Harriston Chocolate - DIY Your Own Chocolate Experience

Hi! Can you smell the sweetness in the air? I'm making chocolates today. ❤

Well, who doesn't love chocolates? Mention chocolates and we'd think of the best chocolatiers in the world such as Belgium, Switzerland, Germany etc. But do you know that Harriston, a Malaysian homegrown chocolatier has its own success story to tell too?

Dine & Wine at Cincin Restaurant & Wine Bar @ Cheras, KL

Year end is around the corner; Are you ready for celebration yet?

It is fun and exciting to know that the year-end holiday season is on its way and now it is time to plan for Christmas parties, celebrations etc. Many restaurants have rolled out their festive special promo / menu, but cheap and good ones are few and far between. 

When I found out that Cincin Restaurant and Wine Bar is having a really good deal for this year end, I am excited to try out the wine pairing dinner here. 

Cincin is a two-storey restaurant located opposite Cheras Leisure Mall. This black-and-red giant is easily noticeable from the highway and parking is ample around this neighbourhood. Alternatively, you can get down at MRT Taman Mutiara station and take a cab there as the restaurant is less than 1km away.

In Italian, Cincin literally translates to "Cheers". True to its name, Cincin is therefore a restaurant cum wine bar where guests can toss and celebrate various occasions here including birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, New Year, or any private parties.

The ground floor is mainly for beer and casual dining, whereas the first floor is for wine dining. The warm ambiance exudes the perfect mood for premium wines and fine Western cuisine while chilling at the lounge, not far from the bar and wine racks.

If you are a wine enthusiast, I am sure you would be on cloud nine, as there is a wide selection of wines  from Wine2u for you to choose from. You can purchase them at cheaper prices here, and bring home or bring your wine back to this restaurant during your next visit.

Well, since I don't really know how to choose wine, the friendly staff here is ready to provide detailed explanation on the notes of each wine, and make recommendations based on my taste preference. 

Instead of saying "Cheers!", we say "Cincin!" here.

Caesar Salad

Padre Pedro Reserva Branco

Varietal: Viognier and Arinto (2015)

For the first 3 courses of the meal (Salad, Fish and Mushroom), we pair them with the lightly wood-aged white wine. With its soft and round character, it has a nice balance of slightly spiced and fruity acidity. Perfect as a palate teaser before going for something heavier on the palate.

Clear Soup with Truffle Oil

The soup is something warm, aromatic and flavourful to tease the palate, all thanks to the rich flavour of truffle oil.

Definitely a healthier alternative from the usual cream-based soup.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom with Bacon and Cheese

After some light broth, we have something very savoury on the palate -- the juicy grilled portobello, crowned with bits of bacon and sprinkles of cheese. It is so soft, and burst into juicy goodness upon each bite. To be honest, it tastes a tad heavy on its own, so it is best to sip on the white wine and tone down the savoury notes.

Poached Salmon in White Wine Broth

One dish after another, it does not feel overwhelming at all as every dish is something light on the palate, ideal for the health conscious. For instance, the salmon is lightly poached in the wine broth to preserve its natural flavours of oceanic sweetness. In fact, I find that the wine flavour is rather subtle and I can really enjoy the salmon at its freshest state.

Grilled Lamb Rack in Red Wine Rosemary Sauce

Aldeya Tinto

Varietal: Syrah. Tempranillo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (2015)

The star of the evening is the grilled lamb rack, which is the only dish we pair with the Spanish red wine, made from Spain's star grape, Tempranillo. This food-friendly wine is a great complement to the grilled or roasted lamb, thanks to its great harmony of flavours with red meat, plus a wonderful, lingering aftertaste.

DESSERT

Hojicha Creme Brulee

As the grand finale of the meal, we not only have one but two beautifully plated desserts. The glittering torched top is adorned with lovely edible flowers and green tea sable; what a feast to the eyes!

Digging into this little "flower pot", every spoonful of the creamy custard is sweet (but don't worry, the sweetness is just right on point) with an added touch of bittersweet roasted green tea flavours. Again, it is a very light combination, to seal the evening with sweet notes. 

"Ballerina"

Another eye candy that captivates my heart is the icy cold sweet treat served in a white 'shell', reminding me of a pearl surrounded by a sea of flowers. So pretty right? 

After dinner, here comes the most important part of the evening: Cake cutting ceremony! 

This place is just so perfect for birthday parties. With beautiful decors, table and backdrop set ups, etc,

you can always discuss your idea with the restaurant so they can serve you best.

Happy Birthday to all November babies!!

Nothing feels better than having such great companions on this very special evening :)

Since Cincin opens till late (around 2am), I don't mind spending a couple of hours chilling at the lounge with my glass of wine.

The wine corks are just so lovely, aren't they?

MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL

Do you know that you can be a member in CINCIN? Spend RM500 wine purchase in total of 3 bills, in a month.

You are entitled to your own crystal wineglass stored in Cincin for FREE, and a charm with name.

Then follow Cincin's Facebook Page for their i-house events.

For every event joined, member will get a special charm chained on their wineglass. 

As Christmas is approaching, let's see what Cincin is offering during December:

Roast and Grill Platter for 4 Pax

❤ Comes with complimentary 4 glasses of cava @ RM268++

Christmas Dinner from 22 - 25 December 2017

❤ Buffet-style salad, soup and cold cuts

❤ Live carving of turkey and lamb leg - table service

❤ For pricing, please visit Cincin's Facebook Page

Buy 1 FREE 1 Promotion

❤ Cava RM 38++

❤ Red wine RM 28++

❤ White wine RM 28++

Verdict:

Overall, the wine dining experience is pretty casual and laid-back here. A great option for

dine-and-wine at affordable prices, without having to go downtown especially during special occasions.

Here's the map guiding you to Cincin.
Have fun dining and drinking at Cincin!

Cincin: Wine, Bar, Grill
No.1, Jalan 1/119,
Taman Bukit Hijau,
56000 Cheras,
Kuala Lumpur.
Contact: +603-9134 2272
Email: cincindining@gmail.com
Website: www.cincindining.com
Facebook: fb.com/cincindining
Business Hours: 3pm - 2am daily
Dress code for Wine Lounge: Smart casual (No singlets / flip-flops)

Dark Chocolate Affair @ The Dark Gallery, MyTown Shopping Centre, Cheras

The Dark Gallery ❤ Open your senses, discover the dark side of desserts...

I love dark chocolates, but never once have I learnt so much about the making of dark chocolates! The Dark Gallery, probably one of the very first few artisanal chocolate dessert boutique-cum-cafe is here to lead us to a journey of appreciating several different single origin chocolates and chocolate blends.

The Dark Gallery's latest outlet in MyTown Shopping Centre (where IKEA Cheras is located at) proudly presents to us the best of chocolates from various parts of the world, focusing mainly on dark chocolates. 

Using couverture chocolate (high quality chocolate with higher percentage of cocoa butter) sourced from gourmet brands such as Valrhona and Cacao Barry, The Dark Gallery churns out fresh signature goodies right at the store everyday -- you'll see a staggering array of:

❤ Single origin dark chocolates

❤ Plated desserts (Brownie, waffle, etc)

❤ Hot and cold beverages 

❤ Ice creams

❤ Macarons, tarts, pastries

❤ Cookies (sables, granola, etc)

❤ Take-home items (ice cream cakes, pints, etc)

The cafe has an open seating space which can fit up to 40 pax. A relaxing spot in the quiet side

of the mall for us to enjoy some chilly afternoon treat or evening after-meal indulgence.

Source: HERE

At The Dark Gallery, the dark chocolates are highly prized for its high cacao content and complex balance of bitter and sweet. Cacao is sourced from premium cacao powder - sourced from unroasted cocoa beans - as opposed to cocoa powder which comes from raw cacao that has been roasted at high temperatures, hence losing the nutritional values in it.

Therefore, what you'll experience here is way different to your average store-bought chocolate bar or ice cream. 

What a healthy, guilt-free indulgence!

Now let's begin exploring the treasury of discoveries on the canvas of chocolate.

Below are the 10 must-have items in The Dark Gallery...

Single Origin Platters

#1 Single Origin Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Platter @ RM21

(3 scoops on 1 platter)

Like coffee, dark chocolates do come from single origins If you are new to the "real" dark chocolate, the first thing to try is the Single Origin dark chocolate ice cream platter, consisting of 3 scoops of ice cream made from dark chocolate sourced in different countries - Madagascar, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

The flavour profile for each, with varying cacao content, is provided to the customers for a clearer, better appreciation of the single origin chocolates.

Light and Fruity 64% Madagascan

Acidity ❤❤❤❤❤

Fruitiness ❤❤❤❤

Bitterness ❤❤

Intensity ❤❤❤

Floral and Spicy 70% Dominican Republic

Acidity ❤❤❤

Fruitiness ❤❤❤

Bitterness ❤❤

Intensity ❤❤❤❤

Intensely Bittersweet 72% Venezuelan

Acidity ❤

Fruitiness ❤❤

Bitterness ❤❤❤❤

Intensity ❤❤❤❤

The 64% Madagascan dark chocolate is extremely creamy with milky flavours - sweet and smooth. 70% Dominican Republic version is rather tangy for me, although it is well balanced with hints of bitterness. Nevertheless, my personal favourite goes to the 72% Venezuelan bittersweet ice cream that gives just the right amount of sweet and bitter flavours in every spoonful. Perfect blend! 

#2 Single Origin Dark Chocolate Pastries Platter @ RM21

(with 4 varieties of mini pastries)

Our exploration of different single origin chocolates continues with the dainty pastries crafted from the single origin dark chocolates similar to the earlier platter, but with an addition of 66% Ecuador chocolate.

Fun-sized Chocolate Macarons (64% Madagascar)

Acidity ❤❤❤❤❤

Fruitiness ❤❤❤❤

Bitterness ❤❤

Intensity ❤❤❤

S'mores (70% Dominican Republic)

Acidity ❤❤❤

Fruitiness ❤❤❤

Bitterness ❤❤

Intensity ❤❤❤❤

To my surprise, these chocolates exude different flavours when crafted into pastries. The miniature macaron is crunchy and very light in sweetness, whereas the S'mores (molten dark chocolate on torched marshmallow and graham cracker) has minimal element of chocolate sweetness in it.  

Dark Chocolate Tartlet (66% Equador)

Acidity ❤❤

Fruitiness ❤❤❤

Bitterness ❤❤❤

Intensity ❤❤❤❤

I personally love the tartlet filled with extremely dense 66% Ecuador dark chocolate ganache.

Best served chilled, it tastes lip smacking good without being overcloying at all.

Chocolate Banana Trifle (72% Venezuela)

Acidity ❤

Fruitiness ❤❤

Bitterness ❤❤❤❤

Intensity ❤❤❤❤ 

The most outstanding item on the platter is probably this mini trifle, filled with distinctive layers of 72% Venezuelan dark chocolate mousse, caramelised bananas, brownie chunks and whipped cream. It is the fruity aroma and great biting pleasure which I enjoy the most here. 

Signature Desserts

#3 The Chocolate Rhapsody @ RM28

(with signature dark, milk and white chocolate ice creams)

Not a fan of dark chocolate? Don't worry, The Dark Gallery has more to offer. From the ice cream bar, it serves different flavours of ice creams to suit even the most discerning palates.

Those with sweet tooth will appreciate this artfully plated dessert composed of the signature dark, milk and white chocolate ice creams sitting on a bed of crunchy chocolate "soil". Thumbs up to the beautiful arrangement - dollops of silky chocolate mousse, crispy chocolate meringue and cacao tuile - that is sure to please both our eyes and palate.

My verdict? Highly distinctive tastes and textures on its own. But blends well together when it comes as one. 

#4 The New Banana Split @ RM24

(with signature milk chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream)

The "new" banana split here is no longer served in a classic way, but rather enhanced with a lovely composition of sliced caramelised banana, shards of almond tuile and crumble. 

Among the 3 scoops of ice cream, the star that shines the brightest is the high-quality Strawberry Ice Cream. We are delighted that only real strawberry fruit is used to make the ice cream, with no artificial coloring. No wonder it tastes like the real fruit itself, nothing artificial at all! 

#5 The Ice Cream Waffle @ RM20

(with choice of 2 flavours of ice cream and 1 topping)

For those who are feeling peckish, the ice cream waffle is a great option for sharing.  The waffle is a winning taste on its own - I love its light, crispy exterior while the inside remains soft and fluffy. Most importantly, its rich buttery flavour complements well with the ice creams. 

As for the flavours of ice creams, you can choose from the wide array displayed on the bar such as Sea Salt Butterscotch (Highly recommended for its unique blend of savoury and sweet flavours!), Salted Peanut Butter, Fresh Peppermint, and of course not forgetting to mention the No.1 best-selling Signature 80% Dark Chocolate.

Topping wise, over 10 sprinkles and sauces are made in-house to pair with the waffle - Caramelised Almonds, Hazelnut Crumble, Marshmallows, 66% Dark Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Sauce, Baked Meringue and more. 

#6 The Chocolate Brownie Mess @ RM20

(with choice of 1 flavour of ice cream)

Another mood booster that keeps us glued to our seats is the Chocolate Espresso Ice Cream served on a thick slab of freshly-baked brownie adorned with almond tuile and dark chocolate sauce. If you can't decide between coffee and chocolate, this makes the perfect choice. 

#7 The Chocolate Affogato @ RM14

However, if you have stronger craving for caffeine, be sure to get your fix with the Espresso Shot served with 80% Dark Chocolate Ice Cream and Homemade Caramelised Almonds. 

As the ice cream is rather bittersweet, you may adjust the level of bitterness of the concoction

by pouring just half a shot of espresso to taste. 

This hot and cold tempting indulgence will definitely evoke your senses!

Chocolate Beverages

#8 Signature Hot Chocolate @ RM15

Do you agree, sometimes a cup of hot chocolate is all you need to make your day? The Dark Gallery's luscious Signature Hot Chocolate is especially-comforting as every sip goes smoothly down the throat with strong milky flavours and it is not as sweet as I thought. Delicious yet not too filling for my liking.

If you'd like something cooling, try the Ice-blended Frappes, Chocolate Cube Hazelnut Latte and other cold beverages.

#9 *NEW* Chocolate Bonbon

To pair with the hot chocolate drinks, we have the all-new Chocolate Bonbon,

a delectable hand-crafted pastry with "surprises" awaiting for us inside! 

I love the Chocolate Bonbon filled with Passion Fruit Puree - fruity, tangy and

it lends a hint of sweetness to the bittersweet hot chocolate drinks.

Ice Cream Bar

Artisanal Ice Cream @ RM10 - RM12 (Single) / RM17 - RM19 (Double)

At the ice cream bar, a total of 12 chocolate and non-chocolate flavours are available every day. They also serve fruity sorbets for the health conscious. I would definitely come back for more flavours here.

A detailed list of ice cream flavours and toppings is displayed at the counter for your reference.

Take-home Items

#10 Artisanal Chocolate Granola (RM20) and Ice Cream Pints (RM33)

Take-home items such as Bean to Bar Craft Chocolate, Ice Cream Pints, Artisanal Chocolate Sable and Artisanal Chocolate Granola are available in-store. You can also purchase them from The Dark Gallery's web-store and enjoy free delivery for orders of RM150 and above. 

In conjunction to the festive season, The Dark Gallery is having some great promotions:

1. Raya Gift Box

- Pick any 6 of our Sablés/Chocolate Granola/Bean to Bar chocolate at RM100

2. Breakfast Promo (10am-12noon)

Buy any HOT COFFEE + any CHOCOLATE COOKIES at RM12 

or The Chocolate Granola Milk Bowl at RM12

3. Ice Cream Pints Promo

Buy any any 4 of The Dark Gallery’s artisanal ice cream pints for the price of 3! 

 

Overall, The Dark Gallery provides me my very first eye-opening journey around the world to explore the single origin chocolates. Time to enter into this beautiful wooden space and gain a well of knowledge on chocolates yourselves!

Verdict:

1. The Dark Gallery is more than just specially curated for dark chocolate lovers; it provides a redefined chocolate experience altogether. 

2. Reasons to visit: Quality over price; Composition over portion;  Fresh “made-on-site” varieties over the average store options. 

3. Recommended: Single Origin Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Platter, Chocolate Rhapsody, Brownie, Sea Salt Butterscotch Ice Cream.

The Dark Gallery
MyTown Shopping Centre 
L1-023A and L1-K-007,
Level 1,
MyTown Shopping Centre
(linked to IKEA Cheras)
Jalan Cochrane, Cheras,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Website: www.thedarkgallery.com
Facebook: facebook.com/discoverthedark
Instagram: instagram.com/discoverthedark
Business Hours: 11am - 10pm daily