Review: Boon Chocolates, Victoria St Darlinghurst

... after tonight, maybe it is more aptly named Boo Chocolates :(

It really pains me to write a bad review, especially of a place that I had such fond memories of. Not only is it owned by two young entrepreneurs, this business also breaks many stigmas and promotes Filipino produce and culture in such a great light. Tonight however, poor customer service let this place down. I have been one of the loudest advocates of this chocolate shop for the longest time... and had associated it with exactly the same emotions conjured up when you think of hot chocolate - warmth and love. Tonight, this place was totally devoid of both.

I went to Boon chocolates with a few friends after dinner at A Tavola and gelato across the road at Messina. As it was starting to rain, we decided to make a detour to Boon Chocolates as I had been raving about this place for ages. I have to admit, it's been a while since I've been. In fact almost two years have passed since I went during their first few months of opening back in 2009. I know; people and places change.. as much as we hold onto great experiences, sometimes it is better just to remember how it was..

I have to say though, that I'm sooo disappointed. I can't believe how much the place has changed. Whereas before, this brother and sister team was so passionate, humble and excited about starting their new chocolate business venture, tonight it felt tired, pretentious, cold and unhapppy. Maybe it's the energy and excitement that comes with something new. Maybe they were just exhausted tonight. I don't know, and seriously, I don't really care - I don't think anyone should ever put up with bad service. If they're tired, go sleep! I paid my money for an experience, the least you could do is be nice. And I don't mean fake nice. I mean happy smiley thank you for your business nice.

That said, their chocolates are still as delicious I remember. 5/5 for taste. Let's start the review.

As you walk in, you are greeted with rows and rows of beautifully presented chocolate praline squares, arranged in perfect rows. It seems almost wrong to take one and displace the set. We talk amongst ourselves whether or not to break the sequence. Ok maybe my friends and I are just a little OCD. 

They had on display this handbag made out of chocolate and gold foil. I saw a similar bag there two years ago. I wonder if it's the same one... surely chocolate can't last that long.... could it? I ask if I can take a photo of it. Fanny replies with a "No". I think she's joking, until I catch a glimpse of her face as she points to a small sign at the front of the counter with a tiny "no photos" picture. Fine, I respect that. But I think to myself, it's only chocolate.. Now I'm forced to steal an image from google. 

After browsing the chocolates on offer, we head upstairs where Alex takes out order. The dining area is opulent with an old world charm. It kind of reminds me of New York. or Hotel Intercon. or Shang-ri La.

Alex takes our order, and I try to make conversation. I mention it's been a long time since I've been, and ask how is business going. He replies, wow it's been a long time. Then silence. Strange since they were both so chatty last time. So we order one each of the Tsokolate ala Negros, Grenada and Madagascar to sample. Each came with a shotglass of chocolate mousse, and a small chocolate praline square. I ask for soy but he explains to me that these only come in full cream as soy destroys the flavour of the chocolate.

The chocolate mousse is sweet and light, a perfect contrast to the hot chocolate. As for the hot chocolate, they are served in small espresso looking cups, and have very distinct tastes:

Tsokolate ala Negros - Very sour, almost like soursop

Grenada - Bitter and sour

Madagascar - Bitter and sweet

At 10:20pm, the upstairs venue is full. Alex comes around to tell everyone that the place closes at 10pm. We think he is asking for last drinks, until we realise it is actually AFTER 10pm. He might have actually been better off had he given us all warning at 9:50 rather than rushing everyone out.

I go downstairs to pay for our bill and Fanny asks if we had the three hot chocolates for $25.50. I think for a moment and say we did have 3 hot chocolates, but I thought it cost more than that. She fiddles through the receipts and I point out to her we had the Grenada etc, and she pulls out the bill for $27.50. She looks over and asks in a sarchastic tone, am I sure or do I want her to recalculate the bill, coz she can you know? WTF?? Did I not just save you $2 bucks?? 

So, after all this, can you blame me for NOT RECOMMENDING this place anymore? Such a damn shame. I really miss and want the old Boon back. It's like revisiting a childhood place and realising it's not the same. You question yourself, was it really as good as I remembered, or did I just have really low standards?


 *sigh*

Boon Chocolates

251 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney

Tel: +61 (02) 9356 8876

Opening hours:

Tuesday to Wednesday 12noon - 8.30pm

Thursday to Saturday 12noon - 10.30pm

Sunday 12noon - 7.00pm

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Recipe: French Almond Macaroons

Bored one Sunday afternoon, and wondering what to make with a bunch of leftover egg whites ( I made leche flan with the yolks), a quick google search led me to this recipe on taste.com.au. I've heard so many people say how difficult macaroons are to make - I think I did alright. Maybe it was just a fluke.


Here is my first attempt at making French Almond Macaroons, recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/14336/french+almond+macaroons

Ingredients
300g icing sugar
300g ground almonds
5 eggwhites (from 59g eggs)
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
food colouring


Fillings
250g unsalted butter, softened
150g icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp finely grated mandarin rind
1 tsp orange blossom water
1/2 cup raspberries


Method
Using a fine sieve, sift icing sugar and almonds, pushing through with a wooden spoon. Using an electric mixer, whisk eggwhites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tbs at a time, and whisk until dissolved. Stir meringue into almond mixture (mixture will be stiff), then split the mixture into portions. Use the food colouring to tint the dough.

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm piping nozzle. As I don't own a piping bag, I made by own makeshift piping bag using some baking paper rolled up into a cone. Pipe 1.5cm rounds on to baking paper-lined oven trays, then repeat with other mixture. Smooth over with a wet finger.

Preheat oven to 150°C and bake macaroons, 2 trays at a time, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and cool on trays. Slide a knife under each macaroon to release from paper, then store in an airtight container until ready to fill.

For fillings, using an electric mixer, beat butter until pale and fluffy, then gradually beat in icing sugar until combined. Transfer half the mixture from the bowl to another bowl and add mandarin rind and orange blossom water. Stir to combine. Add raspberries and rosewater to remaining mixture in mixing bowl and, using the electric mixer, beat until well combined. Sandwich pink macaroons with raspberry filling and orange. Bon appetit!

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Recipe: Chewy coconut macaroons

A quickie today - a simple but popular snack that is fun to make and a good one to get the kids to help with. I recently made a batch and brought a few of them to work, and it was well received - I made a second batch later in the week for those that missed out the first time. 

Also, for the longest time I thought I had lost this recipe for good. Luckily though, with the help of my siblings (and the wonders of the internet) we have it back . This is another one of our favourites - our mom would make batches and would make us wait until they had cooled.. back then I thought it was torture having to wait and stare at them on the benchtop as they cooled. But now I see why - waiting was so worth it. They are even better when they are more chewy a few hours after baking. I can't wait to teach my nieces and nephews how to make this.. that is if my sister's haven't already done so. Here it is, coconut macaroons.

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 400g shredded or dessicated coconut
• 3 eggs
• 1 can condensed milk 
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• Glacé cherries cut in half for decoration
• Cupcake patty paper

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar together to form a smooth paste. 

2. Add the eggs,condensed milk and vanilla essence. 

3. Add coconut half a cup at a time and once all mixed together, take the mixture and form into small balls roughly the size of a ping pong ball.

4. Place the balls into cupcake pattys and decorate with glacé cherry on top of each macaroon.

5. Bake 180' Celsius for 20 mins or until just starting to be golden. 

Fluffy when warm or my preference let it cool and then store in an airtight container for a few hours and it becomes chewy. Additionally you can drizzle some white chocolate over the top once cooled for a Ferrero Rafaello experience. Bon appetit!

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Recipe: Ginataang Bilo-bilo (aka Alpahor in Chavacano / pidgin Spanish)

Ginataan is one of my all time favourite comfort foods, and is a dessert/snack that can be eaten at any time during the day. I have very fond memories of my mom and aunt cooking these on cold and rainy days - we would stay indoors all day and eat; the adults would chat while the kids watched movies and played board games. 

There are as many different variations of this recipe as there are number of regions in the Philippines. Remember, we have 7,107 islands at high tide and 7,147 at low tide (or so I was told). This recipe is the Batangueño version as it derives from my mom's hometown of Batangas.

The word ginataan (or guinataan) literally means "cooked in coconut milk. It is again very similar to the popularised taiwanese desserts (see here), and consists of sweetened/caramelised fruits and root vegetables accompanied by chewy glutinous rice balls and simmered in coconut milk. Our family usually has this warm, but I do know people who prefer this served cold and it's equally tasty. But I guess it just never lasts that long in our house as it is usually consumed the same day it is made. So here it is, ginataang bilo bilo.... 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of glutinous rice flour
• Food colouring/die (traditionally purple, but i used three colours)
• 1 litre of water
• 2/3 cup of brown sugar
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 small sweet potato, cut into cubes
• 1 small taro, cut into cubes
• 1 cup of jackfruit, cut into strips
• 2 small plantains (or lady finger bananas), cut into pieces

Instructions:

1. Add the water and sugar to a small pot and boil the taro and sweet potato cubes until cooked but firm. This should take no more than 10 minutes. 

2. While boiling the root vegetables, prepare the dough for the bilo bilo (chewy rice balls). In a mixing bowl place the glutinous rice flour, and slowly add water, one tablespoon at a time until you get a soft dough. Knead lightly for 30 seconds but do not overwork the dough. Add food colouring sparingly as it gets darker when cooked. Set aside.

3. Add the jackfruit and the plantains to the pot, and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and add 1/4 of the coconut milk.

4. Grab small pieces of the purple dough and roll into small balls approximately the size of your thumbnail. After rolling each, drop it straight into the pot ensuring they are all fully submerged. Once cooked, all the balls will float to the top.

5. Turn off the heat and stir through the remainder of the coconut milk. Let the mixture cool down a little.

Serve warm making sure you get a little bit of each ingredient in each bowl to get the full flavour and texture. Bon appetit! 

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