Choc du Chocolat

I was down in the Marais area today hoping for some falafels at Mi-Va-Mi but unfortunately they were closed... as was L'As du Falafel (until April 6 for L'As, I'm unsure about Mi-Va-Mi)! So I had to settle for the only one that was open, Chez Marianne. I'll do a separate comparison review on the three shops some other day, but in a nutshell I will not visit Chez Marianne again unless the falafel craving becomes desperation and that's the only shop open.

Then... I had a chocolate craving.

I decided to try a new shop and went up to Rambateau.

Pain de Sucre
Add: 14 Rue Rambuteau, 3rd
Metro: Rambuteau
Tel: 01 45 74 68 92
Thurs-Mon 8am-8:30pm (Closed Tues and Wed)

état de choc (state of shock) - 4.8Eur



This is the only dessert I tried, a chocolatey goodness that isn't very cheap. It's a chocolate cake/cookie crust layered with chocolate cream sandwiching crisp hazelnut wafer-like bits and topped with dark chocolate ganache. Oh, and don't forget the thin dark chocolate sitting proudly on top of this creation!

Taste: 8.5/10 Very chocolatey and not overly sweet. I admit I do like dark chocolate (72% and above) but I'm sure those who prefer milk chocolate will also enjoy this treat when the craving hits. The hazelnut layer prevents the dessert from being boring and complements well.

Texture: 9/10 I love how there are different textures to this seemingly bland chocolate "cake." The crunch of the hazelnut, smooth chocolate cream, dense chocolate ganache, slightly heavier cake/cookie layer and melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate all add to the gastronomic experience.

Value: 7.5/10 I'm sorry, but almost 5 Eur for this humbly-sized chocolate cake didn't sit too well with my wallet. In the end, I still felt like something was missing - it's not that the treat wasn't satisfying, it just wasn't... spectacularly original or interesting. By all means it's a great dessert and I urge you to try it, but I probably won't go back - there are too many patisseries to try in Paris to dwell on this one!

Happy tasting :)