CHOCOLATE YOUR LIFE 100+ ways to indulge By bazaar staff
Everybody knows that when the sweet tooth strikes, it is an urge that must be satisfied— immediately! With the recent opening of The Chocolate Café at The Food Circle in Mishref, there is a new place that your internal GPS should be steering you towards when this happens. With more than 100+ menu options of chocolaty inspired and other sweet decadences, the menu is overflowing with options. From the tried and true nature of such dishes as a lava cake, to the more adventurous and inventive Sizzlers menu, The Chocolate Café aims to please via a menu that is international in approach and an ambiance that is hip whilst remaining family-friendly in appeal. Make no mistake, chocolate is their specialty! It makes sense then that they would look to serve a variety of palettes with options sourced from the various regions of the chocolate producing world. This means more options for the increasingly fickle taste buds of a better-travelled local populace. For example, if you are more predisposed to drink your chocolate fix, they offer both an American and French option. The French one, which is slightly sweeter, is traditional, and served with both whipped cream and cookie accompaniment. The American version, or “Rosy Cosey Hot Chocolate,” by contrast, is an inventive and modern take on the classic: it is a little less sweet, and comes served infused with rose water and with rose petals sprinkled on top. 4 other additional coffee variants of both styles (French and American) are additionally available for your tasting pleasure. The 5 “Sizzler” platters on offer are interesting variations of some of the non-chocolate desserts you 70
are likely used to. Imagine though, if you will, all of the pomp and sizzle that normally accompanies a tables arrival of a plate of fajitas, but in dessert form- with all the billowing smoke and hiss when the chocolate sauce is poured atop the hot skillet tableside. The experience will have you salivating impatiently, no doubt. I tried the Apple Pie option, which came with a butterscotch sauce, and was a slightly different take on the American classic, and served á la mode. There is also a sticky date cake, as well as a walnut and/or hazelnut version of same, all served with your choice of a variety of sauces to top it off and tweak your dessert until your hearts content. There are 3 different options in their “Dark Hot Cakes” lineup, of which I had the soufflé. For me a very good soufflé should practically deflate as your utensil touches it, allowing the wonderful aroma to waft upwards to your nose and draw you in: this one, most certainly, did not let me down. It’s a little victory, but a delicious one. There is also a Nutella option here, which though I did not get to try, must be amazing if it has Nutella in it, right? There are two different sections of the menu that deserve mention at least for their presentation alone. Varieties of both “Pudding Delights” and “Chocolate Lava pots,” come served in small Le Creuset style crockery with a swirl of chocolate spread beneath like a painters first stroke in chocolate: a foreshadowing of the mouthwatering masterpiece to be set atop. These are also served with a scoop of ice cream in a side bowl, as well as with a petite gravy boat of chocolate sauce—awesome. The Fondues section, additionally, offer versions both for the solo diner as well as an
option for friends to share, and comes with a choice of 10 different dipping sides. All this is to say nothing of the crepes, prepared true to their Parisian roots, as ordered and before your eyes. Lastly the Pavlova, a dessert of (perpetually disputed) New Zealand origin and named in honor of the Russian Ballerina Ana Pavlova, is another treat that must be tried, if only for its regional rarity. In the matter of a few short weeks, the folks behind The Chocolate Café are already building a loyal fan base of returning customers, and it is easy to see why. Between the ever churning chocolate on the bar, the hip and funky décor, and the never-ending assortment of dessert indulgence, you are sure to find your “happy place” at the Chocolate café; though, it is likely at the bottom of your next dessert-so keep going! The Chocolate Café is located in The Food Circle in Mishref. Follow them online at: http:// instagram.com/thechocolatecafe or reach them by phone at 2226 1061.