3 April 2016
There are not many occasions, in Australia, where a visit to a chocolate shop can get me super excited like a kid in a candy store. I experienced this joyful moment last Easter Saturday, greeted by the wonderful sight and aroma of chocolates abound as I set foot into Kakawa on William Street in Darlinghurst, Sydney.
The name Kakawa, according to chocolatier and co-owner Jin Sun Kim, derives its origin from the French word “cacao” (pronounced ka-kow). Jin Sun was on hand to greet her customers and share her passion for her trade. There were choices aplenty for the die-hard chocoholics; the showcase was filled with row after row of beautiful hand-made chocolates and the surrounding shelves were decked out with multiple selections of solid chocolates and Easter treats. To top it off, one had a direct view into the open kitchen, from the shopfront, where Jin Sun’s team was in the process of hand-crafting more tantalising creations. My eyes honed in on their Easter special, the filled quail eggs. Artistic, glossy and petite filled eggs with five different flavours. Check out the photo on the left. To date, I’ve savoured the white chocolate sea salted caramel, dark chocolate blueberry and milk chocolate caramelised coconut and cashew eggs. The blueberry egg ranks as my favourite, with a marshmallow textured centre, flavoured with strong accents of blueberry and covered in a crisp dark chocolate shell.
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to select several hand-crafted chocolates, which, according to Jin Sun, changes seasonally depending on availability of ingredients. The hot cross truffle, milk chocolate cinnamon flavoured truffle and coated in a layer of milk chocolate, was their rustic take on the hot cross bun. The truffle was sweet, but not to the point of being overly sweet, smooth and the hint of cinnamon was just enough to trick your brain into thinking that you were biting into a hot cross bun. I’ll definitely be back for more soon!
Our next stop is a newcomer to the chocolate scene, located in the increasingly trendy suburb of Surry Hills. Lixie Chocolaterie is the end result of owner Miga Aboulian honing her passion and skills for hand-made, organic chocolates. The decor is chic French, with a teal coloured theme. The counter was decorated with hand made creations of chocolate truffles and ganaches, under glass cloches, and the shelves adorned with dainty wrapped chocolate bars and wafers. To top it off, a refrigerated glass display case stands in the corner, filled with Miga’s baked creations.
My first pick was the dark hot cross bun spiced wafers – shards of cinnamon flavoured dark chocolate, dotted with raisins and sultanas. It’s yet again another take on the hot cross bun, and my favourite to date. The cinnamon complemented the strong, bold flavours of the dark chocolate, and the raisins and sultanas added a sweet contrast. Perhaps I’m also a little biased, with my preference towards dark chocolate.
I moved on to survey the solid chocolates, picking from th
e selection of white, milk and dark bars. I settled on the 99% Madagascar dark chocolate, a gift for mum-in-law, and the 66% mandarin, orange and lemon in organic Dominican Republic dark chocolate. Lixie also features the creations of the Sydney bean to bar chocolate maker, Zokoko. To the chocoholics in Sydney, give Lixie a go and let me know what you think…..
