Chill out @ Chocs-2-Die-For Soiree, Schokolart, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur

chocolate anyone?

I confess I am a total chocoholic - a day does not seem to be right unless I have even a small piece of chocolate (my fav being dark bittersweet chocolate). Hence, when I got an invite to savour chocolate cocktails recently, I was instantly hooked. Kicking off their first soiree, Schokolart is a place I have been eyeing for quite sometime. I first noticed it long ago, when I did a quick check of Tenji last year but since it wasn't serving a full menu, I placed it on the backburner for some time.

lighting up the brandy....

While I didn't get to sample their menu items, I was given the lowdown on what was good. They serve choc-inspired cuisine (think choc sauce with lamb and it seems a juicy chicken satay marinated in dark chocolate!!), chocolate desserts, chocolate cocktails and handmade chocolates. Everything sounds delectable so hopefully when I have the time, I can revisit the place to try their other goodies. I'm especially curious about the satay chicken skewers marinated with dark chocolate. The closest I ever had chocolate with savoury items was my Mexican experience in Sandias (which is now closed down) where they serve mole.

get ready for this...

The chocolates looked absolutely gorgeous at the counter (I liked the delicate pink flower ones). Seems they're the work of the pastry chef Matthias, who used to run a cafe at Bangsar. Swiss imported chocolates are used to make the confections and they are packed in pretty pink coloured boxes.


drink up that trail of fire....goes to your head very "fast & furious"

Back to the soiree, it is a monthly affair where you get unlimited flow of chocolate cocktails from 10pm to 1am. The food is not much, as it is just nibbles of fruits and cake for you to dip in their giant 5 feet chocolate fountain (decorously protected with a plastic casing) so focus on the drinks instead. You also get entertained by a standup comic, Frieda. We didn't get to see much of her performance since we left early but it sounded pretty amusing.


my "Jackson Pollock" inspired fruits drizzled with melted chocolate

There are various types of cocktails to choose from including a list of shooters. Almost all of the cocktails use a liquer known as Creme de Cacao - Brown or White. This sweet chocolate tasting liquer is made from cacao beans (usually used to make cocoa and chocolate). The white version is produced from distilling the cacao beans while the brown version is made from the extract of cacao beans.

The 12 shooters have cute names like Halle Berry Dreams (a mix of Cacao White and Strawberry Cream) and Red Devil (Irish Cream and Melon Liquer). We tried the Shai Scream (Cacao White and Butterscotch Cream) and Bull's eye (Cacao White and Brown) - not too bad and not very strong even though you have to down them quickly. The 23 cocktails also had adorable names like Chocolate Monkey, Death by Chocolate and etc. Some of them were just made from alcohol while others resembled smoothies with ice cream. A super popular drink was the Fast & Furious - a mix of white rum, Creme de Cacao, mint chocolate in a martini glass whereby they pour a brandy lit up from above. You have to sip the drink simultaneously and let me tell you, it definitely gets to your head, "fast and furious". However, it is a visual treat especially with the trail of fire pouring down.

For those who prefer a milder cocktail, try the Choc Banana Fudgeslide as it resembles a mild tasting banana chocolate milkshake even though it contains Creme of Banana and Half & Half Banana. Overall, I did have fun and wouldn't mind coming back with a group of friends. However, be prepared to drink loads of cocktails and get tipsy (unless you stick to those milder milkshake type drinks) to get your money's worth. For more pictures, see my flickr set.

Schokolart
Block K-01-05
Solaris Mont Kiara

2, Jln Solaris
50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03-6203 0968

(Pork free but definitely not alcohol free. Place is right opposite Tenji at a corner. The soiree is a monthly affair where you pay RM185++ per couple for unlimited chocolate cocktails from 10pm to 1am. For more details on what they offer, see the link to Solaris and their website)

Godiva Chocolatier Cafe @ Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

chocolate decadence here....

Sugar High Friday!! I reckon this is the best post to kick off the weekend - a little chocolate indulgence for the soul. Last week, when we visited Pavilion to meet up with my friend to collect my Michelin Guides, we saw this from the top - the cafe nestled in between the luxury boutiques. Owned by the Valiram group, the same people who bring in all those luxe brands that surround this cafe, the cafe seems to have sprouted overnight at this space.


pour your heart out.....rich dark chocolate drink

Prices are definitely cheaper than a Gucci or JP Tods' handbag BUT it will still burn a hole in your wallet especially since we should be tightening our belts now (prices for the drinks range from RM16++ onwards). Most of the people hanging around are tourists or even the Valiram management (spied them indulging in the desserts) during the weekends. On weekdays, the place is ghostly empty just like the whole of Pavilion after the festive season.


white chocolate cake, for those who love creamy richness

At the cafe, you get to relax with hot and cold chocolate drinks including their famous Godiva Chocolixir. Weirdly enough, it is cheaper to drink it here (RM16) versus the takeaway in Suria KLCC (RM22). Not sure if the size of the glass or taxes are included, hence the price difference. There are also cakes you can choose from the counter or a selection of truffles and chocolates, you can order. If you don't fancy chocolate items - there are teas, coffees and other non-chocolate cakes like carrot cake, pistachio macaroons and etc.


chocolate overload, baked dark chocolate ganache tart

Sadly, I wouldn't say everything is super nice here. For instance, while the baked dark chocolate ganache tart (RM17) is great value for money considering the amount of dark chocolate you get (ganache, a large dark chocolate disc, slivers of white chocolate), the slightly hard pastry didn't impress at all.

For me, the winners was the white chocolate cake topped with a Godiva truffle and the white chocolate creme brulee. Although the cake is very simple with its thick white chocolate ganache topping with a sponge base and a mousse like filling - it tasted really delicious the day we ate it. However, I wonder if it will suffer the same fate cakes have in our country - being kept too long in the fridge (half cut) until it hardens and dries up into something quite inedible. We both also liked the creme brulee, which was a tiny portion but just nice since it was very rich tasting. I also tried the carrot cake - not as fantastic as Alexis' version but pretty decent tasting.

The drinks are pretty good too - we really like the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Chocolixir. The combination of tangy raspberries complement the sinful dark chocolate well. If you want it sweeter, add whipped cream but it tastes nicer without it. The other drinks we tried - the dark chocolate and chili chocolate were pretty good too. You get the subtle taste of chili more after you leave the drink to sit for a while though.

While I wouldn't mind dropping by for the drinks, I reckon the cafe does need some improvement more on the cakes especially the tart. Maybe a shorter biscuit crust instead and leaving the tart to thaw out a bit so the ganache is not super hard but silkier? For more pictures, see my Flickr set on the cafe. Sorry about the prices though, only have one receipt only since the other one was in my lost wallet.

Godiva Chocolatier Cafe
Level 2
Pavilion
Jln Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 - 2142 5252

(Pork free. Chocolates are also on sale here. The cafe is located where the designer labels are located, in front of Gucci, Ferragamo and Sincere Watch. You can also buy Godiva chocolates at Suria KLCC and KLIA. The Suria KLCC also serves Chocolixir drinks for take-away.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Other reviews:

• Food4thot
• 3iLing

Tagged with: Godiva Chocolates + Pavilion Kuala Lumpur