The chocolate shop Rabot 1745, in the London Borough Market, is worth the trip to London all by itself. The chocolate here is amazing. They have their own plantation, and import their own cacao beans. When they roast the beans the heady aroma reaches out of the shop and draws in chocolate lovers with an irresistible pull. After conching for 50 hours, the resulting chocolate liquor goes into a chocolate fountain, and is kept in an emulsion with just a little sugar. When you order, the barista draws a cup directly from the fountain, steams up fresh hot milk, and then serves it in a warm ceramic beaker with a sprinkle of chocolate shavings on top. The aroma from the cup is pure chocolate heaven. When you take that first sip you get some of the liquor and some of the melted shavings with it. Hold it in your mouth for a second, and let the aromas of the cacao waft up through your sinuses, and give you the retronasal olfaction which gives you flavors you never knew chocolate could possess. Notes of apricot, hazelnuts, a little caramel, and a fleeting whiff of coffee present themselves. American chocolate is almost always rot-your-teeth sweet, but not this. It has just enough sweetness to support the chocolate flavor. The silky texture just makes you want more of it. Let it roll off the back of your tongue and down your throat, and the sweetness on the front is balanced by a subtle note of bitterness on the finish. Linger over the cup. Take your time. This is worth savoring.
