I poked about the shop for a few minutes as the three friends caught up. Rococo had an impressive variety of goods--bars of various flavors, hand-rolled truffles, giant chocolate Easter eggs, gorgeous hand-painted creations, and more. Alessia wasted no time in suggesting--insisting--that we have a chocolate tasting. 
Alessia returned behind the counter to an adorable old-fashioned spice chest, containing drawers full of chocolate pieces. First, we tried bars of varying cacao percentages, discussing what we tasted and liked with each kind. After that we moved onto the flavored bars. Absolutely insisting that we try nearly every variety, we could do nothing but concede to Alessia's wishes. We made our way through black peppercorn, earl grey, dark cardamom, white cardamom, ginger, sea salt, rosemary, lavender, chili pepper, orange and geranium, pink peppercorn, cocoa nib, basil and Persian lime, cinnamon, Arabic spices, rose, and a special Christmas bar tasting of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. You know what they say--it's a hard job, but someone's gotta do it.
In a chocolate haze, I set forth picking out bars to take back as gifts, plus some of their stunning too-beautiful-to-eat hand-painted chocolate hearts. As I pondered my choices, customers flowed in and out around us, picking up Easter goodies and sweet diversions. Rococo Chocolates was indeed a happy place. And thanks to the royal treatment from Alessia, one of the most memorable destinations on this trip to London.Note to Chocolate Fairy: Please send Artisan Chocolate Pearls and Liquid Salted Caramels ASAP.
Labels: chocolate
