28 April 2016
A feast for the eyes; breathtakingly beautiful. This sums up my first impression of Murielle Vuilleumier’s artisan chocolates. I’m so glad we managed to squeeze in this chocolate adventure during our lightning trip to Brisbane, to meet our month-old niece Amyka.
Walking in, I felt as if I had stepped into something magical, like Alice Through The Looking Glass. A rectangular window sits under the main signage, on a wall adorned with cleverly designed wallpaper of Murielle’s logo, akin to tiny clouds dancing on the wall. The window is a view into the kitchen where Murielle weaves her magic, using couverture Swiss chocolate. I was immediately drawn to the glass counter where vibrant, colourful and glossy pieces of handmade chocolates sat proudly, glinting like gems. Decisions, decisions….Thankfully, Murielle was on hand to assist on this front. Remember your childhood dreams and aspirations? Murielle’s chocolate journey is a fine example of relentlessly weaving them into reality. From an early childhood obsession and memories of daily Swiss chocolate treats, and honing her skills in several renowned chocolate schools, to a full fledged career as a chocolatier, halfway across the world but holding true to her Swiss heritage. I selected a dozen, including her recommendations – the Arriba fig and Matterhorn, the latter being a commemoration of the first ascent of the Matterhorn.
As I bit into the crisp outer shell of the Arriba fig, I was pleasantly surprised by its thinness; just enough to hold together the layers of spiced fig purée and dark chocolate ganache. The combination was well balanced, working in unison to create a caramelised sweet, but not overly sweet, taste sensation on the palate – think caramelised fig tart. I’m not a fan of white chocolate (I’m adamant that white chocolate is not real chocolate), so was a bit hesitant to give the Matterhorn a go. But I loved the pairing of passion fruit jelly with white chocolate. The tropical, aromatic flavor injected life into the white chocolate. The only minor downside was the coconut white chocolate ganache; the coconut was perhaps a tad too subtle.
Nonetheless, I’m very pleased to have discovered Murielle and her handcrafted beauties. Continue to live out your dreams Murielle, and make people like me happy in the process:)
