Whenever I plan to travel to a new city, I always research the best local hot chocolate options. This honestly isn’t easy to do. First step is to look for craft chocolate makers. If they offer hot chocolates in their stores, these are pretty much guaranteed to be amazing. Second, I’ll look at chocolatiers who, if they offer any drinks usually make these with whatever (hopefully) high quality couverture they use to make their chocolates. Last, but not least, I look to see what the trendy options are, the ones the media or Instagrammers think are the best. These are almost certainly not good tasting hot chocolates, but are also almost certainly great experiences. Sometimes, just sometimes, they are also yummy.
The hot chocolate at at Chin Chin in London, looks a bit like a heart attack in a paper mug. It is a mug full of a thick, pudding like hot chocolate made using, wait for it, Valrhona dark couverture chocolate. They scoop a generous amount of marshmallow fluff on top and then torch that to a golden brown crisp. Everything they serve at Chin Chin is ridiculously and beautifully over the top but equally quite delicious. It is all a bit of a choose your own adventure experience. Pick an ice cream ( for example cinnamon bun, banana miso, or black Sesame Tahnini), then choose a topping or sauce (for example pandan whipped cream, bee pollen honeycomb, or hazelnut sand). If you can’t decide, they have plenty of their own creations to chose from, sticky toffee pudding Sundays or vegan griddled cookie dough. But start with the hot chocolate…and visit with a friend you really like or even a date if you can. How one person can finish this whole drink is beyond me!
Chin Chin Ice Cream, 54 Greek Street, London, UK. Hours: 13:00-22:00. www.chinchinicecream.com @chinchinicecream
