Au Chocolat is a made-in-Singapore French-inspired dining establishment, having opened in mid-2012. Now, it is set to win over more hearts with great new dishes
By Lester J Wan
With quaint paintings and photographs of Paris street scenes and stylish chairs, one could easily think for a moment that he or she is in a street-side café in the lovely Parisian suburb of Montmartre.
Au Chocolat is, truthfully, much like a European getaway within a mall. In fact, Au Chocolat takes you further, to a whole new fantastical dimension. Just look up at the glorious hand-painted ceiling to find the portal to another, magical world – the land of Au Chocolat Ville.
The delightful characters of Danielle, OO (pronounced Oh-Oh) the French bulldog pup and Yu Fa the pug will lead you on a gastronomic adventure.
A Complete Experience
“Au Chocolat is a whole experience,” says Amelia Tan, Senior Marketing Executive of Au Chocolat.
“It’s a great place for the whole family, from the kids to gong gong and po po,” she says.
Au Chocolat also makes a great place to catch up with a friend or for a romantic date.
All-In-One dining
Au Chocolat is an all-in-one dining establishment complete with a bistro dining area, a confiserie with a broad selection of in-house made chocolates and candy, a gelateria stocked with 24 flavours, and a new salad and sandwich bar for a quick meal.
No matter what you choose, what sets Au Chocolat apart is its attention to detail, especially in its food. Even for its new salad and sandwich bar, the dressings and the breads are all made in-house.
At the confiserie, all sorts of sweet treats tempt, from colourful flavoured meringues to artisanal chocolates and desserts made using Valrhona chocolate.
The new treasure, though, is in the expanded a la carte menu. Contrary to the impression, Au Chocolat has an extensive menu.
Some of the Bounty
We started with the Au Chocolat Fudge Freeze ($12) – fairly thick and creamy chocolate fudge topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, with the in-house made chocolate sauce drizzled over. The ladies love this.
The Truffle Fries ($15) are drizzled with fragrant white truffle oil and seasoned with truffle sea salt. Their fragrance alone is enough to make your mouth water.
The Truffle Fries even come wrapped in the official newspaper, the Au Chocolat Times. If you wish to read the latest news and adventures in Au Chocolat Ville, simply request for a fresh sheet.
The Main Attractions
The new Shellfish Fiesta ($22) is amazing. There is a generous portion of flavourful crayfish, crab and more. Similarly, the Handmade Pacific Crab Cake ($32) is filled with chunks of Pacific crab with mixed bell pepper, French esplette pepper and special in-house seasoning, and deep fried until golden brown and served with caper lemon butter sauce.
“This is the joy of crab without having to peel the shell,” Ms Tan aptly describes.
The new Au Chocolat Mocha Ribs ($32) have a rich, smoky mocha flavour. They are so tender, they almost fall off the bone as you tuck in.
Complete your adventure with Au Chocolat’s Signature Tower Cake ($8 per slice) with six layers of goodness. This must-try dessert comprises moist chocolate cake filled with milk chocolate Chantilly and crunchy chocolate pearls, enrobed in dark chocolate ganache. It is served with warm Au Chocolat chocolate fudge sauce and a scoop of vanilla gelato. Not surprisingly, it is sold out by the end of every weekend.
Why not catch up over the recently launched Weekend Brunch, from 11am to 3pm? You will be delighted.
Au Chocolat, Shoppes @Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Ave, #01-03, Singapore 018956, Tel: 6688 7227 (Bistro); 6688 7557 (Confiserie)
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