Hot Chocolate Winter
Sometimes the internet offers you a challenge and sometimes you accept.
Recently I stumbled this listicle: ‘Where To Sip On The Best Hot Chocolates In Auckland This Winter’
https://www.theurbanlist.com/nz/a-list/hot-chocolate-auckland
And after looking at the list and spotting one that a friend had posted photos of decided that it was reasonable to try them all in a day.
Then I counted and there were fifteen, so changed the time time to by the end of the year.
Here are the results, they are all subjective but also I am right, don’t argue.
Cocoa Wilds - $9.99
So yum. Real chocolate hot chocolate, the mousse stuff was tasty and stayed cold on top of the drink. The marshmallow is a silly gimmick but is actually delicious and adds to the whole experience.
2. Altura Cafe - $5.50
A standard cafe hot chocolate. Better than average for sure, a first choice if you’re in the area, but not especially noteworthy.
3. Fabric - $6.80
Billed as being worth it for the sea views, I can see why. Weak hot chocolate, tasted more of the lid than anything else. Not impressed.
4. Miann - $10.00
So good. SO GOOD. It took a while to arrive because they were making it right. Real chocolate, a lovely venue. I would have to take out a mortgage to have afforded any of the Heston looking treats they had for sale.
5. Amano - $6.00
Rubbish. Tasteless. Disappointed with that one.
6. Honest Chocolate - $9.00
Hot dog! Made with chocolate from Matakana, so yum, very chill. And the marshmallow was bursting with berry flavour. Please and thank you!
Bonus: Swiss Bliss - $7.50
A real snub from the list not to have Swiss Bliss, handmade chocolate in a fresh made hot chocolate.
I went at a weird time of day and they made me mine personally instead of from the wee batch they normally have going.
The Swiss kiss on top is also handmade there. The baker who served me said that when they make the kisses they pipe them and then they go through a chocolate curtain, the conveyor belt makes them jump and it looks like all ghosts jumping around.
A bit dark for me but that’s personal preference. Smooth and the perfect temperature. Always worth stopping in if you’re going past Waitoki.
7. Little Bird Kitchen - $9.00
Awful. Undrinkable. Watery then bitter.
It was the token vegan option on this list and they should have not bothered. The vegan folks could have had just a list of commiserations. Surely there is a better vegan hot chocolate out there.
8. Rosie - $5.50
Tasted like milk, did not taste like hot chocolate.
They may have had a better hot chocolate in the ‘sit-down’ room next door, but if you’re not standard across your own business that’s very much on you.
9. Winona Forever - $5.50
Quite tasty! Still a standard hot chocolate, nothing too special. But it was good from the foam down.
10. The Chocolate Boutique - $9.80
Wowee! They had a whole range of hot chocolate options available, this one came in a glass that came from The Santa Clause. This was the Italian Denso and it was more like a warm chocolate custard than a drink. Very tasty, and they are open late, their entire menu would have been amazing at 9pm.
Elisabeth’s Chef - $13.00
An experimental beverage.
The beaker was so hot I loved the fun of the pour onto the candy floss but it was so hot.
Because of all they candy floss the drink did taste a bit of Turkish delight, it was also VERY sweet.
Good fun though! I felt like that raccoon gif
The Shelf - $6.50
A strange nook in the CBD, even with the Whittakers block added this was not even noteworthy.
The Fed - $5.50
Boy howdy! Listed as ‘cocoa’ because it’s an American style deli, made with real chocolate and so delish! And the lil beaker had the thing on the neck so you could actually hold it. A looooovely hot chocolate.
PieFee - $5.50
The gimmick with this one was meant to be that it came in a little pie crust, luckily for me they had run out because the one someone had outside…no.
The hot chocolate was not that good and I don’t see that putting it in a pie shell could have made the situation better.
The Cazador Delicatessen ~ $5.50
A very cute deli, some cool looking treats from around the world on the shelves.
Very milk forward. In a way that suggested they want it to be. Not my preference but not bad at all. And the marshmallow was a delight.
Honest Chocolate - $13.00
From its hometown in Matakana!
A bit dark for my taste but very very well made.
The edible cup is fun and saves a paper cup, it is made to last and not made for taste. After chatting to a staff member about it they did not disagree with that.
I wasn’t expecting to get a bonus hot chocolate on this trip but how can you say no!
Honest Chocolate - $14.00
A third round for Honest Chocolate! The Volcano this time, pour the hot chocolate to melt the dome.
The could have been a gimmick with a mediocre hot chocolate but it was so delicious. The orange came through the whole time. The marshmallows had been brûléed on one side which added flavour and texture to them. Fun an delicious what a way to end the list!
Round up:
After working through the whole list, I would love to know who decided on them because some long time favourites weren’t on there and a lot of bog standard cafe hot chocolates apparently made the cut.
If you are looking for a stand out hot chocolate you’re going to have to pay for it. Otherwise probably best to make one at hot and take it with you.
I don’t know which was my favourite, but Miann got the closest to my own holy grail hot chocolate from a hole in the wall in Montmartre.
The list was fun, at times very expensive, and occasionally disappointing. Let’s be honest there are much more difficult challenges to set yourself than to try several hot chocolates.