Glossy chocolate mousse globes, cocoa bonbons, hazelnut orange bars, financiers with ganache, a molten chocolate fountain to dip churros in.... A trip to Fabelle always makes us feel like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory! The chocolate boutique at ITC Sonar is turning two and to mark the anniversary, there are newer chocolate creations on the table and a new experience called Chocolates and Conversations. Just so you know, we couldn’t continue the conversation once the gooey chocolatey treats started arriving at our table!

BESTSELLER

Ghana Milk Chocolate Mousse: 

A creamy milk chocolate mousse with caramel and banana creme brulee with a hazelnut praline crunch. “The idea behind the new menu is to include differently-sized products, ranging from bite-sized desserts to mousse and cakes that are meant to be shared by one or many,” said Ruby Islam, master chocolatier, Fabelle. Rs 500 

Highlights from the new menu 

The Dirty Dozen: This one calls for a party, so sinful and gigantic it is! The freshly baked chocolate tart is loaded with blueberry pate de foie, topped with cherries, apricots, mango crema and passion fruit brulee. You can customise the bitterness of the chocolate as per your taste. Rs 1,999

Centre-filled Bars: Ideal for gifting, this new range includes three different varieties of chocolate bars with a soft centre. Dark Chocolate Mousse inside a dark chocolate bar (Rs 350), Choco Mousse with Nuts and Berries inside a milk chocolate bar (Rs 495), Hazelnut Mousse inside a milk chocolate bar (Rs 350) are the three options. 

The Good Old Chocolate Fondue: This pot of molten single-origin dark and milk chocolate, served with an assortment of fresh fruits and chocolate bakes, is the ultimate mood-lifter on a rainy day. The display includes coffee and crumble financier, pistachio and cacao brownie, lime and blueberry almond cake, caramel and milk chocolate tea cake, and chocolate and peanut butter madeleine. Rs 1,499

Chocolates and Conversations: A brand-new offering from Fabelle, this is an indulgent counter of bite-sized entremets. Think dessert in glasses, decadent molten fondue and various condiments in sweet and savoury. 
“The idea was to start a conversation around chocolate, perhaps with a cup of hot chocolate or even coffee on the side,” said Ruby Islam, master chocolatier, Fabelle. 

The items on this buffet incorporates nine different single-origin chocolates that Fabelle manufactures. Five main items in the spread will highlight seasonal flavours and fruits like mangoes, blood oranges and blueberries. The menu will be shuffled and other items experimenting with different flavour-and-chocolate combinations will be added gradually. 

Team t2 faves

Blood Orange Chocolate Creme Brulee Entremets: Using chocolate with 84 per cent dark chocolate content (their most bitter creation), this one is topped with a cocoa and sugar glacage and a passion fruit jelly. The almond and sea salt biscuit base adds crunch. 

Mango Vanilla Cremeux: This seasonal special uses white chocolate (a 35 per cent cocoa-butter product) with mango and vanilla cremeux for the base, and has a hint of sea salt and dark cocoa crumble. 

Molten Chocolate Fountain: This one’s a classic with 64 per cent Ghana cacao with many options on the side to dip in it.

Here’s how to whip up a cup of yummy hot chocolate, Fabelle style

Always pick a chocolate that is a 100 per cent cocoa butter product and not a vegetable oil product as the hot chocolate gets its taste from it. If you like something sweeter, go for a milk chocolate and choose a dark chocolate for those who like something bitter. You can also do a combination of milk and dark.
Have a sauce pan and a whisk in place.

Start by heating milk and once it reaches boiling point, take it off the flame and add your chopped chocolate into the mix. 
Give it about 15 seconds to just melt in itself and then use the whisk to continuously stir it. Put it back on the flame and allow it to simmer for about three-four minutes.

Good hot chocolate is made when your chocolate completely melts into the liquid, so keep whisking so that the chocolate completely melts and the milk becomes a shiny brown liquid. 

t2 caught up with Atul Bhalla on his fave picks from Fabelle and future plans of the brand.

What is the biggest insight you can share on Fabelle?

Our biggest insight which we have gathered from our guests who visit our chocolate boutiques is that they  are not just visiting Fabelle to indulge in chocolate creations but to be a part of a unique immersive chocolate experience, which is brought alive through the chocolate studio, the decor inspired  by  chocolate and also through the specially-curated experiences like Societe De Chocolat master classes.

Which are your top three picks from Fabelle? 

My top three from our boxed chocolate range would be Single Origin Cacaos, Rich Dark Ganache and Dark Chocolate bar filled with dark mousse. Each of these  provides  the most authentic experience of cocoa sourced from the finest countries across the world.

Any particular chocolate from Fabelle that people come back for?

Our Elements range, which is a box of five chocolate pralines, each inspired by an element of nature — earth, air, water, wood and fire — and our signature chocolate creations, especially Vanilla Cremeux Bar, Black Forest Revisited and the Chocolate Flower.

When Fabelle was launched, what was the idea behind it? Has it met your expectations?

Fabelle was launched with the objective of creating a luxury chocolate experience which was not earlier present in India. While we have met our business expectations, I feel there is a big opportunity and market, given the rapid rise in demand for gourmet chocolate experiences.

After Quest, are there plans to expand brand Fabelle across the city?

We have already expanded the presence of Fabelle boxed chocolates beyond ITC Hotels in premium malls such as Quest. In some other markets like Bangalore, Fabelle is now present not only in ITC Luxury hotels but also in over 100 premium retail outlets like Nature’s Basket and Food Hall. In Calcutta also, we are exploring expansion to such premium stores.

Text: Pramita Ghosh, Zeba Akhtar and Anannya Sarkar
Pictures: Arnab Mondal