The foodie scene in Sydney has been given a great boost in fresh and organic direction with a burst of Farmers’ Markets and one of the latest additions is the Eveleigh Farmers’ Markets. It is always exciting to check out a new market but it was made much more fun when going in with other foodies armed with cameras and a large appetite. Shez, Karen and I decided to crash Chocolatesuze’s stall at the markets and to stock up on some delicious treats while we were at it hee hee.

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After staring and drooling avidly over multiple posts about this chocolate heaven, I had finally been able to get myself down to Boon the chocolate experience. NQN first reviewed this place back in January and then ChocolateSuze and Grab Your Fork came last week and all of their posts had me jealous but giddy at the thought of my visit. Without much convincing at all, I was able to drag Pupu away from her busy schedule to come gorge on some delicious chocolate with me. It is close to the Mardi Gras and so they have decorated the place with some pretty colourful and glittery ornaments.

This photo was particularly amusing

Mmmmm pralines

The others have already done too good a job at reviewing the place so I will just add some minor details here and there. Hopefully I can make you guys jealous as well hee hee mmm chocolate ^^!

Shelf full of goodies

Alex Chan

A very friendly and helpful Alex showed us around the place and the chocolate they had on offer. I was a little bit surprised when he informed me they have been open for about 4 months now as it meant that we should have come here much sooner!

Fanny Chan

We did  not get to chat much with the delightful Fanny as she was busy working her magic and so we didn’t want to disturb her too much hee hee.

They still had the chocolate bag left on display

Open Letter ($75)

This was my favourite novelty chocolate item and would have got it if I had been here for V-day Alex also showed us one that was left over, a man had pre-ordered and paid for it but did not come to pick it up… not a good sign :S

Tres Corazones

I love the deep lush red of these hearts and since they are Moet & Chandon Champange flavoured, there are even more reasons to get them.

Boon Terrace Lounge – some fine photography art hanging on the wall

This wallpaper really help create the perfect chocolate mood mmmm love it!

I absolutely adore this terrace lounge although the lighting can be a bit dim for photography but it creates the ultimate mood for couples haha. The seating arrangements are also suited for that of a small party. They also have a brilliant selection of classical jazz which made the atmosphere of this place impeccable. Pupu and I had a look at their menu and although they are more focused on drinks and pralines there were a few other selections possible (like the Belgian waffles!) so Here Comes the Food.

It is quite obvious that we had Chocolatesuze and GYFs’ visit in mind as we ended up ordering the same as them -___- call us sheep but their descriptions were too seductive hee hee.

Milk Hot Chocolate ($7.50) – served with chocolate mousse and a Boon praline (Mira)

The hot chocolate was not too sweet which is good but oozed that creamy milk chocolate flavour. The mousse tasted like a chocolate cloud and sent us immediately into a state of euphoria. The Mira is a blend of white chocolate, mountain pepperberries and strawberries. The strawberry was stronger flavour but a subtle flavour of the pepperberry was present as well.

Dark Hot Chocolate ($7.50) - served with chocolate mousse and a Boon praline (Jasmin)

I prefer dark chocolate and this definitely was the drink for me! The silky smooth texture of the hot chocolate mixed with a rich  and deep cacao flavour without being too bitter. The Jasmin praline was also one of our favourite pralines as the jasmine tea flavour works surprisingly well with dark chocolate. The inital chocolate created a nice platform for the jasmine tea flavour to spread and fill the mouth as the praline melted.

Me being me ^^! Mousse in hot chocolate = melted goodness mmm!

Chocolate Teaser Plate ($7.50) – clockwise from bottom left: Kaneel, El Corazon, Kurobiko, Orient and Balsamico

Only having one praline each was not enough, naturally, so we decided on this teaser plate. Firstly the Kaneel, an almond ganache with cinnamon and orange peel, had a lovely balance of cinnamon and little specks of orange peel. I love the warm feeling you get with cinnamon mmm. The El Corazon, a miniature version of the giant heart, were a V-day special but we were lucky they still had some left over (If you go very soon and ask hopefully they will still have some!) had a beautiful infusion of rose and the champagne. It seemed to taste a bit of lychee when we first tried and definitely another favourite. The Kurobiko, hazelnut praline with black sesame and rice crispies, gave off pleasant little crunches with each bite but I do not remember tasting much black sesame. There was a woody taste from the hazelnut which tasted a bit like the skin of the hazelnut which was quite interesting. The Orient, dark chocolate ganache with ginger pieces, soft specks of ginger added a nice dimension of flavour. Finally the Balsamico, strawberry-milk chocolate ganache accented with balsamic vinegar, had a rich strawberry flavour but also small grains of salt and the slightest tinge of balsamic vinegar.

Belgian Waffle with fresh strawberries, almonds, vanilla bean ice cream and Boon chocolate sauce ($14.50) (aka plate of awesomeness)

A must have to compare with the waffles of other chocolatiers. The waffle here is very enjoyable as it is not too sweet but I found that it could have been warmer. The strawberries were a bit sour but that just eccentuated the sweetness of the velvety vanilla ice cream and the chocolate sauce. The addition of almond flakes were genius, as they added a delightful crunch with some of the bites. The others already did an unbeatable pouring shot so I decided to venture into the 4th dimension with some continuous shots.

MMmm awesomeness tastes… awesome!

They are also quite generous with the amount of pouring chocolate you get in the waffle, good times ^^!

Our scraping efforts – cut short due to time constraints!

Pralines before being coated

The hypnotic chocolate wheel… need to get me one of those!

Boon is definitely worth the visit even though it is in Darlinghurst which means horrible parking especially before 6pm. A re-visit is also in order to try all the other drinks like the cold ones!

Boon the chocolate experience

251 Victoria St

Darlinghurst 2010

Ph: (02) 9356 8876

FFichiban

I may be one cafe late but I have finally entered the splendid and wonderful house of the Guylian Cafe. After reading and drooling over the recounts of fellow foodbloggers’ experience at the Circular Quay branch I thought I might sneak into the new one at the Rocks just to be a bit different Fortunately NQN told me which day it opened or I might have been welcomed by a closed sign but on Monday evening Pupu and I made our way there and was welcomed by the amusing bubble chandelier and friendly staff.

Everything looks brand-spanking new ^^!

From the photos of the Circular Quay branch I have seen, this one looks pretty much identical with only the layout being different.

Cakes and other goodies in the counter

More yummy looking cakes

truffles truffles truffles

Mini slices of heaven…. which come in different %’s!

This would make a good present From me to me ^^!

This is made of plastic but one can dream…

I love Guylian chocolates, from the cute oceanic shapes to the sandy texture of the chocolate. This is the type of chocolate that you must let melt in your mouth to truly experience it properly.

I like the lighting and the ridging on the wall

Pupu and I decided to share a drink but for desserts we had to order 2 to try and cover as much ground as possible each trip we make. Our waitress seemed a bit nervous but she was very friendly and had a few recommendations for us. It was a pretty tough choice to pick 2 desserts from the list but we had to start from somewhere so Here Comes the Food.

Guylian Dark Hot Chocolate
A tidy little block of dark chocolate very slowly melting in the warm cup accompanied by a small jug of hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was not bad but only because it had a block of melted chocolate in it, otherwise it seemed a bit too much like powdered hot chocolate. I would have liked it a bit thicker and hotter but it had the right sweetness and chocolatey-ness. I was a bit disappointed that we did not get a complimentary caramel crunch chocolate like NQN did on her visit

Guylian Tiramisu ($14.50)
This tiramisu was beautifully light and fluffy and everything just came together very well. The espresso syrup soaked sponge ladyfinger had a crumbly but sticky texture and mixed beautifully with the creamy marscapone sabayon. The droplets of raspberry coulis were also a wonderful addition for both the eyes and the mouth. There were also a few small pieces of chocolate covered biscuit/cereal on top which added a nice crunch.

Belgium Waffles with Chocolate Dip (Aztec 60%)
OOohh hheeyyy, its waffle time, its waffle time, won’t you have some waffles of minnnneee Yay to all the other Scrubs fans out there ^^! If your not you should be hee hee (waffle link). Anyway back to the waffles! I really liked the waffles here as they had a slightly doughy interior but a crispy exterior to balance it out. The Aztec chocolate had a rich taste but a hint of other spices in it if I am not mistaken. It also formed a soft shell around the ice cream after being poured on which added to the fun factor (like ice magic ^^!) All in all we found the waffles to be better than Max Brenner but maybe not as good as the Lindt Cafe one but I shall need to refresh my Lindt one as I have not been there in a very long time. I know I will be getting the waffle again the next time I come to Guylian though

Sorry to spoil all the chocolatey mood but we spied this odd children’s book in the window of the bookshop a few doors down. It looks quite interesting :S

Other chocolatey cafe:
San Churro Chocolateria – Glebe, Sydney
Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat – Balmain, Sydney

Guylian Cafe
91 George St
The Rocks, Sydney 2000
Ph: (02) 8274 7500

FFichiban