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My wife just got a new job and I'm looking for a small congrats gift for her. Chocolate Truffles are one of her favorites. Where can I get the best around town?
Thanks
BM
BobMack
Feb 21, 2005 08:25PM
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Maybe Teuscher's in Beverly Hills?? (Corner of Brighton Way and Camden). Very high end Swiss chocolatier.
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For this particular request, K Chocolatier in Beverly Hills. Diane Kron's chocolate truffles are better than Teuscher's.
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another vote for k chocolatier, but there is this praline buttercream bonbon at teuscher that is so amazing, so buttery and nutty and not too sweet...
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Agree with ThatPat about Teuscher's (9548 Brighton Way, (310) 276-2776). Their champagne truffles, in particular, are excellent. Other very good local choices for chocolate truffles include Leonidas (201 N. Larchmont Blvd., (323) 860-7966), and Picholine (3360 West 1st St., (213) 252-8722). Finally, if you want to order online, Chocosphere (link below) is tough to beat; the Max Brenner stuff, in particular, is stunningly good.
Link: http://www.chocosphere.com
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Another online recommendation is Hotel Chocolat. It's in the UK, so prices are in GBP and shipping is astronomical. 10 GBP per box. But the chocolate is incredible.
Link: http://www.hotelchocolat.com/cx1/
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I cast my vote for Teucher's (especially the champagne truffles) over K chocolatier, but it doesn't get much more subjective than this.
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I second Teuscher's champagne truffles; I don't care too much for their other chocolates. Chuao Chocolatier in Encinatas is wonderful (passion fruit, banana and strawberry caramels are a plus), but they're located in Encinitas. I think Vosges is overpriced and not that great -- chocolates taste like they could have been made over a week ago and the flavors are sometimes odd (and I like strong, interesting flavors) and too subtle. Their Naga Bar (curry, coconut and milk chocolate) is inspired, though!
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I third Teuscher's champagne truffles
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Content here was copied and pasted from a post by the CH Moderators a bit farther down the page
"Hi-
We would appreciate it if you would not use the Subject field for your narrative comments. When you change the subject it makes it difficult for Chowhounds who use our HotPosts feature to follow the thread. Please only change the subject when the actual discussion subject has changed.
Thanks."
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I know that this doesn't add to any food discussion, but Jeez, do we really need more cops than the gazillion members of the chowhound team that are already out there?
Okay okay, no more changing the subject!
And yes, I have bought Teuschers champagne truffles and they are devine. Their other truffles aren't that bad.
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It's not about being picky. Changing the subject line causes Chowhound's alternate interface to choke.
I prefer K's truffles by the way, but my wallet prefers See's.
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Er, Jayne, the moderators (and those few others kind enough to pitch in) are the only reason this resource isn't a useless morass of ads, flames, inane chitchat, and off-topic tangents. The moderators donate ridiculous amounts of time and effort not because they're sadists who delight in annoying you, but because of a desire to throw a party for the enjoyment of thousands of perfect strangers like yourself. If they stopped, we'd suck.
Everyone loves a moderated site, but everyone hates being moderated. But all users of this site share a vested interest in the aim to foster an honest, friendly, focused resource for all hounddom.
End of digression, please. Let's talk chow.
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they used to have maison du chocolat at it was either saks or possibly neimans in that rodeo area, i think neimans. i haven't been there in a while but i to got the pates de fruits last time i was there. mmm, so good. ouch,so expensive. but, mmm...
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned Boule.
As for me, I like Sees.
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The added bonus of Boule is that everything is packaged so beautifully. Their stuff makes lovely gifts.
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At Boule they look great, but are a bit small for the price, and the chocolate coating is paper thin. A $20.00 box will only get you about 4 ounces of chocolates (8 small pieces). Teuscher and Kron are better choices. Leonidas was great when they had only one store, as the chain expands, the quality drops.
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I don't get the (oft-repeated) criticism that that Boule's truffle coating is too thin.
I'm used to truffles that are not coated with chocolate AT ALL. I don't see the thickness of the coating, per se, as a good or bad thing . . . it's simply their style.
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Agreed. Generally, higher end chocolates have thinner shells, I forget the exact reason since I don't make them but just eat them. Usually you see the thick shells on cheaper chocolates. If you have to bite through a hard thick shell to get at the fillings, then it's just not as pleasurable.
Just had some Boule chocolates and the coatings were no thinner than those I remember from Chuao, Teuscher, K, etc. And my SO liked the curry chocolate! But this is why I love Boule. Most of their unusual chocolate combinations work for me, their macarons are the best I can get in CA, ice creams are great. I'm less fond of their pastries, but that's a quibble.
If you guys know a place that has better macarons than Boule (not Jin) then please post to this board.
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If you're ever in Newport Beach, try Pascal Epicerie -- I much prefer their macarons, which come in chocolate, lemon, pistachio, coffee, praline, etc. Not as sweet and soft as Boule, which made me feel a bit sick, although I did enjoy the pumpkin and raspberry-rose flavors. I find Boule's macarons more like those from Lauduree -- which may be a bonus for some, but not for me.
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Pascal Epicerie used to make fine macarons, great ones. But as of several years ago, they have gone so downhill in that department, I rarely go there now. I am willing to drive to L.A. to grab some from Boule instead.
Pascal Epicerie used to make these mini opera cakes that were to die for. Now they sell pedestrian slices of opera cake seem to me to be somewhat sloppy looking. Also, the macaroons tend to be crispy and bubblelike, though the fillings are the same as ever. I have to admit, Pascal Epicerie is one of my biggest disappointments.
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Tried Pascal Epicerie again after not going here since mid last year. Well, their macarons are almost as good as ever. They're regular shapes again, and not domed and strange looking. And they're not crunchy and sloppily filled. Still no mini opera cakes, at least not today. The eclairs are not looking as good as they used to, but I didn't try any.
I guess things are looking back up. Sorry about doubting you. :-)
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my house.
Are the truffles at Boule the just mixed melted chocolate and cream kind or the kind that is slightly whipped like Maison?
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Boule's truffles are melted cream and chocolate kind.
Hmm, so besides your house, is there anywhere else? Thanks in advance.
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Crap, ever since I was like eleven and binged on a box of See's truffles, I haven't been hugely into the mixed chocolate and cream kind. it's like french pastry chefs who say they still can't really eat eclairs because they were allowed to make themselves sick on them when they were 13 and starting (on purpose, so they wouldn't want to eat the pastries all the time).
I don't know where else to get macaroons.
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Then what they sell at Boule are not truffles at all. They are just chocolates. The centers are softer than an uncoated truffle center. It is just a personal thing but I like my chocolates to have a thicker coating especially if the coating chocolate is of an excellent quality. Above all else, what I remember about Boule is how overwhelmingly sweet everything is. Just not my cup of tea.
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there might be some confusion because truffles and european chocolate-centered candies are generally based on the same thing-ganache, a foundation of melted chocolate and cream. some places whip ganache to make truffles, others don't. but the organic, rounded shapes that mimic the famous fungus are what's thought of most often as a truffle, sometimes with the dusting of cocoa for "dirt".
the amount of coating (couverture) on a chocolate often comes down to either using molds (i think boule does this-they look quite perfectly set & shaped) vs. enrobing (pouring over or dipping into chocolate-little more irregular or even rustic looking, ie. edelweiss). some people like the ganache to melt away cleanly while others like a little residual chocolate coating to linger in the mouth and balance out the center/filling.
but as you say, personal tastes dictate what you'll ultimately buy. jerome had a great idea to do a tasting of several places.
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Actually they do sell truffles (cocoa dusted, and IIRC various flavors of choco-cream ganache filling), but people seem to gravitate towards the weird flavored filled chocolates. I don't go to Boule for their truffles either, though I have had one or two. I go for the weird flavored ones.
Boule does a combination of molds and enrobing. The tea chocolates, for instance, were enrobed and then put on that acetate sheet thing to make the little designs on top. But some of the others, like that wasabi-lime, were molded. The molded chocolates seem to have thicker shells than the enrobed ones, but I could be imagining things.
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Why would the quality drop as Leonidas increases the number of stores? I know they are not making their goods here, so shouldn't make a difference. Could you elaborate?
Oh and thanks for the tip. I didn't know there were any Leonidas stores here. Now I don't have to get my chocolates crushed with the baggage. They're kind of on the really sweet side though.
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Tried most of those mentioned - I prefer to have mine shipped from Brooklyn - the truffles are superb - also love the mixed assortment, the hot chocolate (both regular and wicked) and the chocolate covered macadamias - I've yet to find an L.A. retailer that carries his goods - if you've seen his show, you know he's an over the top perfectionist...
http://www.jacquestorres.com/
Link: http://www.mrchocolate.com/ecom/site/...
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http://normanloveconfections.com/imag...
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K has excellent truffles (and marizipan). I do love Teuscher but it is not a plain truffle. Picholine is also doing interesting things.
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Bought some K truffles today for the first time. Very creamy. Like them a lot. I think they're made from African chocolate. She also carries a chocolate for women only... it's laced with herbs that are supposed to be, uh, stimulating.
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Yeah, I stopped in at K. the other day but she closes whenever she feels like it so I missed out. I had to go to Teuscher instead. Oh well.
Ah yes K.'s sex chocolates. Can I say that in public? Background: she made these chocolates with Chinese herbs in it (some herbalist consulted with her on these, I think) and you eat them and it's supposed to widen the blood vessels or something. Anyway, supposedly it works. They're really expensive though.
I get her truffles only. The other stuff is cool, but damn it I love her truffles. THIN chocolate shell around the interior. You know these bad boys have been hand enrobed.
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There are a couple of places around LA that sell Vosges chocolates, which I LOOOVVEE! I think Neiman's is one of the LA locations with the bars and the truffles.
They are delicious, beautiful, and are all an interesting mix of ingredients...black pepper, Absinthe, and Hungarian paprika are some of them!
Link: http://www.vosgeschocolate.com
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Cute place with a really knowledgable and nice Belgian man has great truffles and choclate bark -- in Brentwood on wilshire east of Bundy.
12008 Wilshre
310-4442-2245
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I'd say take a day, go to Boule, then hop over to beverly hills and walk into Kron, Edelweiss on Canon and Teuscher.
Take your wife.
Let her sample. And then whatever she likes you buy.
That way, she gets to taste at a bunch of places.
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http://losangeles.splendora.com/section.cfm?sid=337
http://www.deconcierge.com/favorite_l...
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Not kidding here.... Trader Joe's (yes, TJ's) has incredible imported chocolate truffles. Not high-falootin', I know. They also kinda look like dogpoop. But, WOW are they tasty!
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