Brew/Well: Case of the Addictive Chocolate Cake and Art of Tea (CLOSED)

Ever had a food that you literally dream about, and find yourself steering against that hypnotic voice on your GPS telling you to turn left, when your body knows better than to fight your cravings?

I'd never even been a fan of chocolate cake at all - until I encountered chef John Park's incredible, aptly named 'Recklessly Chocolate' cake at a humble cafe in Koreatown.  A modern, airy, unassuming space attached to a Korean supermarket (Assi) - where you might least expect the tastiest piece of chocolate cake you possibly may ever have in your life.

Yes, that good.

The Recklessly Chocolate cake ($5) is made with a Guinness gel and chocolate glaze, which may only be partly responsible for the crazy addictiveness of this treat - it's also in the super light, yet flavor-packed chocolate mousse.  And ultimately, I love that it's a single layer of (deliciously moist flavor bomb of) devil's food cake in between two layers of chocolate mousse, where most cakes would have the cake to mousse ratio the other way round.

I knew I loved chef Park's ice cream, and now I'd developed an addiction to his chocolate cake, as well. Which unfortunately for this valley dweller is not sold at Quenelle in Burbank.  But it's totally a 'destination' item for me and completely worth the drive - especially when you can have your pick of places to have fantastic dinner beforehand, in the area, as well.  And, I've made it a 'rule of 3' every time I've been back to Brew/Well for that cake - all for me.

So aside from the fantasmagoric cake, Brew/Well serves fresh brewed Art of Tea teas that I love any time of day.


Daytime: iced teas like PJL ($5) passionfruit jasmine tea sweetened with honey and lychee puree, always hits the spot on a blazing summer day.

'Nightcap': their carefully brewed Art of Tea Egyptian Camomile tea ($3) is caffeine free and helps me ease into a restful night of sleep like nothing else can (quality sleep is priceless...)

The serenity of the spacious cafe, with tables as well as limited counter seating, is perfect for a nice afternoon of writing - if only I lived closer!

Need to go back again for my fix soon...

[Deal Alert: get a loyalty stamp card: buy 9 drinks get the 10th one free (up to $4 value)!]

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Brew/Well

3525 W. 8th St., Suite 101, Los Angeles, CA 90005

Ph: 213.384.0884

Parking: Free in attached open air lot

Website: facebook.com/BrewWellCoffee 

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Vosges Boutique - Haut Chocolate for Cold Winter Day

It doesn't very often rain this hard in LA.  Yes, it's November, but we have been spoiled with continuing sunshine for the most part - and until today I haven't had to dig out the old fleece-lined, waterproof, zips up over nose, nearly ready for nuclear winter ski jacket.  Today it poured down so hard I could hardly hear traffic beyond the pounding on my car as I drove; on many streets the backwash from storm drains swallowed sidewalks whole; cars parked by the (now invisible) curb were on the verge of floating away in bumper-height water.    

LA doesn't deal very well with unusual weather conditions.  I don't deal very well with unusually bad weather conditions.  But holing up in my apartment, I knew, would only give me cabin fever.  So I pulled on my ready-for-almost-anything-double-lined ski jacket, my no longer fashionable but perfect for this weather Uggs, and headed out in search of that which makes everything better - even in the dreariest downpour of grey - hot chocolate.

And if I'm going to risk pneumonia and/or a 10-car pile-up, might as well do it for really good hot chocolate. So good it's spelled haut - at the newly opened Vosges boutique, whose owner and chocolatier Katrina Markoff was an apprentice at El Bulli.

I first became a fan of Vosges chocolate when I almost literally stumbled onto a display of them around the checkout aisle at Whole Foods 5, 6 years ago - and fell in love with the sweet/savory Mo's Bacon Bar. According to legend (i.e. her bio printed on the back of Vosges chocolate bar boxes and/or on the Vosge site) - Katrina studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before launching on a world tour that started with an apprenticeship with the inimitable Ferran Adriá. Her journey inspired the concept of travelling the world through chocolate, bringing global ingredients to gourmet chocolates with the stated goal to use her creations to raise interest and awareness in different cultures.

Apparently all Vosges boutique locations take inspiration from different cultures as well - and this latest branch in Beverly Hills draws from Moroccan design aesthetics.

The gorgeous yet cozy space has a lofty and elaborately painted ceiling, with ornate white stone arches at each end of the retail area, which is in turn bookended by cafe seating area and counter/kitchen.

The retail area is lined with shelves of gourmet chocolate bars ($7.50 each, buy 5 get 1 free!), truffles as well as fun boxes of chocolate-powered baking mixes like a bacon-chocolate chip pancake mix ($12) and ultimate chocolate chip cookie mix ($18).  They also have a chocolate dipped tortilla chip and chocolate toffees. 

 It's a somewhat interactive experience with bowls of generous samples for select items and bell jars displaying more exotic ingredients in their original form like star anise, curry powder, goji berries etc.

I loved the cafe spaces, with its Moroccan / French flair and delicious sounding blackboard drink and food specials (surprisingly affordable, especially for a Beverly Hills venue!)

There are three hot chocolates ("Chocolat Chaud", $5 each), two of which are more classic: Parisienne (tahitian vanilla and dark chocolate), Aztec Elixir (chili ceylon cinnamon) and a third, which I went for, that is more unique called Bianca (with white chocolate, lavendar and lemon myrtle).

The Chocolat Chaud Bianca was lovely, served steaming hot in a large ceramic bowl, though a bit of an acquired taste - the first sip reminded me a little of lotion due to the floral and citrus notes.  But as the initial disorientation wears off quickly, it's a smooth, nuanced and unique hot chocolate drink. 

(Coffee lovers note they have Blue Bottle drip coffee for $4! Other drinks include gourmet teas and "cocoa water")

I wanted to try their Love Goddess Cake with ancho & chipotle or chillies, with Mo's Bacon chocolate ($6) but unfortunately they did not have it today.  So I went for the Armenian Apricot & Saffron Pot de Creme ($6) - which ended up going perfectly with the hot chocolate, with its well balanced sweet / savory/ tart flavors, and subtle crunch of sugar crust with hefty, juicy pieces of apricot on top.

Here's a shot of their menu so far - I can't wait to go back and try the cake, Saffron & Rose Petal Sugar Cookies ($3) cheese and chocolate plates ($9) and affogato ($4)....

First impressions count, and Vosges was a ray of sunshine on a truly dreary day.  I love initmate and well designed spaces without the pretentiousness, and Vosges (today anyway, all staffers at hand were warm and friendly) - fit that bill.  I could see myself going back to meet up with friends, or on my own, for afternoon tea or dessert, as a pit stop on the way to/from the Beverly Hills Cheese Store :)

[For 25+ photos from my visit, check out the album on my Facebook page]

Have you tried any of their other cafe fare or specialty chocolate items? If so do share in comments below!

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Vosges Haut Chocolate - Beverly Hills
311 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Ph: 310.275.3621

Parking: 2 hours free parking at 345 Beverly Dr (between Brighton and Dayton, entrance next to Williams Sonoma store)

Website: vosgeschocolate.com
Twitter: twitter.com/VosgesBeverlyDr
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Choco-Sutra at Oliverio – A Chocoholic’s Pilgrimage

After the transcendent Thanksgiving brunch at L’Ermitage this year, when I received the invite to check out an AYCE of another sort at another boutique hotel in the Viceroy family, I was beyond excited. This one is at Oliverio in the Avalon Hotel, and is a decadent experience dedicated to unlimited amounts of one of the most important – as far as I’m concerned - basic food groups…chocolate. Choco-Sutra is a premium chocolate buffet that promised all kinds of confections to tantalize the palate – from classic Chocolate Dipped Fruits, to White Chocolate Panna Cotta, to such original creations as Chocolate Ganache with Mint and Wasabi, and Triple Chocolate Truffle Pizzettas.

As a unapologetic chocoholic, I considered it my duty to pay pilgrimage to Oliverio (and the fact that it would be a free was definitely a bonus!). The feast normally runs $28 per person (reduced to $17 pp with dinner at Oliverio), or $50 per couple. I grabbed ‘Lindyhopper’, my go-to fellow chocolate addict, to check the place out in its second weekend after launch.

Photo courtesy of Oliverio at Avalon Hotel

 The Avalon Hotel is another reclusive boutique hotel in Beverly Hills that most people have probably passed by a million times and never knew was there. Tucked away on Olympic just past Beverly, the hotel sort of gives off the vibe of a 50s/60s vintage apartment complex, converted.

The Oliverio restaurant is just to the side of the lobby – on a regular SoCal day, Choco-Sutra would have been served on tables set up at the chic, modern looking poolside. But as we had nearly record breaking amounts of rain the day of our visit – we were seated inside, and our waiter was to bring the food to us, however much we wanted of whatever we wanted.








White Chocolate Martini

 I knew we were off to a good start when a beautiful White Chocolate Martini swirled with chocolate syrup arrived to kick off the evening.

Then, to give us a sampling of all that’s on offer – we were provided first with a plate that’s a ‘Noah’s Ark’ of sorts, presenting two of every kind of bite-sized confection available. It was a lovely plate, and pastry chef Monica came to our table to introduce each piece.

There were a variety of flavor profiles – from sweet/tart chocolate dipped fruits, to sweet/nutty hazelnut chocolate cream mini-tartlets and chocolate enrobed nuts, to sweet/spicy chocolate dipped Serrano peppers and chocolate ganache with mint and wasabi. There were also bite-sized takes on classics like chocolate brownies, baby chocolate cupcakes (with raspberry frosting), chocolate-banana bread pudding, malted milk chocolate balls, and chocolate dipped marshmallows. My favorites from this plate were the Bailey’s balls, chocolate ganache with mint and wasabi (though I would have liked the mint and wasabi flavors to come through in a bolder way – with such a creative combination of ingredients, I would have liked to see the innovative flavor come through unabashedly. As is, the mint and wasabi were nearly undetectable – but I still say this piece was one of the best-of-plate, because of the more refined consistency and rich flavor of the chocolate ganache itself, and presentation of the piece) and the chocolate dipped Serrano peppers (which took some getting used to, and was too spicy for me at first - but that I came to love because of the cool sweet/hot combo). Though in hindsight, I should have been more strategic in planning the progression of our ‘meal’ – moving from lighter treats to those that are stronger in flavor (especially the spicy pieces) in order not to have the latter overwhelm or reduce my ability to truly taste the former – for example, I might have loved the hazelnut chocolate mini-tartlet (one of Lindyhopper’s favs) if I had tasted it before the chocolate dipped Serrano peppers.  The classic pieces were good, but did not impress with any innovation in design or exceed expectations in execution. 




South-of-the-Border Pot de Creme, White Chocolate
Panna Cotta, White Hot Chocolate

We also received with that first delivery, a White Chocolate Amaretto Panna Cotta with chocolate biscuit sticks in a martini glass, a South-of-the-Border Chocolate Pot de Crème, and a cute little White Hot Chocolate served in a tiny ceramic cup.  All three were amazing – the White Chocolate Amaretto Panna Cotta was smooth, creamy with skillfully controlled flavor, while the Pot de Crème was rich in chocolate taste with red chilis adding a little kick to finish. The White Hot Chocolate was one of Lindyhopper’s favorites – rich, whipped into a foamy consistency, and tasting (to me at least) of almond layered with the white chocolate.




Triple Chocolate Truffle Pizzetta

We were already feeling a little stuffed at that point, when we were presented with the highly anticipated piece de resistance: Triple Chocolate Truffle Pizzetta on a huge oak stand. This turned out to be an individual sized pizza, with real pizza dough topped by Nutella, dark and milk chocolate, then nuggets of white chocolate…what we didn’t expect was that it would also be topped by truffles of the fungal variety. In theory, this was a dream piece offering many of my favorite ingredients in the world, and several of the things I would want in my last bite on earth.  The truffles were gorgeous, shaved beautifully thin, and provided in very, very generous portions on the pizzetta.  And the piece was a clever play in concept with truffle on truffle. However, in practice, the disparate elements in my opinion were missing the thread that would hold it all together: though savory and sweet have been proven in some cases to complement and enhance each other in chocolate confections (e.g. sea salt caramel chocolates), in this case the aromatic mushroom truffles clashed with their chocolate counterparts, and the salty, fluffy pizza dough did not pleasantly cut through the chocolate flavors, but became overwhelming when combined with the gunky chocolate spread.

I wanted desperately to hail this pizzetta as a triumph in culinary innovation – and the piece that would on its own justify the cost of Choco-Sutra, but unfortunately it just did not work for these two diners. This dish might have been better served if it were first deconstructed, then put together with only the basics that define a pizza – toppings on baked dough – I could imagine it possibly working well with a thin, crispy pretzel crust, thinner layer of chocolate spread, and a barely detectable sprinkle of truffle salt (instead of large ‘slices’ of actual truffle mushrooms).

Nutella Filled, Sugar Coated
Donut Holes

 We finished off with a small plate of Nutella filled, sugar coated donut holes, which were fairly delicious, and one more round of White Hot Chocolate for Lindyhopper before we called it a night.


The experience was good, celebrating love for chocolate - but Lindyhopper raised a great point which is that a key item was missing – some sort of mousse creation. It would have also been nice to have another chocolate tart item (besides the mini hazelnut chocolate tartlet) and a token sculptural piece for visual interest. Which led to the minor notes from these two diners – to look at the offerings as a curated collection, each piece as part of a whole chocolate themed experience – to select items that hit key textures and visual presentation points as well as flavors. Also, given that even seasoned chocoholics like us can only eat so much at one sitting, quality of the pieces should be balanced with quantity. I may have been ‘ruined’ by the dessert buffet at the L’Ermitage Thanksgiving buffet ($80 per person inclusive of brunch with caviar and raw seafood bar), and had set my expectations for Oliverio to that high level – but at $17 per person with dinner, Choco-Sutra is a deal for the White Chocolate Martini and White Hot Chocolate alone (knowing that martinis can run $12-$15 at comparable bars).


Another great thing I should mention about the Oliverio is that valet parking is complementary for restaurant diners, practically unheard of for Beverly Hills hotels like the SLS that charge $12 for valet.  Also, reservations made and fulfilled are eligible for OpenTable points.


All in all, Choco-Sutra is a great concept and I hope that as the menu evolves that it will be very successful – and a concept that I hope catches on in LA.

 On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5.5 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 5.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 5.5 bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 80%

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Choco-Sutra - Oliverio at the Avalon Hotel
9400 West Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Ph: 310.277.5221

Website: avalonbeverlyhills.com/dining
OpenTable:  Look for reservations
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Teuscher Marrons Glaces - A Luminous Holiday Love Affair

Just before Halloween, Teuscher Beverly Hills announced the arrival of Marrons Glacés in their stores, for a limited run of several weeks.  Already a huge fan of Teuscher's amazing, luscious Champagne Truffles (if I had the opportunity to choose my last bite on earth, at this moment it would be a tie between a Laduree macaron and a Teuscher champagne truffle) - I was excited to see if their latest treat would live up to the hype.

Marrons glacés are candied chestnuts made by immersing and heating peeled and blanched chestnuts in a syrup solution, then drying them. A European delicacy that is particularly popular in France, especially during the holiday season (eaten on its own or as garnishes on desserts) these little bundles of joy originally gained fame in the Palace of Versailles under Louis the XIV.


A true marron glacé apparently takes several days to cook from start to finish, making it an expensive delicacy - one of these gold-foil wrapped chestnut treats at Teuscher Beverly Hills costs $5.25!

So, two was all I could afford at a time - but they were delicious, with just the right amount of subtle sweetness, and the chestnut was so tender that it falls apart on contact (ok, so you're supposed to eat it in one bite, but I was trying to make it last longer). 

And I leave you with a photo of a sunlit Marron Glace - the light really brings out the gorgeous semi-transparent amber / caramel colors in the treat.  This is one I will be looking forward to next year as another new personal holiday tradition!

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Teuscher Chocolates Beverly Hills
9548 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Ph: 888.443.8992
Website: teuscher-bh.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/teuscherBH
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