Food Drink
Eat out, drink up
Sweet release
FURTHER INDULGENCE
A new Stockbridge shop aims to convert us all into dreamy chocophiles. Words: Ruth Hedges
Is a cold. wintry afternoon. The winds getting
tip. the sun going down htrt somewhere in the
distance a little light glimmers. offering comfort and refuge. And could that he the smell of top quality lirench chocolate I detect wafting down the str‘eet‘.’ It might well he as lidinhurgh‘s newest chocolaterie has opened on Raehurn Place. Stockhridge.
So ('o(‘oa is the brainchild of Lida .\lc(‘ahe and Tom l‘innerty. who came to lidinhurgh from l)uhlin nearly two years ago. They have a modern and fresh approach to presenting the ancient art of chocolate making. In contrast to the often dark and sensual pleasure of the confectionery. So (‘o(‘oa is hright and cheery with white walls and simple shelves hacked with coloured squares. stacked high with treats to delight eyery chocolate connoisseur. The exquisitely packaged hars. chunks. drops and coated nuts have heen selected with care and dedication hy .‘\lc(‘ahe and liinnerty. In order to import the creme de la creme. they spent about 12 months researching the hest chocolate. ‘That was the fun part.‘ hoth admit.
Their nihhling and sampling has led them to source Bonnat’s dark chocolate made from the Madagascar]. liquadorian and Venezuelan cocoa heans. lir‘ench producer Rococo‘s range includes cinnamon nuts. chilli pepper chocolate and white chocolate with herries. (‘hocolates from the famous chocolatier Valrhona are displayed in the front counter. They‘re hand-made to order: a cherry stalk pokes out of a hig. dark hall that looks particularly tempting (hut watch out ~ the natural ingredients mean the stone‘s still in).
And while the aesthetic and sensory qualities of
chocolate are undeniahle. .\lc('ahe and l-‘innerty promote chocolate's essential goodness as well. It reduces cholesterol. they insist. 'lt has anti-oxidants.’ ()K. enough. I helieyc you. and even if it wasn‘t true. not much would stop me from hreaking off a piece of 75% pure chocolate har and placing it on my tongue. Stockhridge look otll. As anyone who‘s seen or read ('lrm‘o/ur knows. it does funny things to people. And this is the real stuff.
So CoCoa, 98 Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, 0131 332 8922
located n oar"? l ' cc". (/(Ill.'tif> rst 'oc'
ll" (loernarket'. Les Wgnes. 'neaci'io 't't‘e
s‘..ar.s r l'e' socca scs rt liccia ’ r, o t. s I" t. y \ \ lmo .’ ,1 ‘ ,t,\.,‘ 6 \t‘ ' ,r olarr it, c' ocoacs an, o'or.ut,~.,.. t). ilk, makers KY‘TE). .. lost: an». 'r.:,rr,r,s (tax, 'or -:
l or f"e ‘estr‘c seasot‘. cusforr‘ers ::a". create oesceke uxtr'fi. ccxes or oo‘. for chocc‘afe coac‘oagtr‘e bottles. ll‘.(} s'izzo. stated in, Jolt" £1"(l .Joyce Kr'rttile. also nas Scottsii tahlet. ‘::lootre (lt."‘l)'lfttl tcritic" and r>ral=ce flied cigars. l es (hone-s is once from Monday to Satarday front 9am to (Sew 1 (“low
littnsoay and Sur‘day T‘ao‘ 5>.;%()on‘.
Kshocolat is (‘ilasoo\.'.”s self described 'c"<:c::;;‘t 2
delr' craft: an approach that es<:nc-‘.'.'s Rte
traoornos of acct cackaoino at‘d cs.t:'ita..o..s
r:'esr;r‘ta‘.rc'., lt‘c- rv‘arr soon at t' e Merchant (My:
Merchant E)(r.rare rlvlo'day \.r.ednes:ray
noon font: litur'sday and l r'rday r‘ocn ‘lpn‘:
Saturday lilarn .‘r>"t: Sunday noon (Bern. is
practically minimalist ‘.'.’Ifll tidy displays of exdursrte
Continental (:‘iccok tes. Ksi‘oc )lat also has a kiosk
r" the l"‘ "ce's Square 53ll()l)l)l'l§l -':c-nt"e_ l o" tic-tails yrs-t '.'.".'.e.‘.'.ks'rocoiatcotm. Plasir du Chocolat 's a l)!i of l "a"::e r'c-‘ocated to l d'n'our'gn's Royal Mire. It offers an array of ci‘oco‘ate tic-ins. Particularly. "()l£tl)l(3 are those ‘r‘ont Michel (Slur/eh And if you're sitt'r‘o !l‘. the hot chocolate drinks they can create are ruled l)io\.'.rrr.c. l’lasrr' da ()noco‘a’. .s at
252‘: 9:515 and 7/0 (ltrrtririritne. l dirtntnoli.
You don't have to leave
for} cow-tort of your home. lilillSll hased Hotel Chocolat guarantees (lUlI‘KUf‘y free of charge ‘~.'.’tilirti three days of ordering. ts catalog-tie 'ias pages and pages < l chocolates, nautl‘. new recipes released for the season such as (:'l<)(;()l;li(3 coated rnuried ‘.'.’l'l(? (ironed aoplec or Madeira soaked names. I or; on to ‘.'."-.'.".'.’.ll()l(}l(2lt()<3()l£tl.(2()ll‘ o'
onone (is/o -1-1’/‘ 8782). rliar'y Shell».
eat@list.co.uk
Sidellislies News to nibble on . . .
I RHUBARB IS THE NAME of James Thomson's new restaurant at Prestonlield House. Edinburgh. After assuming control of the historic mansion earlier this year. Thomson —v who also
wns the Watchery and Tower restaurants s instigated a renovation. At Rhubarb he has hired Kenny Coltman as head chef. Previously Coitrnan worked at two highiy regarded Glasgow restaurants: Fartelu and Souti'ibank. horn now closed.
I STEFAN KING’S G1 group launches its latest big venture on Glasgow’s Ashton Lane this weekend. The Lane bar and Loft bar and restaurant complete the Grosvenor Cinema venue in the West End. The cinema has kept its two ground floor screening rooms. Drinks can be brought through from the adjacent Lane bar. Upstairs in a space that has been hidden for many years, the Loft is a huge bar and restaurant under the movie house’s original corniced ceiling.
I ON EDINBURGH’S YORK place next to the Stand. Nine Cellars Restaurant and Bar offers a unique space for eating Indian Cursine. Down some steep steps from the lounge are nine small rooms -- Or cellars —- interconnected in an almost mazelike manner. The menu has a variety of regional speCralrties from the sub-continent. some of which Side Dishes has not seen before.
I WAGAMAMAISOFFEFM List readers a chance to try its Japanese menu at the chain’s first Scottish branch, which opens soon in Glasgow. Ten pairs of passes to a preview night on 15 December are up for grabs. To enter, email us at promotions@list. co.uk no later than 11 December. Usual List fl rules apply.