HoCho Fest 2016: 13, 14, 15, 16

Each year, the Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival brings together cafes, confectionaries, and restaurants to create specialty hot chocolate beverages to fundraise for a great cause. This year, proceeds of the festival will be going towards supporting the Downtown Eastside Women's Job Training Program of the PHS Community Services Society and East Van Roasters. Each year, I join this win-win-win situation by dropping in to every possible location, tasting delicious drinks and snacks, reviewing my stops, and supporting this superb cause.

This post features: Terra Breads, Koko Monk, East Van Roasters, and Thierry.

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HoCho 13: Honey Buns, Terra Breads (4th Ave)

SPICY.

HoChos 9, 10, 11, and 12

Whooooooooa... We're half-way there...
WhoooooOOOAA! Chocolate everywheere... 

February 1st! I do not know where the month of January went, but I recall glimpses of events and timetables and a lot of chocolate towards the end. As a student, I find this point in the Hot Chocolate Festival challenging: Professors are beginning to remind their classes about upcoming assignments while doling out assessments, and the hot cocoa locations are farther away as I cross more and more off of my list.

Who doesn't like a bit of a challenge, though?

HoCho #9: Red Cadillac, Koko Monk Chocolates (~$6.50)

Located just before Burrard Street on 1st Ave, Koko Monk Chocolates prides themselves on flavours that come from the foods themselves - no artificial flavours or preservatives to make their chocolate confections, beverages, cookies, and macarons taste as delicious as they do. Last year, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed a curry hot chocolate from them.

This year, however, I enjoyed a salted almond hot chocolate with peppercorn, made with almond milk - and this time, the almond milk was included in the drink! I did not have to specify my non-dairy preference - I do appreciate intentionally vegan items in the festival.

The Red Cadillac was a rich, dark chocolate that sat heavily on the tongue. When stirring the drink, the hot chocolate dripped with a thick viscosity off of the spoon. Aligning with the values of Koko Monk, the salted-almond flavour came not only from the almond milk, but from crushed almonds added to the chocolate blend; they added a gritty texture that appeared every few sips.

If you like dark, less-sweet hot chocolate (with a little bit of peppercorn for *pop* at the end), you would probably enjoy this drink!

HoCho #10: Put da Lime in da Coconut, Chocolate Arts (~$6.00)

Tucked away in a less-visited industrial neighbourhood near Granville Island, Chocolate Arts is a minimalistic, clean, and modern-looking chocolate confectionery and cafe. The simple white tables with simple red chairs were familiar from last year, and the friendly service behind the counter offered a warm welcome.

Of the three unique options offered by Chocolate Arts this year, MM and I both vouched for Put da Lime in da Coconut - a dark chocolate to be poured over coconut ice cream with coconut macaroons served on the side.

My cocoa was made with soy milk, and I quite enjoyed how filling it was - I find that cocoa is most filling when the ingredients are more genuine and less artificial. This chocolate was highlighted by lime notes that offered an interesting flavour combination that was made particularly delicious when combined with the coconut ice cream!

Furthermore, who could pour chocolate over ice cream and not love to consume it? This festival flavour is great if you dig the taste of coconut and are looking to fill your belly!

HoCho #11: Pep Me Up, Thomas Haas (~$6.50)

Ah, Thomas Haas - if you follow them on Instagram, you know that they don't just pride themselves on incredible confections, pastries, macarons, and hot chocolate - they also love the outdoors, biking, and the city they reside in!

This stop has been a favourite of mine in past festivals, and I was not to be disappointed this year. Of the two available cocoas, MS and I indulged in the Pep Me Up - a 70% cocoa drink with peppermint and some chartreuse:

a French liqueur made by the Carthusian Monks since 1737 according to the instructions set out in the secret manuscript given to them by François Annibal d'Estrées in 1605. It is composed of distilled alcohol aged with 130 herbs, plants and flowers. The liqueur is named after the Monks' Grande Chartreuse monastery, located in the Chartreuse Mountains in the general region of Grenoble in France. (Wikipedia article here.)

I enjoyed this drink made with almond milk, as I find the almond milk made the dark chocolate a little lighter on the palette, and it allowed the peppermint notes to become more prominent.

While the struggle is often all-too real to find a seat in this place, I highly recommend it if you appreciate artful chocolate drinks and you want a little something sweet on the side.

HoCho #12: Chartreuse Milkshake, Uva Wine Bar & Bittered Sling ($14.95)

It's Friday night, and it's 10:00PM - it's too late to get a Hot Chocolate Festival drink! 

What? You mean there's a location opened until 2:00 in the morning from which I may acquire a festival beverage? ... And there are two alcoholic options?

Uva Wine Bar offers three festival options this year, one of which follows a more "hot chocolate" template, and two that are "hot chocolate inspired" cocktails. My company and I, late on Friday, went for the second of two cocktail options - the Chartreuse Milkshake.

This drink did not actually contain any dairy of which to speak, but it was shaken (not stirred), and had cacao bitters sprinkled atop its foamy surface. The flavours showcased in this drink were orange juice and lime juice with a hint of gin, making a sweet and tangy drink that was very easy to sip.

Italian doughnuts accompanied the beverage - two large, served-hot, cinnamon-sugar coated doughnuts with some sweet substance drizzled across them and their serving plate. They hit the spot after a long shift that left my blood sugar low!

Do you like orange juice? Does a sweet-sour combo sound appealing? Is alcohol something you're into today? Try this stop on Seymour Street.

See you after a few more hot chocolates!

HoCho Fest Day 24: Brunette Bangle

Today was a hot chocolate festival day marked with both high and low moments.

First, the low (because then we can move on from them): Really there is only one, and it is having made the discovery that Thierry Chocolaterie stopped participating in the festival as of yesterday - I do not know why, but this means there will be one location that I do not get to attend while it participates in the festival - perhaps I will go visit anyways!

The highs: I was able to enjoy a very unique and delicious hot chocolate with three lovely people! The four of us ventured to Koko Monk this afternoon.

Having done a bit of research ahead of time, I learned that all of their creations are preservative and chemical free! All of the flavours come from their natural sources. A novelty that I appreciate, and a point of pride in their establishment made clear by the chocolatiers that served us today.

Brunette Bangle: Hot chocolate with the exotic hint of curry.
Served with your choice of cookie.
($6.75)

I was hesitant in approaching this unique flavour combination, as I do not generally like curries because the majority I try are spicy and have caused me to avoid them. However, this soy-milk beverage was a surprise to me: It was a really nice balance of real, homemade dark chocolate, and curry flavours! The curry flavours were not spicy, but added a unique dimension to the drink and paired well with the dark chocolate, which was bitter and full of flavour. 

Halfway through the drink, we stirred it with the spoon provided and whew! Curry flavour was in abundance. After more mixing and including the chocolate drizzled along the sides of the glass mug, the flavours seemed to balance again and reach a very happy place.

As for the cookie.. There is not much to say, and not much needs to be said: It is a cookie filled with delicious jam and covered in soft and powdery sweetness. It had the soft, chewy texture that I so love in my cookies.

This spot is a definite need-to-try if you're ever in the Kitsilano area! I want to sample all of their yummy chocolate confections and take a stab at that chocolate fondue fountain... Droooooooling.