Debauve & Gallais Chocolatier in NY, NY
I was recently in NY for a mini-vacation, and had occasion to head to NYC. I dragged MH up 50 blocks to Debauve & Gallais on 69th and Madison. From what I had heard, the chocolate was incredible and the confections were sublime. I prepared myself for gustatory pleasure, walking the last 10 blocks in heady anticipation. Man, was I disappointed.
I tried a number of different ganaches, and their specialty "champignons" - mushroom-shaped confections made of chocolate, brittle, and caramel. Everything was too sweet, not subtle enough, and undistinct in taste.
First up was the plain ganache with a 70+% cacao content coating. This ganache was not pointed enough for my taste. When I have plain, chocolate ganache, I want the taste of the chocolate to be strong, striking, and the focal point. I prefer overtones of vanilla, and not of nut. The taste of this ganache was broader, with not enough vanilla. I much prefer the ganache at La Maison du Chocolat which has a better consistency.
I next tried a raspberry ganache with a coating of about 60% cacao content. The raspberry flavor truly did not come through. A creme brulee ganache was full of flavor, but was terribly sweet. So too were the famed champignon confections, made of a caramel stem, and a little brittle "cap" coated in chocolate. I gave a portion of the champignon to MH, and he nearly gagged on the sweetness. Other confections were equally disheartening.
The one bright light was the praline ganache. Less sweet than the others, with a pleasant burnt-nutty flavor, I believed that this was the best of what I had.
The most disappointing aspect of Debauve & Gallais was the cost. Touted as being the purveyors of chocolate to the kings of France, at $100/lb, I expected something sublime. La Maison makes a very fine confection (dare I say, better?), and is less expensive at about $80/lb.
Finally, I did not get to try their 72% plain chocolate bar (they only had the 66% and the 84% in stock), but at close to $15/bar, I'm not sure I would have wanted to.
I tried a number of different ganaches, and their specialty "champignons" - mushroom-shaped confections made of chocolate, brittle, and caramel. Everything was too sweet, not subtle enough, and undistinct in taste.
First up was the plain ganache with a 70+% cacao content coating. This ganache was not pointed enough for my taste. When I have plain, chocolate ganache, I want the taste of the chocolate to be strong, striking, and the focal point. I prefer overtones of vanilla, and not of nut. The taste of this ganache was broader, with not enough vanilla. I much prefer the ganache at La Maison du Chocolat which has a better consistency.
I next tried a raspberry ganache with a coating of about 60% cacao content. The raspberry flavor truly did not come through. A creme brulee ganache was full of flavor, but was terribly sweet. So too were the famed champignon confections, made of a caramel stem, and a little brittle "cap" coated in chocolate. I gave a portion of the champignon to MH, and he nearly gagged on the sweetness. Other confections were equally disheartening.
The one bright light was the praline ganache. Less sweet than the others, with a pleasant burnt-nutty flavor, I believed that this was the best of what I had.
The most disappointing aspect of Debauve & Gallais was the cost. Touted as being the purveyors of chocolate to the kings of France, at $100/lb, I expected something sublime. La Maison makes a very fine confection (dare I say, better?), and is less expensive at about $80/lb.
Finally, I did not get to try their 72% plain chocolate bar (they only had the 66% and the 84% in stock), but at close to $15/bar, I'm not sure I would have wanted to.
posted by epicure | 2:52 PM
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