A (Cocoa) Class of Its Own

A Frenchman and a class of twenty five apprentices who included a few mother-daughter pairings, friends, colleagues and classmates. All had gathered at the Fine Palate Cooking Studio at Newton for a delectable chocolate feast of mind and mouth. Playing teacher and cocoa maestro at the Chocolate Discovery Experience was Chocolatier Laurent Bernard, owner of the Laurent Bernard Cafe & Chocolate Bars.

Did you know that chocolates never quite expire even though you've had them in the fridge for half a year to twelve months. The quality will change, but Laurent says you won't get sick consuming it. More facts ahead...

Most of the participants gasped when told that white chocolate contains only cocoa butter (read: fats!) without cocoa! The gasps grew louder when Laurent lifted a bottle of cooking oil when telling the secrets of the chocolate fountain - a regular feature at buffet spreads. Real chocolate, he said, wouldn't be flowing so easily, its texture would be too viscous. That's right, a lot of oil is mixed into lower grade moulten chocolate to enable it to flow. The next time you see a chocolate fountain, don't blame us if you're less excited about plunging that strawberry or mushmallow on a stick into the brown cascade.

Everyone had a go at squirting the plastic tubes of ganache into empty chocolate shells. Once filled and left to settle, you get truffles. Hands got dirtier when the truffle balls were dunked and rolled into cocoa powder to give it the come-hither 'dusted' look. Next thing you know, participants were helping to pack the beauties for takeaway - the fruits of their labour!

Thirsts were quenched about a third through the workshop with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, prepared right before our eyes by Laurent. We learnt that the method of mixing (with a whisk), the order of which they're introduced to be mixed, the portions of milk and cocoa, and the temperature have to be precise in order to produce a rich beverage that sweeps you off your feet.

I believe this is what they call 'Heavenly'!

(above: Pam with some cocoa-high participants!)
(below: Laurent and the chocolate robbers!)

Laurent Bernard Cafe & Chocolate Bars are located at:
- 80, Mohammad Sultan Road, #01-11
- 5B, Portsdown Road

Oui! Oui! We Lurve Chocolat!

He is French. He creates gourmet chocolates. And he has lived and worked around the world ~ from France to London, where he worked at the prestigious Waldorf Hotel and Harrods. Then off to Israel, where he took up the post of Executive Pastry Chef at Jerusalem's King David Hotel, one of the leading hotels in the world.

From the Middle-East, he moved to the US where he worked onboard luxury liner, Celebrity Cruise Line Inc. before heading to Bermuda to helm the pastry kitchen in a 5* resort.

In 2003, he finally arrives in Asia and joins the Meritus Mandarin Singapore as Executive Pastry Chef. But the Business Bug bit this chocolatier, and he took the plunge to start his very own chocolate bar at The Pier @ Robertson in 2006. Initially called The Chocolate Factory, it now caters to more discerning chocolate connoisseurs, and has since been renamed Laurent Bernard Cafe & Chocolate Bar.

And who is this Frenchman who was our guest in The Living Room today? No brownie points for guessing his name. Oui! It's chocolatier extraordinaire, Laurent Bernard.

Laurent proudly explains his chocolate creations to us during the show.

Stan & I can vouch that his chocolates are oo-la-la! They almost make you want to break out in French. Oui! Unfortunately for us, Stan did. The whole darn day... *groan*

It's clear how passionate Laurent is about his creations. When we asked him to introduce the chocolates he brought us, he did so almost gleefully. He rose to his feet, made us rise to ours as well, and explained each creation like a proud father.

And we picked up a thing or two about chocolate-pairing: Never pair chocolates with cold beverage, always warm. Coffee and tea is good, whiskey too. And to make the perfect cup of cafe mocha, start with a latte base, then add chocolate shavings. Milk chocolate is better than dark chocolate, he says. The best is 40% cocoa. And forget about cocoa powder, please.

If you want to treat your palate to Laurent's chocolates, head down to The Pier @ Robertson, or his second outlet at Portsdown Road (opposite Colbar). Although a tad pricey, we promise you there will be no regrets. After all, chocolate is a balm for the soul.

As the framed postcard on my desk puts it so succinctly: "Chocolate is the Answer. And I don't give a damn about the question".