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Eat out, drink up
Find the ultimate chocolate high. Words: Louise Prendergast veryone's a gourmet these days: who drinks
instant now that latte—peddling tnultinationals lurk on every corner'.’ You wouldn‘t he caught
l)ragee. They need a crash course in cocoa consumption. and there are plenty of specialist shops to
1 Menthevine About £5 for nine help them tell a (‘runchie from (‘rochen-Boche. ChOCO'ateS' B't‘ersweet m'm l’laisir du (‘hocolat opened on lidinburgh's lligh sensation. 2 Paletor About £5 for . .‘ ‘ nine chocolates. The We taste of Street almost two years ago and has made its mark as ODDU'ence 3 Carame's ADOUt 95 the onlv patisserie in Scotland offering couverture. the for nine chocolates. Soft and cherry b, ‘ f l ‘ i l ‘ t k ‘ ‘1 ‘ I. i R I, i flavoured. 4 Ganache About 95 for Hasc [)IOL Lch tlsct tt ma c top notc t c ioco atc. o ant nine chocolates. Sumptious and Thomson. who manages Plalslr dtl ( hocolat. is thriving
SUbt'ey §p'ced‘ 5 “meme La" on the atmosphere of a salon where thev strive to get Ab0ut £3 for nine chocolates. A - ~
Creamyfudge-Ilke affaer Hazlenut things right. He says: '()ur couvetture is supplied by
crunchfrochiriglshgg.vsritéable two French chocolatiers. Michel (‘luziel in organic east. 3 f0" In age v _ , ' , , 7, . . ' ) - - x v t ' ' x 2001 QAO‘SmOOm'svelteand .\otmandlc and Valhlona tn litHLHLL. lhc
sexy. 8 Michel Cluize|99 percent chocolate they supply contains only pure cocoa
C0003 9‘50 B'I‘e"°‘a$‘e“""h "’8 liquor. pure cane sugar and pure bourbon vanilla. after-glow of a good malt. 9 ‘
Nougat au Chocolat £2.80. The liquor is made from beans of one variety. Chewy With a subtle Orange f'aVOUt- coming from a single geographical area.‘
£299. Beatsthep .rofia Milky Specialities include chocolate fondue. Mousse au Bar. 11 Jivara 21.4 .Dinkyh (‘hocolat and Alsation. a chocolate tart containing de“C’°U$ and WW‘O'YQW : caramelised pine nuts. bra/.il nuts and almonds. pocket. Takes the star prize.:_-'l ‘ . . . . . Chocolate 3 “mamas-"v ( hocolate is an ingredient you can have so much like gerbil food. hi fun with] says Roland. ‘.-\nd it’s so comforting to 38:32:21:th eat. There‘s areal feel-good factor in sitting down “ to savour a warming cup of melted chocolate with full- fat milk. It‘s the richest. purest hot chocolate experience available. Share that with someone special and you'll soon feel that all is well with the world.‘
Meanwhile. across in (ilasgow's West lind. the Byres Road delicatessen lleart Buchanan has just celebrated its first birthday. ()wner lt'iona Buchanan spotted a gap in the fine chocolate market and filled it with a stunning range. "There‘s such a lot of ordinary chocolate ottt there.‘ she says. ‘The difference between a bar of llersheys. for example. and a bar of \"alhrona (irancouvra is immense. They are worlds apart in terms of how they are made and what goes into them. The Valhrona is so pure that it actually has a vintage. Last years was from 'l‘rinidad.’ lleart Buchanan also prepares chocolate desserts daily. ‘We can‘t make enough of the Belgian chocolate brownies: they fly out the door. And the chocolate mousse is rich and super intense. Scientists say that there's a chemical in chocolate that your body produces when you
kiss. So I guess eating chocolate can he a substitute for kissing.’
10 Rajoles white¥ocolate bar
b
dead being low on Latvian goats cheese. btlt some poor souls still don‘t know their Dairy Milk from their
Side dishes
An extra dollop of news . g. .
I 10 MAY MARKS THE beginning of ‘National Restaurant Week’, a ten-day celebration of dining out across the UK organised by the Restaurant Association and the American Express company. The website www.go-eat.info offers details on participating restaurants in Scotland, some of which offer discounts (in conjunction with media sponsor the Daily Express). All plan to donate £1 to Macmillan Cancer Research for every meal eaten during the period.
I AMARYLLIS. GORDON Ramsay's Michelin star Winning restaurant in Glasgow's West End. has passed its first anniversary and cut back opening hOLlrs. It will now be dark on Monday and Tuesday. While some local industry sources (quite poss:bly jealous ones) think that this confirms a fall off in trade. Amaryllls says the new hours simply give staff more time off and parallels the five-day working week of Ramsay's flagship in London. Amaryllis is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Friday and Sunday: for dinner on Saturday.
I RAMSAY HIMSELF
popped up in a rather unflattering item of gossip on the website Popbitch. According to the tale, in the course of chatting up a woman at a book launch the chef said his old restaurant, Aubergine, was named after his ‘purple bell end’. No doubt Mrs Ramsay sleeps securely at night when hubby’s away.
I DIMAGGIO's — THE GREATER
lasgow chain — has been brought to Gibson Street. replacing the parent company's Sal e Pepe restaurant. Still Italian in orientation. it is now more price and family conscious.
I A THOUSAND apologies to Space Coffee House in Morrison Street in Edinburgh. Our popular Eating & Drinking Guide mistakenly listed its fax number. To reach Space, dial 0131 228 9966. Also, Fishers In The City (on page 23) does not offer BYOB; it should not, therefore, also appear in our directory list of BYOB restaurants on page 147.
éGordon Ramsay
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