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DINING
Chocs
Away
While everybody else is trying to slim down
for junk season, we’re all about chocolate cake.
Zoe Lai selflessly takes on the job of taste-testing
Hong Kong’s best.
O Noir, don’t eat me!
Forget detoxes and juice cleanses: these chocolate cakes
are worth every calorie. From rich chocolate concoctions
to mousse-based masterpieces, here are the best guilty
pleasures in town. Warning: eat before reading.
Back to Black
Opened by esteemed chef Jeffrey Koo, the former
executive chef at Vero, Black n White specializes in
creative pastries, such as the Black Square ($48)—a cake
aimed at gents, made with 72 percent dark chocolate,
hazelnut, coffee sponge cake, and a layer of strong,
black coffee mousse. It’s topped off with a quirky little
gentleman figurine, just to drive the point home.
Unit B&D, 88-102 Ivy St., Tai Kok Tsui, 2789-1330.
Coco Puffs
Coco at the Mira is home to an ultra-rich Or Noir
chocolate cake ($310) that we can’t get enough of.
One of the shop’s signatures, it’s made with white
and dark chocolate mousse and comes in a fancy
shmancy box. The cake’s glossy finish lures you in,
and your taste buds aren’t disappointed: a 62 percent
dark-and-white chocolate mousse sits atop a brownie
biscuit with cointreau-flavored chocolate “lava” oozing
out. Alcohol-infused chocolate? Bonus points!
G/F, The Mira, 118 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2315-5566.
Go Bananas
When it comes to Cova, you can’t go wrong with the
chocolate banana cream cake ($330). This double-layer
sponge cake has a delicious crust—think dark chocolate,
fresh cream and banana. On top, there are fresh
strawberries and crunchy banana chips, while the surprisingly
light dark chocolate base pulls together all the flavors.
Shop 101-103, 1/F, Lee Gardens, 33 Hysan Avenue,
Causeway Bay, 2907-3399.
German Gem
Not all cakes are created equal, and Corner Kitchen Café
has some of the very best in town. The shop’s German
chocolate cake ($55 per slice; $600 whole) may look plain-
Jane at first glance, but it is hands-down one of the best
around. This eggless chocolate cake comes with crunchy
coconut and pecans, caramel and a rich layer of chocolate
ganache. The options rotate regularly, so look for the
peanut butter chocolate pie on your next visit.
226 Hollywood Rd., Sheung Wan, 2547-8008.
Continental Cake
The Mistral’s signature chocolate cake ($328) at the
Intercontinental Grand Stanford is pure happiness.
Don’t let the modest appearance deceive you: made
with 80 percent Valrhona dark chocolate, this cake
has a moist, milky, velvety texture with an ever-soslightly
bitter aftertaste that keeps it all balanced.
B2, Intercontinental Grand Stanford, 70 Mody Rd.,
Tsim Sha Tsui East, 2731-2870.
So Delice
La Maison Du Chocolat ensures your indulgences
are worth every single calorie. Try the signature Delice
cake ($55 per slice; $270 whole), which features pure
Caribbean chocolate mousse with a fine layer of crunchy
chocolate sandwiched between moist sponge cake,
topped off with toasted almonds. Fair warning:
this beauty is highly addictive.
Landmark Prince’s Building, Shop 109, 10 Chater Rd.,
Central, 2801-4122.
Coming up Roses
The signature rose petal cake ($460) at Patisserie
Tony Wong single-handedly led to an Insta-foodie frenzy
after its launch in 2012. This photogenic delight is made
out of chocolate mousse and sponge cake, along with
crunchy chocolate pearls and a sweet almond crust.
Just remember to eat it after you’ve photographed
the hell out of it.
G/F, Golden Jubilee House, 399 Lockhart Rd.,
Wan Chai, 2575-8993.
Loco for Coco
La Maison du Chocolat’s
most Delice cake
Black n White, and
so much chocolate
Tony Wong‘s
kiss from a rose
26 HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014