Bites: Koko Black @ Claremont

Over my two trips to Melbourne, I have miraculously missed the much hyped Koko Black which is part of the chocolate circle which cocoa lovers so very often mention.  But Í have no reason to fret over this as Koko Black has arrived in Perth.  Over the last few months, I have been visiting this chocolate boutique regularly, each time for a different beverage and bite. 

Putting impressions first, Koko Black located at Claremont Quarters looks impressive even from the outside.  It has a nice wooden floor! And a small little enclosure which diners can watch the chocolatier make the chocolates.  Also, the service shows the emphasis Koko Black has put into their boutique outlet.  A waitress occasionally comes to fill our glasses, which is a good thing for me because chocolates makes me thirsty!! @@!

Firstly and the most important thing for any chocolate lounge/cafe/boutique or whatever extensions you can think of, would be.. the hot chocolate!

The hot chocolate here is fabulously presented! A crafty design graces the delicious layer of froth.  Underneath this tempting layer lies the heart and soul of this winter warmer which is perfect for all seasons too!  Instead of emphasising on sweetness, Koko Black has an added cocoa strength to its hot chocolate which creates its very own unique taste.  While fishman loved every bit of it, it got a thumbs down from us (sis, darling, Nee and I).  While the first mouth sends you to heaven, the second, third, fourth and so on becomes a burden!  With a good accompaniment of quality desserts and pastries available upon ordering, the hot chocolate easily becomes abandoned when the tummy is filled.   Proven true for my sister at the very least.  She ordered a trio of taste which has became a very popular menu item for our visit each time!

 

Seen above, the trio of taste cost about $9.50.  It lets you choose three fine desserts or pastries.  In the picture above, we have the Opera Cake, the Brulee tart, and the Tomato savoury tart.  The Opera cake has become an addiction for fishman and Nee with its very delicious and creamy, not to forget smooth texture in each layer.  It is so damn delicious I have to admit! Luckily Koko Black exercise damage control by limiting the size of the desserts!!!  However, my love affair with the Brulee seems endless.  Little darling and I fell head over heels with this yummy tartlet! A must try for everyone! It turned out that my sister enjoyed the tart a great deal too! At least more than the rest of the cakes!  (Note:  the Brulee tartlet seems to suffer from a severe quality inconsistency.  Varying layer of sugar – mostly too thick or a solidified custard layer =(   )

 

Other things I’ve tried here includes the White chocolate Pannacotta which is really yummy!! Darling puts it on the same level as the Brulee tart! I also tried the Belgian Spoil which is not something I would order again.  It was mehhhh! Mediocre at the very best!  I also tried the Hazelnut hot chocolate which smelt good but did not meet expectations!  I also remember Nee Nee trying the Lite Hot Chocolate which our friends describe as a high class version of ‘Milo’! 

 

Overall, I have to say that all the hot drinks here failed to meet my expectations(or at least those I have tried).  Nevertheless, personal preference is a key reason for the dismissal of the hot chocolate.  I felt that the chocolate tasted slightly off.  It was not something that I am used to!  Not that I do no appreciate the uniqueness of it, but errhhh??  The chocolate turned our rather sickening.  That also applies to the iced chocolate.  Finishing a cup of hot chocolate here could easily leave you in a state of coma!! Rather than further explaining myself, I would recommend readers to give Koko Black a try ;)!  Really, it is a must.  As for the trio of taste, my pick would be the Pennacotta, the Brulee tartlet and the Opera Cake.  Lastly, if you are really determined to not have the hot chocolate, opt for a pot of tea with a side serve of honey for sweetening instead of sugar!!)

 

Owww yeahhhhhhhhhhhh!  And lastly, thanks to my sis for the photos! She now uses a similar camera to mine =.=!!

 

WenY

Bites: Dim Sum @ Dragon Palace, Northbridge

Dim sum has always been a favourite of mine.  Whether it is an early morning brekkie at 6am or brunch at 11am, its a meal that I look forward too!  Since coming to Perth, I have eaten at pretty much every dim sum restaurant in Northbridge. Most of them had their fair hit and misses which is well, quite understandable.  While most serve the common fare of siew mai and prawn dumplings, as well as squid tentacles, I find that Dragon Palace has a larger assortment of food to offer!  One of my favourites would be the spicy cold chicken!

Spicy and tasty! The chilli oil has that typical ‘numbing effect’ of the Szechuan peppers!

Another favourite which I first had when Nana ordered it for our lunch last year!

Pan-fried XO radish cake! Super yums!!

While the next one is quite a common dumpling, I believe Dragon Palace does it BEST!  Had it at Xin Tian Di (previously Jade), and EWWWWWW the lard was not melted properly.  So instead of a liquid-y/soupy consistency, you had something that felt rather oily and rough, imagine an oily soup that has started to cool.

Steamed Ribs with Cheong Fan!!

Similar to the normal ribs, but this one has rice rolls to soak up all the tasty rib sauce!

Of course Dragon Palace had a lot more dumplings to offer! But with the usual dumplings like Siew Mai and other Prawn dumplings crowding the table, it was not worth taking!  Overall, a meal at Dragon Palace is 5 bucks more than usual, leading the bill to about $22-25 per person.  But it’s good quality food in a fairly upmarket ambience.. although the noisy crowd is something else.. @@!  The service is pretty decent but tend to be rather slow and inattentive during lunch periods.  Filling up teapots can be rather tricky then!  Putting minor flaws aside, Dragon Palace is my pick for nice dim sum!  Although I have to insist that the best squid tentacles come from the Dim Sim Cafe!!

WenY

Bites: Heather’s Hutch Cafe @ Nedlands

Taxation is a done deal, so is Investment Analysis and Financial Accounting Theory & Practice.  Exam season has not been kind to me.  It has been raining every single freaking morning!!  Cold.. hungry.. *emo*!  But that is ok, I found a nice place to seek shelter from the cruel winter!  After taxation on Tuesday, darling and I were literally starving!  Not to mention it a typical cold winter afternoon with chilly winds with puddle of water everywhere!!  Hungry as we were, we wanted to eat something proper!  After much thought we decided to eat nearby and it immediately came to my mind that there is a nearby cafe neatly tucked amongst the apartments on Broadway!  Decided to try my luck because I remember them being closed on some days!  Lucky as we were, Heather’s was actually open!!

 

Heather’s  Hutch and its interior!  Felt slightly vintage! 

 

We order the mushroom soup ($9) and a lasagne ($16) to share!!  I have to say, both of it turned out nicely.  But god the serving is just too big!  Both of us did not manage to finish even half of the lasagne I think.  No doubt it was yummy, but the serving was crazy huge.  I think something like twice the thickness and twice the size of the one sold in uni!!!  For the size, and quality (of course!), the price is justified!  But then again, it is really too filling for one person!  Next time if I came alone, I would like to have the soup again!  So yummy!!

 

Ok mates, over and out! Today I woke up at 6am, reached uni about 7am and started nerding! So goddamn sleepy now! Off to bed!! Oink oink!

 

WenY