Jewels Artisan Chocolate's Snowskin 2011

Jewels Artisan Chocolate's Snowskin 2011

Mooncake goes healthy this year for Jewels Artisan Chocolate has introduced Korean Black Garlic to this tasty treat. Known to have high levels of anti-oxidants, this fermented garlic might be the most interesting flavour for this year.

Upon fermentation, black garlic has a texture close to preserved plums with a hint of sweetness and tangy aftertaste (similar to balsamic vinegar). With soft chewy snowskin and green bean paste, there is a generous serving of black garlic at the centre of the mooncake and to a certain extent, this is quite acquired and different from most snowskin flavours.


Apart from the black beauty, the signature Snowskin Mooncake with Champagne Ganache Truffle is something not to be missed and just like last year, this has not disppointed.


Snowskin Mooncake with Dark Chocolate Crunchy Pearl (green), Mini Snowskin Mooncake with Espresso Truffle (yellow) and Snowskin Mooncake with Salted Caramel Truffle (pink) are also back in action.

Snowskin Mooncake with Dark Chocolate Crunchy Pearl has a nice contrast of smooth lotus paste with crunchy chocolate pearls and having use Valrhona Crunchy Dark Chocolate Pearls, it does help to reduce the sweetness alittle.

Snowskin Mooncake with Salted Caramel Truffle has been the next popular flavour after the signature Champagne Truffle as the smooth salted caramel ganache contrast nicely with the lotus paste for the distinctive caramelized and lightly salted aftertaste.


A box of assorted mini snowskin will have 2 Korean Black Garlic, 2 Champagne Ganache Truffle, 2 Salted Caramel Truffle with 1 of the Espresso Truffle and Dark Chocolate Crunchy Pearl each, priced at $56.80.

Following discounts are applicable for the purchase of 3 boxes and more,

• 5% off total price for 3 to 4 boxes purchased
• 10% off total price for 5 to 9 boxes purchased
• 15% off total price for 10 or more boxes purchased

Apart from Jewels Artisan Chocolate @ Orchard Central, these mooncakes are also available at the mooncake fair at Takashimaya from 18 Aug 2011 to 11 Sep 2011 and Entertainment Centre Atrium (Outside Carrefour, Suntec City) from 29 Aug 2011 to 11 Sept 2011.

Last but not least, we would like to thank Chef Then Chui Fong for the complimentary box of mooncakes.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#02-31/32
Tel: 6509 8998

Operating hours: 11am to 11pm daily

[ ... ]

Chocolate Fondue @ Jewels Artisan Chocolate

Chocolate Fondue @ Jewels Artisan Chocolate

A new addition to Jewels Artisan Chocolate's menu and this is nothing but a pure delight to chocolate lovers.

Having spent the Earth Hour at Max Brenner the previous day, the chocolate fondue offered at Jewels Artisan Chocolate was so much more mindblowing, be it the quantity and quality.

Available in 3 types, namely milk, dark and brandy, this $18.80++ dessert comes with a generous pot of chocolate, served with fresh seasonal fruits, marshmallows, seaweed crackers and wafer sticks.

This is by far one of the richest chocolate fondue we have came across and what we like most about the chocolate is slight bitter taste with hints of fruity notes. Though it doesn't come with many complements, the velvetly thick goodness gives you more reasons to reach for your spoon.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#02-31/32
Tel: 6509 8998

Operating hours: 11am to 11pm daily
Website

[ ... ]

Mooncakes by Jewels

Mooncakes by Jewels

With many years of experience from Hilton Singapore, Shangri-la, Mandarin Orchard and Raffles Hotel, Chef Then Chui Fong presents her very own series of mooncakes using chocolate as a theme. As expected, the mooncakes offered by Jewels Artisan Chocolate is a strong competitor to the top hotels in Singapore. I believe we have mentioned before that rarely we have a mooncake whereby the whole family unanimously agree that it is good, this is one such case. The baked skin mooncake is a hit with the older generation for not being sweet and it shares a similar texture to the Hua Ting's baked mooncakes for its slight oily and moist lotus paste. I must say that the only thing which can be improved is probably the baked skin which can be more fragrant.

There are 3 flavours available, namely, Baked Mooncake with Double Yolk and White Lotus Paste, Baked Mooncake with Single Yolk & Black Pearl Chocolate and Baked Mooncake with Black Pearl Chocolate & Winter Melon Seeds.


Snowskin mooncakes come in four flavours.(From left to right) Mini Snow-Skin Mooncake with Dark Chocolate Crunchy Pearl, Mini Snow-Skin Mooncake with Espresso Truffle, Mini Snow-Skin Mooncake with Champagne Ganache Truffle and and Mini Snow-Skin Mooncake with Salted Caramel Truffle.

Usually I would find chocolate and lotus paste overwhelming but the choice of chocolate pearls was excellent. You could still feel the lotus paste but with a slight crunch. The ganache encased in the chocolate shell is smooth and complements very well with the smooth lotus paste. Snowskin is soft and slightly chewy, showing resemblance to a good mochi. The only flavour that disappoints is the espresso version for its a very strong flavour and that both coffee and lotus paste can be a very harsh and heaty on the throat.

Champagne Ganache Truffle steals the show among the snowskin series. Apart from the strong champagne content in its ganache, the entire combination melts in the mouth. Also, the overall is not sweet and hence making it so addictive to have more than just one. Salted Caramel Truffle shines for its contrast between salted caramel and sweet lotus paste. A must-try for salted caramel lovers.

Mooncakes have never been devoured at such fast rate, the moment we finish taking the photos, all our family members enjoyed it with a nod in the head. For this, we recommend Jewels' Champagne Ganache Truffle and the baked mooncakes strongly.

Many thanks to Chef Then for the complimentary mooncakes.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#02-31/32
Tel: 6509 8998

Operating hours: 11am to 11pm daily
Mooncakes are available from 22nd August to 22 September 2010.
For more information on their mooncakes, here is the webpage

[ ... ]

Jewels' macarons

Jewels' macarons

Unlike our first impression, these fail to stand out when served with the Chocolate Mousse in Verrine and Hazelnut Slush. Although the macarons have its crisp and meaty shells and that they are nicely flavoured with rose or green tea (respectively), we felt that the main flaw lies in the slight watery and salty (subtle) buttercream.

If we were to compare strictly macarons with other places, this is definitely good, if not one of the best in Singapore but with outstanding chocolate desserts served back to back, we can't deny the fact that the other desserts are more addicitve.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#02-31/32
Tel: 6509 8998

Operating hours: 11am to 11pm daily
http://www.jewels.com.sg/

[ ... ]

Chocolate Slush

Chocolate Slush

Yuan is someone that is very sensitive to the type of milk used in beverages, hence his first impression of Jewels' chocolate beverages weren't postive. However, having tried the Chocolate Hazelnut Slush, he had a second opinion. With hazelnut incorporated into the drink, the milk becomes less distinctive, hence leaving an overall impression of the drink being rich and smooth.

When it comes to ice-blended drinks, it is important to have it smooth, the icy texture can be a put-off as it makes drinking unpleasant and diluted when the ice starts to melt. This was experienced when we had the Godiva's chocolixir (Dark Chocolate Decadence) and we compared it with Iced Milo blended with dark chocolate bits.

Anyway, for your information, there are only 2 iced chocolate drinks we like (till now) which is, the Chocolate Slush from Jewels and Iced Dark Chocolate Granite from Max Brenner.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#02-31/32
Tel: 6509 8998

Operating hours: 11am to 11pm daily
http://www.jewels.com.sg/

[ ... ]

Chocolate Tart with Gianduja Hazelnut Ice Cream

Chocolate Tart with Gianduja Hazelnut Ice Cream

Guess the chocolate tart from Jewels is stirring more attention and I guessed most would be tempted to compare with Laurent's chocolate tart.

Frankly speaking, both tarts are very different, while Laurent presents his tart with a crispy hazelnut base, dark and milk chocolate cream, Jewels is closer to the Caraibe of Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie. The chocolate filling adopted by Jewels is closer to a huge slice of chocolate truffle that melts cleanly in your mouth. As for Laurent, it is the creaminess of the dark and milk chocolate filling with the crunch of the hazelnut praline that strikes the right chord for most.

Depending on individual preference, Yuan, being a fan of Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie's Caraibe would prefer the chocolate tart from Jewels. As for me, I am more inclined towards Laurent's chocolate tart.

In this dessert, it was the Gianduja Hazelnut Ice Cream that screams attention. As what Yuan describes, it is very close to eating Praline Feuilletine minus the crunch.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#02-31/32
Tel: 6509 8998

Operating hours: 11am to 11pm daily
http://www.jewels.com.sg/

[ ... ]

Chocolate Mousse in Verrine

Chocolate Mousse in Verrine

This is one of the recommendation made by Chocolatier Then. The meaning of verrine is glass. Hence all 3 chocolate mousses, is presented in a see-through glass.

A combination of white chocolate yogurt mousse, 40% milk chocolate mousse and 66% Alpaco dark chocolate mousse, served with praline feuilletine (an ingredient where almond is been roasted with sugar and caramelized to make a smooth paste; with biscuits added for crunch), almond crumble, sesame crisps, macaron, chocolate twirls and berry compote.

This is a must-try at Jewels. With so many ingredients incorporated in one dessert, we are very surprised that it not confusing nor contaminated. The various toppings brings out the distinct characteristics of each type of mousse. For instance, the dark chocolate mousse was enjoyed with the crunchy praline feuilletine, white chocolate yogurt mousse compliments nicely with the berry compote while the milk chocolate is good on its own.

A nice symphony of the varying taste incorporated in each mouthful.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#02-31/32
Tel: 6509 8998

Operating hours: 11am to 11pm daily
http://www.jewels.com.sg/

[ ... ]

Jewels Artisan Chocolate

Jewels Artisan Chocolate

At first glance, "Jewels Artisan" may give most an impression that this is a jewellery boutique but the owners of this outlet aim to bring about a chocolate experience to be enjoyed with all senses . Located right beside a live radio station (lush 99.5fm), this allows diners to enjoy every piece of handcrafted chocolates, made with premium chocolates and fresh ingredients.


Though Jewels Artisan is a new start-up, it is spearheaded by renown local Chocolatier Then Chui Foong. With her experience working in L'artisan Du Chocolate and her experience with the first open-concept chocolate kitchen (in Asia) when she was a chocolatier at Raffles Hotel, Chocolatier Then brings about a different level of visual chocolate experience with Jewels' open kitchen concept and chocolate sculptures presented in marble showcases.


We started our afternoon with two chocolate beverages, the Grand Cru Hot Chocolate with chocolate shavings (Made with Guanaja 70% Grand Cru) & Chocolate Slush (Single Espresso and Dark Chocolate). Both chocolate drinks are made from chocolate couverture as opposed to cocao powder.

Chocolatier Then felt that it is a misconception to conclude that dark chocolate are bitter by nature. High cocao content refers to low sugar and often has a certain uniqueness in taste, a characteristic of single origin chocolate. In fact, it is the over-roasting of cocao beans during production that gives the bitterish aftertaste. Anyway, the initial taste of the hot chocolate is milky and sweet; after-which the palette is slowly filled with the bitterness of dark chocolate.

As for the chocolate slush, apart from it being smooth, Jewels adopts a blend of 80% sweet Arabicas and 20% Robustas to compliment the richness of dark chocolate.


Grand Cru Hot Chocolate with chocolate shavings (complementary) &
Chocolate Slush (complementary)
At the moment, Jewels offer a Teatime Indulgence to allow one to try a bit of each at $14.80++.


Note that the 2 extra pieces of Nama chocolate (complementary) is not part of the set and that Teatime indulgence includes a pot of gourmet tea which is not shown in the picture.

From top left (in a clockwise direction), Blood Orange Sorbet, Chocolate Gateau, Topaz, Nama Choco and Black Palm Island Salt macaron

Blood Orange Sorbet gave us a totally new impression of what a sorbet is meant to be. Previous perception was the word sour. The Blood Orange Sorbet is smooth and mildly sour. Similar to drinking a icy version of orange granita.

Chocolate Gateau (means "cake" in French), a low sugar chocolate cake made with 85% abinao dark chocolate, is available as a whole in 2 sizes, 4-inch and 6-inch. To achieve a soft, moist and light texture, Chocolatier Then adopts a traditional method of making this cake, in which the egg yolks and whites are separated. No doubt a rich creation in which the sponge is lightly salted, thereby contrasting with the sweetness of the chocolate. Personally, we would preferred it sweet (minus the salt).

In addition, from our understanding when talking to Chocolatier Then, chocolate fudge (cakes) are made of icing sugar, hence despite refrigeration, the cake remains moist and soft. On the other hand, the low melting temperature of chocolate ganache or chocolate couverture used in good quality chocolate cakes make it alittle rougher.


The chocolate display with about 20 flavours to choose from
Chocolatier Then has won numerous awards for chocolate pralines and bonbons so it is no surprise her perception towards a good chocolate bonbon is very stringent. She define a good piece of chocolate to be made from fresh ingredients and melts easily at 30°C with no waxy aftertaste. Chocolate that are chewy or sweet are aftermath of excess vegetable fats (to increase the heat resistance of chocolates) and sugar (to prolong shelf life).

We tried Topaz (a Dark Chocolate with Macallan whisky), Nama Choco and Perie Noir (complimentary); and we have to admit all their chocolate are very rich and smooth, melting it perfectly in the mouth. Topaz is a must-try for people who likes chocolate with strong alcohol. The initial sweetness and smoothness of the chocolate will fill the palette but what is unique is the effect of whisky kicking in a few seconds later. This feeling is similar to having "hot air blowing out of your nose" which one would experience after drinking whisky.

As for the Nama Chocolate, despite a 70% cocao content, it is smoother than Royce's bitter nama chocolate. Thus, it is no surprise this creation wowed the Japanese media.

Perie Noir is something not to be missed at Jewels, the silky champagne ganache when eaten with Valrhona crunchy chocolate balls, is simply heavenly.


Macarons ($2/pc) is available in 5 flavours:
Passion Fruit, Green Tea, Raspberry, Butterfly Pea Bloom and Black Palm Island Salt.
Having work with highly regarded confiseurs, Pierre Marcolini and at Ladurée (with Pierre Hermé), Chocolatier Then ensures her macarons to adopt the classic light crust with a meaty, soft centre. To suit the local's palette, Chocolatier Then has an interesting flavour, the Black Palm Island Salt Macaron. Using Hawaii volcanic salt and salted egg yolk innards, the sweetness of a macaron is being neutralized but yet the saltiness is kept subtle.


Dark Chocolate Lava Cake with Ice Cream
served with 66% Alpaco Dark Chocolate Ice Cream. ($10.80++)
Using 66% Caraibe for the exterior and 70% Guanaja for the molten core, one will be surprised by the generous delight of both chocolates. However Yuan felt that the cake is a little oily, not sure if it is due to its butter content.


Just when Blood Orange sorbet surprise us with its mild sourish-ness, white chocolate sorbet (complementary) amazed us further with its texture closer to an ice-cream. As white chocolate tends to be sweet and milky, the concept of making white chocolate sorbet, makes it a refreshing treat.

Many thanks for Business Development Manager, Mr. Joseph Wang and Chocolatier Then Chui Foong for spending time to share their knowledge with us. This is definitely an enjoyable afternoon spent at Jewels and we are looking forward to more visits.

Jewels Artisan Chocolate
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#02-31/32
Tel: 6509 8998

Operating hours: 11am to 11pm daily
http://www.jewels.com.sg/

[ ... ]