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ChocoYOU – your very own custom designed chocolates

15 Apr

chocoyou hong kong

Life without chocolate simply would not be worth living; as I am reminded each year when I decide to give it up for Lent, I need chocolate in my life. It is the friend who is always there, no matter how hard times get; the friend who will always, without fail, put a smile on your face and remind you that despite work stress, homesickness or those ‘that-time-of-the-month’ mood swings, things really aren’t that bad.

When, one gloomy day, I received an email from Alexis Kwong Alvarez, the founder of ChocoYOU, inviting me to taste some tailor-made chocolates, did I hesitate? Silly question. I responded immediately and put my creativity to the test on ChocoYOU’s website.

ChocoYOU is Hong Kong’s first and only custom-designed chocolate website; in three very easy steps, you choose your chocolate, choose up to five toppings, enter your details and less than three days later you will receive the most exciting package straight to your door.

chocoyou hong kong

The beautiful packaging makes these chocolates the perfect present, whether you’re treating a loved one, or simply treating yourself (it’s more than ok to buy yourself presents, especially if they involve chocolate). The chocolates are handmade in the ChocoYOU studio in Sheung Wan, so you can guarantee they will be fresh and made with a true chocolate lover’s passion.

The website offers a whole range of infusions, toppings and decorations, some classically associated with chocolate, others slightly on the wacky side. The beauty of it is that there are no restrictions, so if you really want to create pink chocolate with crispy chicken ramen, crystallised lavender and gold flakes, you are more than welcome to (although I would probably not recommend it!).

chocoyou hong kong

Wanting to taste a range of chocolate, I ordered one white, one milk and one dark, each made with rich, creamy Belgian chocolate. Starting with the white, of which I am not usually a fan, I chose to top it with caramel crunch and M&Ms, which not only looked beautiful, but was also possibly the best white chocolate I’ve had in a long time.

For the milk, I chose pink Himalayan salt, cashew nuts and sprinkles. The contrast between the creamy, sweet chocolate and the hint of salt created a delicious balance that was hard to stop eating.

The dark chocolate, my absolute favourite, consisted of chilli, cornflakes and red chocolate hearts. The chilli creeps up on you very subtly, leaving you with a warming, satisfying tingle in your mouth.

If you don’t consider yourself to be very creative, or are in a rush to fulfil your chocolate cravings and don’t have time to create your own bar, you can always choose one of ChocoYOU’s signature pre-designed bars.

Now for the best part of this review – Alexis wants to offer you, my dear readers, a 10% discount on your very own ChocoYOU chocolate bars! From now until 16th June 2013, enter the promo code DIMSUMAPR2013 when you check out and you’ll receive 10% off your final bill – the perfect excuse to treat yourself!

Prices start from $70 per bar, with additional charges for each topping. Delivery is a flat rate of $45 for Hong Kong deliveries, which is removed if you collect the chocolates from the Sheung Wan studio yourself. No minimum order and they also deliver outside of HK – check the website for more details.

www.chocoyou.com

Email: info@chocoyou.com

Tel: +852 2327 9902

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Lobster Bar and Grill

18 Mar

 

the dim sum diaries hong kong

 

lobster bar and grill hong kong

 

At the Island Shangri-La’s Lobster Bar and Grill, the elegance and charm of this 20-odd year old restaurant is instantly apparent the moment you walk in. Given that obviously it specialises in seafood, and particularly lobster, the blue décor and the two beautiful aquariums dotted with colourful fish fit the scene perfectly.

To the right of the entrance, a huge mahogany bar dominates the space, where you can enjoy a cocktail or two pre- or post-dinner. To the left, is a gorgeous dining room with blue leather chairs, where you can gladly spend hours over a civilised dinner, whilst enjoying the tunes from the live jazz band.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

Following a recommendation from the helpful, smiling staff, we began by sharing a seafood platter for two. This enormous platter, bearing Boston lobster, Alaskan crab, oysters, abalone, muscles, sea whelks, prawns and four kinds of sashimi (scallops, salmon, squid and tuna), would have probably sufficed as our meal, or at least served three hungry people. The seafood was all incredibly fresh, my favourite being the very meaty lobster tail. Served on a bed of ice, my only complaint is that some of the seafood was a little too cold, verging on frozen, meaning that some of the flavour, from the crab for example, was lost.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

The Peruvian ceviche, consisting of scallops and hamachi, with avocado and pomelo, was deliciously fresh and light. I loved the contrast in textures from the melt-in-the-mouth scallops, to the buttery avocado, and chunky hamachi.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

The poached Boston lobster tartare, large enough to be a main course after the rest of the seafood, despite being on the starters menu, was divine. Tiny chunks of lobster, laced in a lemon yoghurt dressing were meaty and flavoursome, without being too heavy.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

My favourite savoury dish of the night, however, was the black ink seafood risotto. The rice was perfectly al dente, topped with scallops, prawns, clams, cuttlefish and of course lobster. It would be impossible to fault this dish and I only wish I had been able to finish it.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

Moving on to dessert, the Calvados baked apple was richer than expected, spiked so heavily with liqueur that you could probably get drunk on this alone. Paired with the slightly sharp green apple sorbet, however, a wonderful balance was achieved.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

Apparently the most popular of all the desserts, and understandably so, is the hazelnut parfait. This wonderfully creamy dessert can only be described as heavenly. If I had to give up chocolate for the rest of my life, this dessert, with its nutty outer layer and wonderfully silky interior, would possibly make it just that little bit less torturous. The chunks of passion fruit-topped mango on the side were just a bonus (as were of course the inevitable petits fours!).

lobster bar and grill hong kong

A meal such as this one, with only one cocktail each, would cost at least $2500 for two people. Yes, it’s expensive, but that is to be expected when presented with such high quality seafood that you would be hard pushed to find elsewhere in Hong Kong. For a civilised, delicious meal in an elegant setting, whilst enjoying lovely music (they even take requests!), I would definitely recommend a trip to the Lobster Bar and Grill. If you’re not a lobster fan, fear not, for apparently the steaks are also excellent, but then again it’s not called the “Steak Bar and Grill” now, is it…?!

Lobster Bar and Grill

6/F, Island Shangri-La
Pacific Place
Supreme Court Road
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2820 8560

www.shangri-la.com/hongkong/islandshangrila/dining/restaurants/lobster-bar-grill/

 

 

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Common Ground

7 Feb

common ground hong kong

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, I decided to find a quiet spot that had wifi, where I could while away the hours, have some lunch and get some serious writing done. Brand new Common Ground on Shing Wong Street, just up the steps from Oolaa, fit the part perfectly.

This quirky shop cum café is owned by Joshua and Caleb, the twins behind Twins Kitchen, and their friends, brothers Laz and Sean of Protest Design Company. It’s a small space with limited seating and a kitchen perhaps smaller than any of your kitchens, yet I absolutely love it.

common ground hong kong

The team of four have made this little space into a very cool hangout. It sells unique jewellery and fashion accessories, plays very chilled music (including music by Caleb’s lovely girlfriend, Shiren, if you ask her nicely), and generally exudes the kind of atmosphere that makes it impossible not to want to spend hours there.

common ground hong kong

The décor is unique and adorable; shelves and tables are made of scrap wood, chairs are mismatching, exposed light bulbs hang from the ceiling, whilst cute little jars masquerading as plant pots adorn every surface.

The food and drink menu is currently very limited, given they are still only in soft opening phase, however the few things it does have are well-executed and don’t leave you wanting more; I don’t actually think the menu need be much longer.

common ground hong kong

I opted for the scrambled eggs, following Caleb’s recommendation. This is not usually something I order out, as I rarely find a place that beats homemade scrambled eggs. However, these creamy, decadently delicious eggs, served simply with a spoon and pieces of toasted rosemary ciabatta, put my homemade eggs to shame. Apparently the secret to making them so incredibly creamy is to cook them in a bain-marie as opposed to using direct heat. I know where to find good hangover food the next time I need it.

The salted hot chocolate was also divine, with just the right level of savoury to balance the rich chocolate. After a hardcore Pilates class, I thought I deserved just a little bit of indulgence.

I spent four hours at Common Ground that day; I kept meaning to leave, yet something about the cosy atmosphere, friendly service and incredibly interesting people I met (including a singer, an artist, the owner of Teakha and a Chinese caligraphy artist) made leaving a bit of a challenge. I look forward to spending many a pleasant afternoon at Common Ground in future…

Common Ground
19 Shing Wong Street
Central
Hong Kong

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Le Canelé D’or

4 Jan

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I had a very exciting delivery last month. After having spent the day between my bed and the sofa due to horrible sinus pains, the doorbell rang and I was presented with a little box of delicious-looking canelés hand-delivered from Le Canelé d’Or.

For those unsure what canelés are (as I was, I must admit), they are unique little cakes from the region of Bordeaux in France. We all know Bordeaux is famous for its wine, but having tasted these canelés, I think it also deserves some recognition for its cakes.

le canele dor hong kong

What’s special about these cakes is that somehow they manage to have a thick, hard, caramelised shell, yet at the same time an unexpected, almost custardy interior.

According to myth, canelés were created by nuns in a Bordeaux convent well before the French Revolution; local winemakers who used egg whites to clarify their red wines donated the yolks to these nuns, who used them to make a version of these scrumptious cakes.

le canele d'or hong kong

Le Canelé d’Or was set up by French-born Florence Lamarlere and her husband. When Florence realised how difficult it was to find canelés in Hong Kong and how fun they were to make at home, she immediately saw a gap in the market, especially given how large the French population is in Hong Kong. They don’t have a physical shop in Hong Kong, but through a very easy to use website, you can order your sweet treats at the click of a button, whether you’re entertaining guests or simply feeling very indulgent. And as they offer free delivery to most places in Hong Kong at only 1-2 days’ notice, you can satisfy that sweet craving nice and quickly!

le canele d'or hong kong

Although some argue that the traditional recipe of vanilla bean and rum should not be tampered with, Le Canelé d’Or have added their own unique flavours to the mix, including Mediterranean (orange liqueur and orange zest) and Irish (coffee and whiskey). I agree that the traditional version is delicious, but my personal favourite is the Mediterranean canelé, which is packed full of flavour and not at all too sweet. We tried them both hot and cold and frankly I can’t actually tell you which way I preferred them as both ways worked perfectly.

These delicious treats come in two sizes: grand size (6 for $150) or cocktail size (25 for $175) to serve any purpose. Paired with a cup of tea or a glass of cold milk, these cakes make the perfect breakfast, afternoon snack or even dessert. Although I told myself I would try and have a healthy January, I’m already trying to think of an excuse to put in my next order!

www.lecaneledor.com.hk

Email: info@lecaneledor.com.hk

Tel: +852 6186 2564

 

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Jean-Paul Hevin

6 Nov

jean-paul hevin hong kong

Chocolate makes the world go round; without it, the world would be a very sad place. Good quality chocolate is even more essential, particularly here in Hong Kong, where, aside from a couple of reputable brands, it isn’t easy to find chocolate of a high standard.

French chocolatier Jean-Paul Hévin is one such brand. Upon receiving an invitation to try the afternoon tea at the newly renovated Jean-Paul Hévin flagship store on Lyndhurst Terrace, I simply couldn’t resist, regardless of the fact I had a big dinner waiting for me at home.

Hévin has been creating chocolate in France for 25 years, but only really became famous when he launched his first shop in Japan ten years ago. The Japanese have always been concerned about having high-quality goods and brands; so for the Japanese to have given Jean-Paul Hévin’s chocolate their seal of approval (he was in fact named the number one chocolatier in Japan in 2004) meant it was indeed an excellent product and helped to make it famous the world over.

jean paul hevin hong kong

The flagship store is designed to reflect Hévin’s concept of his bar à chocolat and cave à chocolat, where customers can either buy their chocolates to go or sit down and enjoy a chocolate treat upstairs. The upstairs area is relaxed yet elegant, with a Japanese hanging garden to reflect Hévin’s love for Japan, where he once worked as a pastry chef.

jean paul hevin hong kong

The tea set ($198), which is actually available at any time during the day, comes in three varieties. Ours contained two cakes, two macarons, two chocolates and four chocolate covered almonds.

jean paul hevin hong kong

You may have heard me grumble about chocolate orange before, as it is one of my least favourite things; so the description of ‘Safi’ as a chocolate mousse cake with orange didn’t particularly excite me. Nevertheless, there was only a mere hint of orange liqueur that wasn’t too offensive. The ‘Guayaquil’ cake was incredible: rich without being overpowering and layered with different textures of smooth mousse, crunchy biscuit and almonds, needless to say this cake won an award in Japan.

jean paul hevin hong kong

The cherry and pistachio macaron is a Christmas special, due to its red and green colours. Rather than being stuck together with sickly sweet jam, Hévin uses a creamy chocolate ganache. My favourite, and clearly also Paris’ favourite as it was voted best macaron in Paris, was the chocolate one. Where some macarons are barely infused with whatever flavour they are attempting to be, this one was so flavoursome that I actually described it as a brownie in macaron form. This was the one thing on the plate that I could not resist polishing off entirely despite the large dinner that awaited me.

Moving on to the chocolates, the fig and yuzu one is also a Christmas special, available from 15th December. Although it had an interesting sweet yet sharp twist, my favourite was the more traditional ‘Caraibe’, consisting of pure, delicious chocolate goodness, encased in a crisp dark chocolate shell. Jean-Paul himself must have good taste, as apparently this is also his favourite!

jean paul hevin hong kong

The chocolate covered almonds again came in two varieties: earl grey and dark chocolate, where again, the traditional dark chocolate stood out for me. Although the chocolate-dusted chocolate might be too rich for some, the flavour of the roasted almond shone through, creating a sweet, crunchy contrast.

jean paul hevin hong kong

Finally, although the set is usually served with tea, we tried one of Hévin’s signature monthly hot chocolates. Aside from the traditional hot chocolate, Hévin likes to experiment and put together combinations you would never before have thought would work, such as tomato and basil, caviar, or oysters. So impressive is his collection that he even put together a hot chocolate cookbook (currently this is only available in French but will be sold in English soon).

jean paul hevin hong kong

November’s hot chocolate, and therefore the one we tasted, was fig and chestnut. Luxuriously rich and creamy, Jean-Paul Hévin’s hot chocolate is the stuff dreams are made of, with an added sweetness and gritty crunch from the figs, and an almost Christmassy-like essence from the roasted chestnuts. I’m very curious to find out how December’s caviar hot chocolate fares…

The best thing about Jean-Paul Hévin’s chocolate is that it is good for you. Seriously. Apparently his cocoa beans contain carotene, vitamins, potassium, iron, tannins….the list goes on. With all these nutrients, plus the fact that his chocolates mostly contain no added sugar and no butter, as Jean-Paul Hévin insists on using only cocoa butter for all his chocolates, it would definitely be rude and foolishly unhealthy not to head on up to Lyndhurst Terrace to indulge in some delicious (and nutritious) chocolat.

Jean-Paul Hévin
13 Lyndhurst Terrace
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2851 0633

www.jphevin.com.hk

(other smaller locations in IFC and Harbour City)

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