1 September 2016
Fine European chocolates, meticulously made, carefully packed and flown halfway across the world to the land Down Under? So much effort just for chocolate? I kid you not! This is the experience that Jeff de Bruges has recently delivered to Sydney-siders.
Sure, I’ve come across Jeff de Bruges during my travels in Europe, namely in France. However, seeing a shop in Australia, close to the beachside suburb of Bondi (in Bondi Junction), is both a novelty and welcomed surprise. A special thanks to my dear friend Mel for this discovery☺️
Who is Jeff de Bruges and what’s the appeal of his chocolates? These questions were top of mind during my recent visit to the shop.
My first observation, as I approach the shop, is the decor. It’s fairly consistent around the world. For a moment, I forget where I am and imagine walking down a cobblestone street of a cosmopolitan European city, lapping up the late summer sun.
Who is Jeff de Bruges? According to the website, “Jeff” is in fact Philippe Jambon, a French chocolatier with a passion for Belgian chocolates. “Jeff” is the name of his favourite song and Bruges is the idyllic, fairy tale city of Brugge or Bruges in north west Belgium. An interesting combination for a name but if it works, who am I to judge?
A lovely young lady welcomes me and asks if she can assist.
Is Jeff de Bruges a bean to bar chocolate maker or a chocolatier who uses couverture chocolate?
She is puzzled by my question and hesitates with her answer. I find out subsequently that their chocolates are made using carefully selected couverture chocolate.
What is Jeff de Bruges famous for and what would you recommend?
She informs me that all the chocolates are recommended but that it ultimately depends on my taste. That’s a bit vague so I wander around the shop instead, to discover for myself.
The shelves are adorned with attractive boxes of filled chocolates, as well as single origin bars and chocolate squares. No detail is spared with design and branding. The pocket sized catalogue of their filled chocolates and Juliettes (a version of the mendiant) is both a nice touch and handy to have, as I work my way through their selections.
I’m offered a tasting of filled chocolates and pick the Maison de Jeff dark 70%. It’s a house-shaped dark chocolate praline with bits of almonds, and hints of cinnamon and coriander. The cinnamon is predictable in the combination and marries well with the dark chocolate and praline, but the coriander doesn’t come through for me. I find the Tarte Citron more exciting. The lemon is refreshing and balances both the sweetness and richness of the ganache, enveloped in dark chocolate. The Harvey is a play on textures, with an almost molten, creamy praline accented with bits of biscuit, in a dark chocolate shell shaped like a Scottish terrier. Almost too cute to eat.
So, what’s the appeal of Jeff de Bruges chocolates? In my opinion, it’s the finer details – the attractive and perfectly shaped filled chocolates, the beautifully designed packaging of the boxed chocolates, bars and squares through to the broad variety to meet many a discerning tastes. I see the overall experience as a means to rekindle fond memories of European gastronomic adventures and perpetuate one’s holiday. The products are competitively priced against offerings from local renowned chocolatiers, which is an added bonus. The flavour combinations that I’ve tasted, while good, are not the most exciting that I’ve experienced in Sydney. However, I will reserve my final judgement as I’ve just been invited back for a tasting of Jeff de Bruges’ finest chocolates! I may also give the acclaimed ice cream a go, when the weather warms up.
As I’m about to leave, a lady walks into the shop and asks “What’s Jeff de Bruges chocolates? Is it like Guylian?” I can’t help but smile as the lovely lady serving me replies that “It’s better than Guylian.”?
What is butter cream? As the name suggests, it’s chocolate containing a filling of butter and fresh cream, as well as milk and sugar. The ingredients are heated and mixed, then cooled and piped into moulded chocolate. Alternatively, the mixture is hardened through refrigeration, cut into shapes or shaped into balls, then enrobed in chocolate.
“Crunchy pralines are my favourite”, I tell Wanda. She explains that the traditional praline comprises almonds, usually crushed, coated with caramelised sugar and enrobed in chocolate. Crushed hazelnuts may sometimes be added.
This chocolate originates from the Piedmont region of Italy, the home of Italian hazelnuts. As you’ve probably guessed, the gianduja is hazelnut-containing chocolate.
Rocher means rock, in French. In chocolate terms, it refers to slivers or whole pieces of nuts, usually almonds, coated in caramelised sugar, then dipped in chocolate and shaped into small rocks.
The mendiant has its historical origins in France. It’s the word for “beggar” in French and was originally created to represent the mendicant or religious figures who rely solely on the charity of others to survive.
Perhaps the most ubiquitous and widely known of all chocolates, the bar or tablet is simply chocolate, set in a rectangular or square mould. The chocolate may be flavoured, ingredients like dried fruit and nuts may be added or it may be filled.
At the conclusion of the tour, we are grouped around the display of Patrick Roger’s masterful creations. Wanda points to different varieties of chocolates and asks us to name them, as a test of our knowledge. Suffice to say, we all pass with flying colours.
Our first stop takes us to the very well heeled district of Belgravia. The “older of the new”, established in the early 80s, Rococo is regarded as a pioneer of fine English chocolates. The shop exudes country charm. There’s a retail section out front, of shelves and a large glass counter brimming with chocolates, and a cozy cafe to the back, serving teas, hot chocolate and cakes. I’m immediately drawn to the hand-made beauties, in particular the painted sardines. Almost too beautiful to consume.
The kalamansi lime caramel grabs my interest and I give it a go. On the outside, it’s dark chocolate decorated with splashes of green cocoa butter. I take my first bite and my tastebuds are immediately shipped away to a tropical paradise. The shell, thin and well tempered, releases bursts of sweet and tangy kalamansi-infused caramel to create a refreshing taste sensation on the palate.
Next, we make our way to cosmopolitan and trendy Notting Hill, passing many a kebab shops and middle eastern eateries along the way, until we arrive at Melt. By London standards, Melt, can be considered a newcomer to the chocolate scene. The deco reflects this, with a contemporary and bright interior that oozes style and openness. From the entrance, I can see right through to the kitchen at the back, where their chocolates are meticulously hand-crafted. On this day, they are making caramel, which hubby and I have the pleasure of sampling. You can’t walk past the “Wall of Chocolate”, without pausing to examine it. It’s actually a plain shelf, but decorated with eye-catching, vibrant coloured chocolate bars of multiple varieties.
Hubby and I both hone in on the “Smoke” 64% dark chocolate bar. We ask to sample it and the lady serving us obliges. It has a toasty, earthy nose. As it melts on my tongue, the texture is smooth and velvety. I taste a hint of initial caramel, which gives way to more earthy flavours. Then, the ever so mild bitterness of charcoal, which lingers on the palate after all the chocolate has melted away. We read from the packaging that the bar is made from Criollo cocoa beans, grown in the volcanic islands of Sao Tome.
We follow through with the “Wild” 68% dark chocolate bar, named after the wild Bolivian criollo cocoa beans that have gone into its production. The nose is rather interesting – I smell bursts of chestnuts, interspersed with hints of mushroom. The texture on my tongue is even smoother than the “Smoke” bar. The taste brings back fond memories of Amedei. It starts with sweetened lemons, is quickly replaced by aniseed and finishes off with a lingering flavour that I can only describe as being that of mild flavoured mushrooms. The larger than bite size pralines and ganaches are also delectable. I recommend the textural pleasure of the salted praline cup and the fresh flavours of the passion and mango (gel) square.
Still within Notting Hill is yet another renowned chocolate shop, famous for its No. 1 liquid sea salt caramels which were created for celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. This is THE chocolate to try at Artisan du Chocolat. The gentleman serving us kindly offers us a sample, and we oblige. The taste is amazing – oozy, smooth caramel, sweet and lightly salted, enveloped in a rich, crisp dark chocolate shell and dusted with cocoa powder. Despite the French name, Irish born owner and chocolate maker Gerard Coleman actually honed his chocolate skills in London, after a training stint at Pierre Marcolini in Belgium.
Apart from the sea salt caramels, there’s also a wide variety of indulgences to suit all tastes, from truffles, seasonal pralines and ganaches, through to specialty chocolates for those with specific dietary requirements. We are told that the chocolates are made from bean to bar, rather than using coverture.
The last stop on this adventure is a visit to, in my opinion, perhaps the most bold and inventive of the lot. We head to the gentrified district of Soho, in search of multi award winning chocolatier, Paul A Young. You can’t miss the shop. It’s painted bright purple; perhaps the first glimpse into Paul’s personality? A large, round wooden table sits in the middle of the shop, and, on the day that we are there, the chocolates are presented on radially arranged trays.
ancy a salted caramel or banoffee pie? Maybe a kalamansi truffle? Or peanut butter and raspberry jelly for those who enjoy the combination in a sandwich? There’s no end to the creativity and flavour combinations born from Paul’s imagination. I find the flavour combinations to be exciting and atypical, yet complimentary. Every selection is aesthetically pleasing; a true work of art. The sweetness levels, however, could be toned down a little.
Our first stop looks like something out of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. In fact, I hear that it is THE inspiration for Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. With its vibrant coloured displays and floor to ceiling selections in multi-shaped boxes, Prestat is a sure hit with kids and the young at heart. Like the character Augustus Gloop, I too am overwhelmed by the temptation to over-indulge in this magical chocolate shop.
There are truffles and pralines abound in the glass display counter, and chocolate bars of various sizes and flavours sitting atop it. Help is at hand as the gentleman behind the counter steers me to the yuzu sake and red velvet truffles, apparently the latest crowd pleasers.
The yuzu sake truffle is refreshing. The tartness of the white chocolate yuzu ganache does wonders to complement the sweetness of the dark chocolate shell that envelops it. I am reminded of lemon sherbets, minus the fizzle. The sake is so subtle that it’s hardly discernible. As far as first impressions go, the red velvet truffle is attractive. It’s an inside out version of the traditional namesake. Dark pink, rounded beauties dusted with raspberry powder on the outside, icing on the inside and a milk chocolate shell in the middle. Top marks for creativity. As for the taste, I find it to be a tad too sweet for my liking. The tartness of the raspberry powder works to some extent to counter this, but the milk chocolate and icing combination tips the sugar scales in a truffle. Maybe dark chocolate could have worked better?
Drawing similarities with The Queen, Charbonnel et Walker is an English institution in itself, established back in 1875. Initially formed as a partnership between Mrs Walker and Madame Charbonnel, from an esteemed chocolate house in Paris, the chocolate shop has stood the test of time and maintains its Parisian chic to this day. Plus the chocolates are still meticulously handmade to traditional, age old recipes.
We hone in on the English violet cream, and its sister variety, the English rose cream. Both are dainty and oval shaped, with violet and rose infused fondants respectively, enrobed in dark chocolate. A small sliver of candied violet or rose petal adorns the top of each piece. The dark chocolate is velvety smooth but I find the floral infused fondants to be a tad too sweet. We are recommended the more contemporary dark sea salt caramel truffle and the traditional strawberry truffle. Both are esthetically pleasing, but, again, too sweet for my liking.
The Italian lunchtime siesta.
Roberto has spent his lifetime devoted to his passion for chocolates. He started as a teenager in Switzerland, working his way up from dishwasher to the rank of chef in a pastry shop.Then in the 1970s, he decided to return to Tuscany, taking with him his artisanal skills and passion for chocolate making, to open his own shop. Today, more than 40 years on and well into his 70s, Roberto is still going strong and churning out exquisite creations of pralines, chocolate figurines and bars.
Setting foot into the shop, I am greeted by the ever so inviting aroma of chocolates. The colourful pralines, rochers and bars, behind the gleaming display counter, are a feast for the eyes. The decor isn’t fancy or contemporary. Nonetheless, it wins me over with a sense of warmth and nostalgia.
The lovely lady who serves us speaks little English. As the pralines aren’t individually labelled, choosing becomes a tad challenging. Thankfully, we are united in the language of chocolates and find a means to communicate by exchanging names of simple ingredients as we work through our selection.
Delicious is an understatement. I am blown away by how good each beautifully hand-made, bite-sized and dainty piece of chocolate tastes. The majority that we selected contain nocciola (hazelnut), either whole, crushed for texture in a praline or as a paste in gianduia. The unique flavours and textures of each are well accentuated.The chocolate itself, made from prized Sao Tome cocoa beans, is rich and smooth with well balanced sweetness.
As I bid farewell to the Roberto Catinari experience and our Tuscan Chocolate adventures, I reflect on all that I have learnt and experienced and the chocolate connections that I have made along this journey.