Boulevard Café, West Lakes

The Boulevard seems a popular theme for eating establishments. It connotes French luxury and wide streets. Here I have reviewed Café Boulevard in Hindley street and the Boulevard Lounge at Mitcham cinema. This time I review the busy Boulevard Café in the West Lakes shopping centre food hall. This place sells a range of made-to-order sandwiches and rolls. There is plenty of seating in the food hall.

The hot chocolate came in white ceramic cup and saucer with a heap of white froth on top and a sprinkle of chocolate dust. I had to collect my own plastic spoon because none was provided with the drink. The spoon was essential, as there was plenty of chocolate in the drink but it had not been stirred. It was chocolaty and sweet once stirred.

Jin, Iced

Merkel and Myrtle return to Patisserie Jin recently one evening for another tasty dessert. It was a warm night so Merkel chose the iced chocolate as the beverage to accompany his dessert. The drink came in a tall glass topped with two scoops of very chocolaty gelati. A small biscuit came with the drink. The rest of the contents of drink included chocolaty milk and white milk and some biscuit crumbs giving it an interesting texture. The drink came with a metal sipping straw with a spoon attached at the bottom like the ones used at Bracegirdles for sipping desserts. This was the ideal implement for stirring, spooning and sipping a drink such as this. The cost of the iced chocolate was $6.00.

Number 12 Café

Number 12 Café on Halifax Street used to be Create Snack Bar. It is a suprising large Café given its frontage just around the corner from King William Café which looks like it is not longer operating. Number 12 proudly advertises itself as Fringe 2009 venue now two years out of date, but it still has the exhibition of small colourful photographs that it showed in this Fringe. Number 12 provides a good range a premade and made-to-order sandwhiches.

The hot chocolate comes in a glass that was too hot to hold on a saucer. The saucer has the Di Bella brand on it and also comes complete with a marshmallow. The drink was topped with a mixture of white and brown froth and was creamy and chocolaty. The cost was $3.50.

Locavore

Locavore which apparently means "local-eater" advertises its "100 Mile" menu which means that where possible they source their produce from within 100 miles of the restaurant at 49 Mount Barker Road, Stirling. It is in an interestingly shaped restaurant with plenty of glass and a huge wine list that stretches across one wall. This is a table service restaurant with friendly attentive service.

The hot chocolate comes in a glass mug and saucer with a tasty marshmallow. It is topped with a white froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The flavour is rich and creamy and it cost $3.50.

V Square

The signage says "V²" and it is a café at 195 Victoria Square. In the couple of places it appears on the net, this café is referred to as V Square. It replaces the old Taste on Victoria . It does a good range of sandwhiches and rolls and has a couple of tables inside and plenty of tables outside on the Square.


The hot chocolate came in white ceramic cup and saucer. It was topped with a white froth and semicircle of chocolate power. It was a weak and disappointing hot chocolate and cost $3.20.

Aroma Café, North Terrace

I was hesitant about going to another Aroma Café after the one at Light Square served my hot chocolate in paper cup. Fortunately not all Aroma Cafés are alike. The hint is probably that locations on the web site that "specialise in food to go" are probably those that only have paper cups. Aroma Café at 104 North Terrace has plenty of comfortable seating inside and outside and serves ready made snacks and will build you a sandwhich to your specification.

The hot chocolate came in a tall glass with a handle and a saucer. In the saucer were a pink and a white marshmallow. The drink was topped with a white froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder. The hot chocolate could have been richer but this was a well-presented hot chocolate and pleasant to drink for $3.30.

Chocolate Bean, Cherry

Merkel and Myrtle returned to the Chocolate Bean on Union Street during a busy night at the Fringe Festival in Adelaide. The range of chocolate drink flavours at Chocolate Bean still beats any other Café in Adealaide. The hot chocolates are made with dark or milk Belgian chocolate.

This time Merkel had the Cherry hot chocolate. The medium mug was $4.80 and was a big white ceramic mug topped with a bubbly forth, a sprinkle of chocolate power and a dollop of whipped cream. The whipped cream gave the drink a coconut flavour. The cherry flavouring was not very strong but the quality of Belgian chocolate flavour was good.

Doof Doof in a Mug

Merkel and Myrtle returned to Doof Doof on 88 Duthy Street, Malvern for breakfast recently. It was a fairly busy morning but service was friendly and efficient. This time they were seated in the grocery area where a range of organic groceries are available for sale.

Merkel had the mug of hot chocolate which cost $4.40. The flavour this time was more chocolaty with an unsweetened malt flavour. The drink was topped with a white froth an even sprinkle of chocolate powder.

Europa Ristorante

This is a fine restaurant with good table service at 12 Jetty Road, Glenelg. There is plenty of seating inside and outside. It has a good menu of sophisticated Italian Food. Merkel visited one evening and was happy to find a selection of hot chocolates including classic, white, "vaniglia", tiramisu and caramel.

Merkel chose the Toroncino Chocolate. The hot chocolate came in a small ceramic cup finished with a thin froth and a liberal sprinkle of chocolate powder. The chocolate was thick and rich approaching the consistency and taste of some the thick Italian hot chocolates reviewed in this blog. The drink had bits of nougat mixed in with the chocolate. This was a sensational variation on a good hot chocolate. The cost was $3.80.

Playford Lounge Bar

The Sebel Playford is a plush hotel at 120 North Terrace. It has a big lounge bar area on the ground floor with a variety of comfortable seating inside and outside. Meals or snacks are available from the lounge and hot beverages can be ordered from the bar. The lounge bar was busy at lunch time but service was still efficient.

The hot chocolate was $3.50 and came in a tall glass with a handle. It was topped with a white froth and a liberal sprinkling of chocolate powder. A dark layer of chocolate mix was visible through the glass so it needed a stir to distribute the flavor properly throughout the drink. The flavour was chocolaty but too sweet for your reviewer's taste.

FieFy's

FieFy's is a "Hole in the Wall" style Café at 45 Pirie Street Adelaide. It sells selected beverages and a few snacks. In particular it makes Belgain hot chocolate and provides a choice of milk, dark, chilli and Jaffa hot chocolate. There were only six seats outside but there were sheltered in a walkway through a large building. The website is still to get much content uploaded. More content about the shop is at the CoffeeSnobs website.

Merkel chose dark Belgian chocolate and it was rich and delicious with that distinctive Belgian taste. It was served in a black ceramic cup with brown froth on top. The cost was four dollars.

Merkel returned a couple of days later for the chilli hot chocolate and this time it came with a marshmallow.  The taste was one of subtle spices rather than hot chilli.  It was a good Belgian chocolate and very pleasant.  It was decorated with an elegant "F".

Caffe Prego

Caffe Prego is one in the row of Cafes on the South Side of Brighton road that includes Edge, Ninos and A Café Etc. Prego serves a good range of Italian food and there is plenty of seating inside and outside.

The hot chocolate was served in a brown ceramic cup and saucer with the Vittoria logo on the inside viewer-facing postion. The hot chocolate was the light swiss style with a malt flavour. This was a bit sweeter than your reviewer likes. It was topped with a white froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The cost was probably $3.40.

Our Expresso

The décor had changed a little since your reviewer's last trip to Our Expresso on Unley Road. It is still a bright and comfortable Café with seating inside and outside. Hot chocolate was now displayed on the menu although the listed price is high at $4.90 when a coffee is only $3.20. Your reviewer had his favourite beverage combined into the price of an omelette so he did not have to pay this. The hot chocolate came in large red ceramic cup. It was topped with a white froth and plenty of chocolate powder. The tast was rich and creamy.

Carnevale

The Adelaide Carnevale is an annual celeberation of culture and traditions of the Italian community in Adelaide. This year it was held at the Wayville Showgrounds.  Admission before 11:00am was free on Sunday so Merkel and Myrtle went along to see what it was all about with special interest in the Italian food and beverages. There were only sweet treats there for breakfast although the smells of food being prepared suggested that lunch was going to be wonderful feast. The displays of around 50 shiny Ferrari's and to a lesser extent the Fiat Bambino's were impressive.

There were plenty of espresso machines at the different food tents at Carnevale. Merkel got his hot chocolate from the ANFE tent. ANFE is the "Associazione Nazionale Famiglie degli Emigrati" which translates to "National Association of Migrant Families". The hot chocolate was served in a paper cup and was topped with a white froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The taste was rich and chocolaty. The cost was three dollars.

Rob Roy Hotel

The Rob Roy Hotel has stood on the property at 106 Halifax Street, Adelaide since 1840. Rob Roy is Scotland's answer to Robin Hood and the Scottish theme is echoed throughout the hotel. The Rob Roy provides comfortable, modern eating areas inside and outside.

The first time your reviewer went to the Rob Roy, the espresso machine was on the blink and the staff could not make a hot chocolate.  Fortunately a hot chocolate was available when he returned recently. The drink came in a tall glass with a glass handle and was topped with plenty of froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The taste was creamy and chocolaty and the drink cost four dollars.

Bean Bar, Iced

Your reviewer has been to various Bean Bar locations and tried the standard hot chocolate as well as white hot chocolate, mint hot chocolate and chilli hot chocolate. It was about time he had an Iced chocolate so he returned to the Wakefield Street Bean Bar.

The drink came in a tall glass on a saucer which made it very wobbly. It was topped with ice, vanilla ice cream and plenty of whipped cream. The chocolate flavour came from the chocolate milk and chocolate syrup on the sides of the glass. This was a cool treat. While your reviewer is not keen on chocolate syrup and ice in his drink in abundance, these elements did not overpower the drink. The cost was $5.95.

Hahndorf Pizza House

The Hahndorf Pizza House is much more than your suburban Pizza Bar. It is a big restaurant with tables and chairs made from highly polished single pieces of timber. There is plenty of seating inside and outside and the service is friendly.

The hot chocolate comes in ceramic mugs topped with a white froth and an intricate chocolate syrup design. Mini marshmallows are provided in the saucer. The drink is creamy and has a good chocolate flavour. The decorative chocolate syrup issweet but this is not a problem once it is mixed into the rest of the drink. The drink was good value at $3.50 for the mug.

Our Place Café

Our Place is a comfortable Café in the shopping centre at the corner of North East Road and Sudholz Road, Gilles Plains. The Café provides good selection of lunches and sandwiches.

For reasons that were unclear to your reviewer the word "Café" in the white pages and on the table numbers was in quotes. This would be worthy of an entry in the unnecessary quotes web site. It was not clear to your reviewer in what sense Our Place was not a real Café or perhaps a Café in name only.

The hot chocolate was well presented in a glass with a wire handle. There was plenty of froth. Chocolate syrup swirls adorned the inside of the glass and the top of the froth. The taste was reasonably rich although the syrup made the drink a little sickly sweet at times. The cost was $3.70.

Rio Coffee

Your reviewer visited Rio Coffee on Nelson Street, Stepney one Saturday morning. Rio is not a Café but a retailer and wholesaler of all things related to coffee, including espresso machines, coffee blends and various accessories. Rio also sells the range of Fraus hot chocolate mixes which is why Merkel went along to visit. He was interested in confirming the reciple of a good Fraus hot chocolate after a difference in opinion at Dome Espresso. This is where Merkel confirmed that the mix was 28g of chocolate powder to 110ml of milk.

Although Rio is not a Café, a barrista there was providing free samples for the shoppers and he agreed to provide Merkel with a sample of the Rio chocolate mix. This was provided in a small ceramic cup with a white froth on top and liberal sprinkle of chocolate powder. The mix was creamy, rich and chocolaty. Best of all it was free. The barrista was not providing free samples of the Fraus hot chocolate, possibly because it was four times more expensive than the Rio chocolate mix by weight.

Espresso Royale

Espresso Royale is little organic coffee shop situated between and organic food shop and an organic hair salon at 357 Magill Road, St Morris. This venue roasts specialist coffees and provides sandwiches to snack on. Merkel and Myrtle visited there for breakfast one morning. All seating inside was full but the table on verandah next door was comfortable and protected from the elements.

The drinks at Espresso Royale come in brown ceramic cups and saucers. The teaspoons are a random collection of souvenier and collector teaspoons. Merkel's hot chocolate was accompanied by sugar spoon. The drink had a pleasant malt flavour, a bit reminiscent of Milo but chocolate flavour was fortunately stronger and darker than Milo. The hot chocolate was topped with tasty froth and a sprinkle of cocoa. The cost was $3.50.

Dome Espresso – 23 Flavours of Hot Chocolate

Dome Espresso is hidden away at the base of the Westpac building. It is just off Currie Street behind the façade of the old bank buildings where Adelaide Stock Exchange screens display the latest stock prices. Its official address is 91 King William Street and it is at the opposite side of the building to The Daily Planet. The Dome is distinctive because it is housed inside an impressive geodesic dome. The food seems to be limited to cold prepackaged sandwhiches although the café does heat up croissants.

Your reviewer thought he had landed in heaven when he found out that all 23 Flavours of the Fraus hot chocolate range are available at Dome Espresso. Fraus is known for its thick chocolate that they market as "European Hot chocolate" which is very similar to the Italian hot chocolate discussed at times in this blog. Alas, no-one in Dome Espresso understands thick hot chocolate.

On the first visit your reviewer ordered the Fraus dark hot chocolate and received a large biodegradeable paper cup with a fairly thin, milky hot chocolate with a bubbly froth on top. While taste of the Fraus flavour there, the consistency and richness was not and the drink was too hot. One redeeming feature of the hot drinks at Dome is that you get a complimentary Cadbury chocolate. The cost was $3.90.

While the biodegradeable paper cup was a noble concern your reviewer preferred to return next time with his own ceramic mug which Dome were happy to fill. The staff members were instructed that only 150 mls of milk were to be added to a serve of chocolate powder as per the Fraus instructions. This time the strawberry Fraus flavour was chosen. The result was a better drink, the drink was richer and the strawberry flavour was pleasant but it still was not right. The serve of chocolate powder should be 28grams and the consistency of this drink suggested it had been short-changed.

Your reviewer may try again. If they get it right Dome Espresso may have him return for the 21 remaining flavours.

Dome Espresso is now on the list of disappearing hot chocolate venues.

Patisserie Jin

Merkle and Myrtle attended this new dessert shop at 241 Unley Rd, Unley on a Friday evening. The owners have done smart job with the Décor and there are plenty of tables with comfortable seating. Jin specialises in special well-presented desserts. The blog site is at http://blog.naver.com/jinpastry. The dessert photos look great but most of the site is in Korean.

The hot chocolate comes in a DiBella coffee cup with the logo in the viewer-facing position. It is served with a delicious biscuit in the saucer. The hot chocolate itself was satisfactory and went well with one of the blueberry desserts. The drink was topped with a white froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder and cost $3.50.

Jones the Grocer

Merkel and Myrtle return to Jones the Grocer recently for afternoon tea. The hot chocolate came in large white ceramic mug and saucer. The drink was served with a marshmallow in the saucer and a nicely patterned froth on top. It was a good hot chocolate but had gone up to $4.90 since the last visit.

The saucer above was of interest because it contained the DiLorenzo coffee logo. Not only was this interesting because it was on the saucer but not the mug but it was strangley reminiscent of other logos discussed on this blog. The DiLorenzo Logo is a "D" with a little loop on top that makes it look like cup when you turn it on side. This idea has already been used by Bean Bar and it is also reminiscent of the Blogger logo. The three logos of Blogger, Been Bar and DiLorenzo are illustrated below.