The 4th Annual Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival has been running for the past few weeks now. I don’t tend to participate in this very much because the hot chocolates are usually on the pricey side and most of the stores are not conveniently located for me.
That being said, there are a few that are close to my office. It has been quite chilly recently so I thought it was a perfect excuse for a team outing at one of the locations – Leonidas at the Convention Centre. Last time I visited I was only there for the macarons so I was quite excited about trying their hot chocolate.
Leonidas located right by the water
And they actually serve 6 different types of hot chocolate (2 dark, 2 milk and 2 white), which I really appreciate, offering some kind of hot chocolate for everyone. Each hot chocolate comes with your choice of Liege Belgian Waffle, cheesecake trio, one macaron, two pieces of chocolate, or ice cream.
Food
I ordered the Boho Secret with the Liege Waffle. It’s a 72% dark Belgian chocolate flavoured with peppermint, turmeric, honey and pepper. Their hot chocolates are made with real chocolate chips and not syrup or powder, which makes each cup rich and decadent.
I could definitely taste the savoury, peppery taste in my Boho Secret, with a hint of sweetness from the honey and naturally from the chocolate. Because it was dark chocolate, it wasn’t overly sweet. I was hoping that the peppermint flavour would pop but I couldn’t taste it. Neither did I taste tumeric, but it tends to be a more subtle flavour to start.
As for the Liege waffle, I was quite looking forward to it because I still remember how much I enjoyed it in Brussels two years ago. I thought the texture was right, much denser and sweeter than the North American-style Belgian waffles. And significantly smaller in size, but it’s expected. I don’t think they make the waffles on-site but they warm it up in an oven for you. It tasted pretty good; I only wish that they would drizzle just a bit more chocolate sauce on the side for dipping. But then, they also charge you extra for chocolate sauce as a topping so that might explain it.
Final Thoughts
$7 may sound like a lot for hot chocolate and a tiny Liege waffle, but if you look at its regular menu there’s actually cost saving in this. I thought it’s not bad for what I paid for. Not necessarily something I would do all the time, but it would make a nice, occasional treat to myself.
Leonidas Chocolates
#29 – 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver
604-647-7559
www.leonidaswaterfront.com