Chocolate to die for

EIGHTY YEARS ago, as legend has it, Swiss baker and confectioner Dolf Teuscher dreamt about champagne. He rose the next morning and headed into his kitchen to emerge hours later with the very first champagne truffle, a sinful blend of fresh cream, butter and chocolate with a champagne cream centre that today continues to delight the palates of consumers around the world. 

Now a franchised affair with branches in the US, Germany, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Abu Dhabi, the Teuscher legend recently came to Bangkok with a boutique on the third floor of Central Embassy.

Run by entrepreneur and chocoholic Saneh Madan, the five-month-old cocoa lounge boasts shelves piled high with the brand’s trademark treats as well as four tables where customers can sit, savour and learn about traditional Swiss premium chocolate. 

“I’m a big fan of chocolate. A few years ago, a friend visiting me pointed out that Thailand has great potential for a chocolate shop and factory. I thought she had a point and headed to Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong to do some research. I discovered that Teuscher was best suited to a niche market like this one. I am mainly targeting affluent Thais as they tend to be well-travelled and appreciate the difference between high quality chocolate and regular supermarket chocolate,” Saneh says. 

“Most Teuscher shops around the world sell just the chocolate but the outlets in Beverly Hill, South Korea, Azerbaijan and Abu Dhabi also have coffee. With coffee shops popping up all over Bangkok, I decided to go for a cocoa lounge and offer both hot and cold chocolate, coffee and tea as well as the famed Teuscher confectionery.”

The showcase at the entrance is a chocoholic’s dream boasting more than 30 kinds of the imported Swiss-made delights. They include dark and milk truffles, mocha gianduja, lemon jelly, milk chocolate-coated Napoleons with nut and sugar filling, pistachio praline, chocolate pineapple, triple hazelnut, honey crunch, nama chocolate, apricot and sliced orange dipped in chocolate. Prices start at Bt690 for 100 grams. 

The menu also features a range of traditional pastries including basler laeckerli (chewy cookies flavoured with cinnamon), Swiss-style macaroon Amaretti and Sable Heart cookies filled with raspberry and apricot.

Saneh invites us to start our tasting with Rose, Champagne and Dark Chocolate Macaroons (Bt60 apiece) and serves them with Chocolate Mousse tea (Bt250) and a tray of Rose Truffles, Raspberry Jelly and Honey Crunch milk dark chocolate (Bt406). 

We follow up with Champagne Cake (Bt240) – smooth milk chocolate mousse filled with champagne jelly and almond dacquoise glazed with milk chocolate – a pot of Fondant served with cantaloupe and strawberry (Bt499) and Lemon Tart (Bt200).

Not being coffee lovers, we decline the Champagne Espresso (Bt160), which is topped with milk foam and served with a piece of Champagne Pearl Chocolate as well as the French Coffee (Bt200) with Grand Mariner and whipped cream. 

And tempting as they sound, we are also too full to sample his hot and cold drinks made with 55, 66 and 88-per-cent chocolate.

“We are also offering a limited edition of imported honey alcohol from New Zealand.” Saneh says.

 

SWEETTREATS

>>> Teuscher is on the third floor of Central Embassy. It’s open daily from 10 to 10. 

>>> Call (02) 160 5724 or visit TeuscherThailand page on Facebook.