Cocoa Kitchen Review: Lunching inside a Chocolate Factory

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Cocoa Kitchen Review: Lunching inside a Chocolate Factory

Mashed potato. Spicy fries. Chicken and fish. Cocoa Kitchen - the UAE's first mono-ingredient restaurant - adds a touch of cocoa to all this and more. But it's the desserts that steal the show

by

Janice Rodrigues

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Published: Thu 2 Feb 2017, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Wed 8 Feb 2017, 12:27 PM

I've dreamt of swimming though rivers of chocolate and picking jelly apples off taffy trees. And if Roald Dahl's classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is any indicator, that's exactly what one can expect inside a chocolate factory. Well, a friend and I decided to take a trip over to Cocoa Kitchen, and while it didn't have taffy trees and jelly apples, it was everything a chocoholic can hope for.
To start with, everything about the décor is just right. The seats are a warm shade of brown, the centerpieces a single cocoa bean within a glass jar. But it's the exposed brick walls, the lightbulbs (hitched on pulleys) and the piping above our heads that tell a different story. Now, exposed piping is increasingly trendy in the UAE restaurants, but this one is actually reminiscent of those found in old chocolate factories, transferring liquid chocolate into moulds. Pulleys are a common sight in chocolate factories as well - perfect for hoisting cocoa beans away from lurking rats. Even the brick walls are adorned with antique chocolate moulds.
"They're from all over Europe," explained head chef James McDonald. "They've all actually held chocolate inside them at one point."
Having previously worked for a chocolate company before transferring his experience to Rabot 1745, a cocoa haven in the UK, McDonald knows everything about the cocoa bean, and was happy to make recommendations. It was like having our very own Willy Wonka.

Over to the food. Now, every dish in the restaurant has cocoa in some form, be it cocoa nibs or white chocolate. We placed an order for the Mezze and the Hay-Smoked Burrata, and prepared ourselves for all kinds of interesting combinations. We also ordered their Classic Hot Chocolate, which turned out to be a dreamy, creamy concoction, and a cup of Chocolat Chaud Crème de Marron, which included a spoon of chestnut puree for extra flavour. Perfection.
The hummus with chilli nibbed oil, was pretty good, the smoked almond sprinkled on top giving it a crunchy texture. Proof that hummus can go with everything. My plus one was less impressed with the warm eggplant it came with, as it was a tad oily. But we were already checking out the Burrata with nib salt and a delicate basil pesto, which was fresh as it gets. I should mention that none of the dishes are overly sweet in any way; the restaurant uses cocoa as a spice, to bring out other flavours better.  
My vegetarian friend knew what she wanted for the main the moment she sat down - the Butternut Squash Cocoa Ravioli. It is a sweet and savoury surprise, the saltiness of the Parmesan chip complementing the sweetness of the chocolate dressing. I placed an order for the Cocoa-Crusted Beef Tenderloin, and while the meat was perfectly cooked and flavoursome, I couldn't see the cocoa making a big impact on the overall flavour. I was rather mind-blown by the Spicy Cocoa Creole French Fries it came with- a dusting of cocoa and spices lent it a bitter-spicy bite - but in a very good way. White chocolate and potatoes, on the other hand, aren't particularly meant to be mixed - unless you like your potatoes on the sweeter side. My friend and I passed on their White Chocolate Mash.
We couldn't even think of skipping dessert. I went in for the Marble Flower, while my plus one ordered the Double Dark Chocolate Chip 70% Brownie. Being a haven for chocolate lovers meant we could actually watch our desserts being made - and mine was a real beaut. Pistachio crispies, a drizzle of Mahalabia (dessert of boiled milk), edible flowers, jelly and rose water ice cream found its way onto my place. The waiter also took great pride in placing a chocolate sphere into the mix and cracking it. The taste buds were delighted by the mélange, and it wasn't too hard on the eyes either.
The brownie, which came with a dusting of chocolate powder and warm chocolate sauce (poured with a flourish by our waiter), was perfection - crispy on the outside, sinfully gooey on the inside and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. With edible candy balls and pipings of cream, the presentation was so incredible that, if it didn't taste so decadent, I probably wouldn't have had the heart to destroy it.
The brownie actually came recommended from McDonald because as he said, "It's an old recipe. If you look into the history of brownies, this recipe is close to the first ones out there. We're not a restaurant into molecular gastronomy and the like. Sometimes, you just can't reinvent a good thing."
After sampling his creations, I couldn't agree more.   
janice@khaleejtimes.com


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