What makes chocolate so desirable? A long explanation would be that cocoa beans from flourishing farms go through a process of fermenting, roasting and blending to produce a unique and tasty treat. The short answer: it’s delicious and timeless!
The Merchant House, Bahrain’s first five-star boutique hotel teamed up with AURO to launch ChocoLAB in January. The unique concept, situated at Café Gray in the hotel’s lobby, offers a new way to enjoy chocolate through impressively crafted desserts and beverages from different forms of chocolate.
We got the opportunity to sample ChocoLAB’s desserts and drinks and enjoy its serene vibe overlooking the bustling Manama street and found it to be perfect for relaxing with a book, bonding over memories, or catching up with pals.
The Fondue
We were presented with three kinds of Chocolate Fondue, served with strawberries, bananas and marshmallows. The variations were Dark Chocolate with wild orange, White Chocolate with cardamom, and Milk Chocolate with Moroccan peppermint.
The three variations of fondue had distinct flavours and yet, didn’t overpower the chocolate. Interestingly, the flavours come from naturally extracted essential oils that not only impart a pure taste but also have immense health benefits.
Chocolate-to-Drink
The Salted Caramel Iced Chocolate was a tantalizing blend of AURO’s white chocolate, salted caramel syrup, Laban and milk. Coconut can be swapped for salted caramel. It can also be served as a mix of dark chocolate, espresso, Laban and milk.
Warm cocoa is a must, given how cold Bahrain’s winters can get. At ChocoLAB, you can indulge in a glass of hot chocolate, choosing between dark, white, or milk variations blended with wild orange (dark), cardamom (white), or salted caramel (white).
Desserts for the Bahraini Taste
Chef “Leti” Letitia Moreau, Culinary Director of AURO Chocolate, crafted three chocolate desserts for ChocoLAB. She selected flavours that best satiate Bahrain’s chocolate fans. The Chocolate Reserve Cup consists of mousse, chocolate crumble, and a chocolate disk, topped with hot dark chocolate sauce that seeps into the mousse and crumbles. An overloaded chocolate treat, for sure!
A special take on a beloved classic, the Coffee Milk Chocolate Tiramisu is a mix of milk chocolate, biscuits, cheese, coffee, and cacao syrup. The Chocolate Choux pastry, featuring milk chocolate whipped ganache and salted caramel in a chocolate pâte à choux is the third extraordinary curation by Chef Leti.
Sustainability at the Helm
The Merchant House’s collaboration with AURO Chocolate is a drive towards sustainability initiatives. Auro, a Filipino chocolate brand works directly with farming communities and implements organic farming programmes. The success of these initiatives has been recognized by several international organisations as well.
Try ChocoLAB! We recommend it.
The next time, you’re in the heart of Manama, make sure you visit ChocoLAB and give their unique creations a try. Check out their menu here. Contact: 16671000