These are Melbourne's BEST chocolate truffles. No argument. No discussion entered into. I've certainly tried quite a few in my life, and sampled those which are supposed to be the best or the most expensive (note: these two things usually go together).
Last year, when I returned to study, my campus was in the busiest shopping street in Melbourne's CBD. My friends and I took to exploring the laneways and arcades when we'd have a free 30 minutes (which wasn't often enough!). During winter we started a quest to find Melbourne's best hot chocolate, which is how we found this place. Well, it was a bit hard to avoid; it is possibly Melbourne's most high profile chocolatier, at the moment. Based on that, I was pretty certain I'd be disappointed. High profile doesn't necessarily mean high quality, and that belief certainly fit for their overpriced, over-hyped hot chocolate, but these truffles...ohmygawd! Scoops of bitter dark chocolate ganache are coated in a thin shell of dark chocolate and tossed in cocoa and make the most incredibly decadent treat. They're quite bitter, and I don't think they'd be popular with kiddies, or people whose idea of chocolate bliss is a Freddo Frog. But to taste the bitter powder of the cocoa on your tongue, to break through the shell and taste the quality of the ganache and the hint of vanilla is to know what sublime chocolate bliss is like. These s*** on all other contendors from a great height! And they're not even too expensive; packets of 4 are $4, so (obviously) equals $1 each, which is only a few cents more than a Lindt ball.
The chocolatier is Koko Black - the licensed Belgian chocolate lounge in the Royal Arcade, just off the Bourke Street Mall. If you're really lucky, you can get a table upstairs and watch the crowds below.
The truffles in the photos didn't hold up too well on the trip home, and got a but squooshy. I couldn't decide which photo I liked better, so I had to include them both. Any suggestions? Which one do you like better?
Ooooohhh...truffles...drooooling....thanks a lot! ;-) Both photos are great, but I like #! the best!
ReplyDeleteThat was me posting "anonymously" up above...arrrgh! **shuts off computer and goes back to wishing she had truffles to gorge herself on**
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Moira
I'll be paying Koko Black a visit after that interesting review. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteOw, ow, ouch, sudden pang of homesickness seeing that lovely bougainvilla flower, sniff, sob. They (together with the jacarandas) are some of the flowers I miss most. Shouldn't complain I guess - the daffodils and crocuses are about ready to start their display over here. But still...
ReplyDeleteBtw, truffles look gorgeous & I like pic #1 best.
Yes, I think I like the first pic better too. All truffles are gone now, so these are my memories of them...
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - yes, Koko Black is certainly worth a visit. Don't get swayed by all the hype about Max Brenner Chocolate Bar at the QV centre though - very over-hyped, very expensive and not the best quality. Their orchid oil hot chocolate tasted just like dishwater!
Nothing worse than something not meeting your expectations, especially when it comes to food. I was intrigued by the Max Brenner hot chocolate experience until your last comment. How unappetising!
ReplyDeleteHi Niki! BOTH your pictures look gorgeous to me! I actually made a truffle looking a bit like these for the IMBB 8 - mine had Bailey's in them, but I suppose you could just leave that out - it wasn't to hard. Of course, a lot of the indulgence is as well that you go into that shop, buy it, go out with that little white box in hand, carefully take it home, sit down, maybe made yourself a litlle cup of something nice and then bite by bite enjoy it! Or, if I was to do it, scoff 'em down in a couple of seconds!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for letting me know where to go if I'm going to Melbourne - I think Koko would become my friend faster than I'd like!
BTW, what's a Freddo Frog? We have this caramel-filled, frog-shaped chocolates here in Denmark - anything like that?
I've seen your Bailey's truffles and nearly fell over. I'd kill to have some of those! Actually, the truffles that Robert made for the French dinner were even more spectacular than these bought ones, in my opinion. But I can't just go out and expect to have homemade truffles made by friends available ALL the time!...
ReplyDeleteFreddo Frogs sound kind of similar to what you described in Denmark. Here, have a look at this:
http://www.cadbury.com.au/sites/cadbury/index.php?pageId=82
Don't get me wrong - I love me a good Freddo frog, and sold many hundreds of them when trying to raise funds for our overseas tour last year. (Personally my preference is for the totally Australian Caramello Koala...they make your teeth ache, but god they're good!)
Something totally unexpected happened when I visited Melbourne's Koko Black in Lygon St (just opened in Mar 05)! I have never been a chocolate-fancier, never...until my visit to Koko's! That night changed my life. I am now a chocoholic (I used to frown at all my friends whenever they went into choc raptures over the European chocs I'd give them from my overseas trips). My favourite Koko chocolates are the Amareno and Champagne truffle. I could eat boxes of them and after this last trip, I am just about doing that! I eat just one almost every night...and it confirms my belief that 'everything in moderation' is one of the world's greatest truths.
ReplyDeleteThey've a new store on Lygon Street, Carlton - beautiful shop/cafe!!!!
ReplyDeleteeww horid!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete