Valentine's Day is an important occasion for many people. They make
reservations at expensive restaurants and rack their brains to come
up with romantic gift ideas to give their beloved.
Whatever it is, chocolate is always an indispensable element of
V-day. With its sweet fragrance, full-bodied taste and smooth
texture, chocolate is a long-standing symbol of the special
intimacy between lovers.
What's more, chocolate also has blue blood in its origin. It's
said that a Spanish princess once sent cacao to Louis XIV as an
engagement gift. Legendary and sweet, no wonder chocolate has
caught on as the gift of love. Yet Valentine's Day chocolates ought
to differ from ordinary ones. So here is a list of places where
people can find quality and unique chocolates.
Beijing
Scene a Cafe
People have a reason to expect delectable desserts from the
five-star China World Hotel and they are not disappointed.
Scene a Cafe is in fact a buffet, and its dessert section will
have chocoholics clamoring for its various chocolate creations.
Top the list is Chocolate Magma, a chocolate cake with a warm
chocolate lava sauce inside. The seductive fragrance and sleek
texture easily activates the taste buds on the tongue and the
crispy flakes on the outside melt automatically in the diner's
mouth.
The classic chocolate mousse here looks very attractive and
tastes just as good with
its full chocolate flavor. The Chefs here all seem to be magicians,
who know how to play with the flavors of fruits, chocolate, and
creams and then create amazing desserts.
Scene a Cafe' also provides customized chocolate cakes which are
created by the German pastry chef. All of the cake's ingredients
are imported from France and the chocolate is from Switzerland.
Location: 2/F, China World Hotel, No.1
Jianguomen Waidajie, Chaoyang District
Tel: 010-65052266
Suyuan (Crispy Garden)
With its wide selection of chocolate desserts, Suyuan can
satisfy the cravings of chocolate die-hards, be it classic
followers, alcohol lovers or people with diabetes.
Apart from the standard milk, dark and white chocolates, Suyuan
also presents those with fillings that include Wuliangye, a brand
of chinese rice wine, or whisky for those wanting an alcohol taste.
The chefs here can also make sugar-free chocolates using Grand Cru
Hacienda chocolate which is all natural and tastes half as sweet
and half as bitter as most chocolates.
Location: Hall of Grand Hyatt Hotel, No.1,
Dongchang'anjie, Dongcheng District
Tel: 010-85181234 ext. 6362
Shangri-la Hotel Gourmet
One thing makes Shangri-la Hotel Gourmet stand out from its
peers is that after 6 pm, all take-away snacks are 50 percent off.
Chocolates here are all made of top quality cacao along with other
top ingredients. The chocolates here aren't just delicious to eat,
but mesmerizing to the eye as well.
Desserts here are in large portions. French croissants are big
and fluffy, covered in thin almond slices. Muffins are also much
larger than other gourmets, some with a whiff of coffee flavor.
Walnut coarse flour bread is a dense one, due to the addition of
raisins.
Location: 1/F, Tower B, Shangri-la Hotel,
No.33, Fuchenglu, Pudong Xinqu
Tel: 021-68828888
Howard Johnson's Gourmet
Howard Johnson features Belgium chocolates. Different from
typical chocolates, Howard Johnson's chocolates are more create
blends in tastes. Chefs add flavors like cappuccino, caramel, green
tea, hazel, fennel and even some hot chilies. The most popular one
is the passion berry chocolate. This passion berry confiture is
enclosed in a milk chocolate shell. When biting into it, the fruity
filling oozes out, bringing a unique flavor to the tastebuds.
Location: Howard Johnson Hotel, No. 595, Jiujianglu, Huangpu
District
Tel: 021-33134888
(bbs.qianlong.com via China Daily January 25, 2008)
