March 24, 2012

La Maison du Chocolat: Hot chocolate so rich it could be in a bank

Caracas Hot Chocolate
Caracas Hot Chocolate rich intense hot chocolate


We made a visit to the La Maison du Chocolat boutique on Madison Ave.  With our love for sweets, we decided to have lunch there!

When we walked in, it was quite an amazing sight!  Their chocolate was displayed like jewelery, all lined up beautifully and sitting there like rings and pearls.  Hey, but don't worry, we didn't eat chocolate for lunch.  Instead, we had French Macarons and hot chocolate in their café.  Which is, of course, all the healthier!


La Maison du Chocolat cafe Interior
La Maison du Chocolat café interior

Guayaquil Hot Chocolate
Guayaquil Hot Chocolate rich chocolate with a subtle note of Madagascar vanilla served with whipped cream and a milk chocolate square


They offered two types of hot chocolate and both sounded delightfully delicious.  When we asked the waitress the difference between the two she asked "Well, do you like sweeter or not as sweet?" (verbatim) She explained that the Guayaquil was a bit sweeter than the Caracas hot chocolate.  Jocelyn chose the Caracas and Cathy got the Guayaquil.  

(And oh our goodness [since there's two of us], the names of the hot chocolate are so hard to remember/pronounce/type.  Instead of Caracas hot chocolate, Jocelyn keeps saying carcass hot chocolate (which is morbid and very unappetizing).  And Cathy thinks Guayaquil sounds like the Pokémon Cyndaquil.)

We also have to mention that we didn't actually try any of their chocolates that were sold in the pretty displays, which we regret.  But we did try the chocolate squares that came with our hot chocolates!  The chocolate squares were silky smooth and the milk chocolate wasn't too sweet.  It had more of an actual milk taste instead of sugar, which was fantastic.


Dripping Caracas Hot Chocolate
Look at how thick it is!


And when we said liquified chocolate, we meant it.  Both hot chocolates were so thick and decadent, it was as if we were drinking pure chocolate!  And it was AMAZING.

And for the main course...a plate of French macarons!


French Macarons
Quito dark chocolate, Guayaquil chocolate vanilla, Romeo chocolate coffee, Chocolate Pistachio, Salvador chocolate raspberry, and Rigoletto chocolate caramel

French Macarons

Salvador Raspberry Macaron innards
Salvador innards


The French Macarons had a thin crispy shell with just the right amount of filling.  We think the best term to describe the flavors would be "bright".  The flavors almost had the same effect as the sun, and it kind of just filled your mouth! 


Eclairs
Éclairs


On the way out, we passed by their display of éclairs and realized we had totally missed them!  So to set things right, we bought one to take with us. 


Eclair Marron Box



Eclair Marron
Éclair Marron rum-infused chestnut

Eclair Marron innards
Éclair Marron innards


The éclair marron was not quite as satisfying as their French macarons.  It tasted fresh and the pastry part was light and fluffy.  The filling did have a nutty taste, but it reminded us of the taro flavor used in Asian bakeries.  Not saying that's a bad thing, but the taste was too familiar to us to be a real treat.

But if you ever have the time or end up near a La Maison du Chocolat, you must try their hot chocolate!  You will never have anything as rich as that cup of good stuff.  And you should also try their chocolates on our behalf -- we're sure they're just as wonderful!


Eaten by Jocelyn and Cathy.


They have three boutiques in Manhattan, New York
The one we went to:

La Maison du Chocolat
1018 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10075
(212) 744-7117
http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/en/ 

La Maison Du Chocolat on Urbanspoon
 

2 comments:

Mary Bergfeld said...

You two know how to treat yourselves. This looks like a not-to-miss experience for visitors to the city. I was especially charmed by your photography. I love to visit here. You've created a really interesting spot to visit and you keep me coming back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Anonymous said...

Hi ,

Your first post just appeared on Urbanspoon! Check it out:
http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/32179/restaurant/Upper-East-Side/La-Maison-Du-Chocolat-New-York

I encourage you to claim your blog, which allows you to add a picture and change some settings. The blog photo shows up next to your posts wherever they appear on Urbanspoon. Here's how to claim:

- Make sure you're logged into Urbanspoon

- Go to your blog page on our site: http://www.urbanspoon.com/br/3/9876/New-York/Foodish-Fetish.html

- Click "Claim your blog" in the left sidebar

After you submit it, we may contact you to verify your claim. Check your spam email folder if your claim hasn't gone through in a day or two. You'll also find some interesting badges and widgets on your Urbanspoon blog page - look in the right sidebar.

If you have any questions, please contact me via email.

Thanks,
Greg

www.urbanspoon.com

--
greg(at)urbanspoon(dot)com