Yiros and Health Food

This is a stall in food court of the Citi Centre arcade off Rundle Mall. Yiros and Health Food is few stalls south of Donut King. Yiros is available from the traditional vertical meat cookers which always look tempting. As well there is a range of healthy foods and sandwiches.

The hot chocolate came in a decorative ceramic mug and saucer with a napkin and paper spoon. The drink was topped with a white froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The drink was creamy but not particular rich, but was reasonable value for only three dollars.

Mulot's Patisserie

Mulot's is a French patisserie at 143 King William Road, Hyde Park, south of Jones the Grocer. It does takeaway cakes and pastries but also runs cooking classes. This is a small shop with a couple of table inside and a couple outsided. Merkel and Myrtle were on King William Road for the closing function of SALA 2011 where many works were on display from various SALA artists.

The hot chocolate came in a glass with a wire handle and a brown froth and sprinkle of dark chocolate powder on top. The cup was served in a saucer with a paper doily.  The drink was a good rich dark flavour. The beverage is cheaper with a cake or croissant but individually costs $4.15.

Kibbies

Your reviewer returned to Kibbies on King William Road recently. He was hoping for one the the luxurious Fraus hot chocolates, but alas, they no longer serve them at Kibbies. The standard hot chocolate was nowhere near as impressive. It was served in a glass mug and saucer and was topped with a white forth and sprinkle of chocolate powder. The cost was $3.20.

There is a word puzzle on the blackboard at Kibbie's offering a glass of wine for the winner. The answer is five five-letter words. I would not want to give the secret away but if you readd an egger to an agile delta, your dream may come true.

American Candy Stand Cupcake Café

Merkel and Myrtle visited the American Candy Stand recently on Norwood Parade. It was hard to imagine what be included in an Amercian themed Café as the US culture seems to have infused itself so much into our everyday life. However this café did a good job. Frank Sinatra was singing on the TV screen and there were flavours like oreo cookie, cherry cola and peanut butter & jelly. Fudge and brownies were there but also more standard types of cake and biscuits were available.

There were six small works for SALA 2011 festival. The works by Ben Nicholls and Victoria Highet were decorative without making any statement or pushing any boundaries.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are a peculiarly American confectionery. They have peanut butter inside with a thick covering of chocolate. The American Candy Stand offer a Reese's hot chocolate which of course has a strong peanut flavour. It was served in a tall glass and was topped with froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The peanut flavour was good but fairly overpowering. This was probably consistent with the Reese's recipe. The listed price was $5.90. The Café also had a standard hot chocolate and the Lindt hot chocolate on the menu like Just Tickled Pink.

The Real Hot Chocolate

Anyone claiming to be The Real Hot Chocolate will attract the attention of Merkel Marmaduke. A friend found these instant hot chocolates at Wheel & Barrow in Norwood. They are simply a block of chocolate on the end of a spoon much like the concept of Chau Colat. You just warm up the milk and put your chocolate on a stick, or a spoon in this case, in the milk and wait for it melt.

The Real Hot Chocolate is made in New South Wales and available in flavours of milk, lime, dark, white, orange, caramel and strawberry. I went for the Dark which produced a good flavoured dark hot chocolate. The chocolate softens and mixes reasonably quickly but some restraint is required to avoid eating the chocolate off the end of the spoon before it has fully melted.

Other places that apparently stock "The Real Hot Chocolate" are Jones the Grocer, Alfonso's Continental, Wild Thyme, Shankers Authentic Indian Cuisine and Udder Delights Cheese Cellar in Hahndorf.

Dragonfly

Merkel and Myrtle visited Dragonfly on Victoria Square again today. It is another SALA 2011 exhibitor. This time it was the vivid and imaginative oils of Greta Laundy. These were large brightly coloured works with a theme of nature and complexity.

The hot chocolate was served in the same chunky glass as last time with a marshmallow in the saucer. The hot chocolate had a good dark flavour and cost four dollars.

Muffin Break, City Cross

Muffin Break is now at six locations in South Australia and many more in the rest of Australia. Your reviewer has been to Muffin Break outlets at Marion and Golden Grove shopping centres and today ventured to the new outlet at City Cross. Muffin Break provides a large variety of muffins, some savory meals and hot beverages.

The hot chocolate came in a ceramic mug with the Muffin Break logo on both sides and the saucer. The mug was topped with a creamy froth and a sprinkle of cocoa. The chocolate was creamy, but not particularly rich and was lightly flavoured with cinnamon or coconut. The cost should have been $3.60 for the standard drink plus 50 cents for the larger size but your reviewer was charged $4.30. The proprieter tried to explain that this was because it was a hot chocolate but all hot beverages were listed at the same price. I am not sure whether he accepted my point or just did not want to waste time arguing, but he returned the 20 cents.

Villi's Café

Villi's are a well known Adelaide bakery and they run a 24 hour Café at 2/14 Manchester Street, Mile End. The Café offers all the Villi's bakery specialties as well as café meals. The Café is well equipped, clean and bright despite being in the backstreets.  The other 24-hour bakeries I have reviewed are Bakery on O'Connell and Enjoy Cafe Bakery and all do good inexpensive meals.

The hot chocolate comes in a big Villi's mug. The mug promotes the company well , as the Villi's logo is on the outside viewer facing position, the Villi's motto is on the outside drinker facing position and the Villi's website is on the inside drinker facing position. The hot chocolate is creamy, light and chocolaty and is topped with a bubbly froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. The cost is $3.20.

Jam the Bistro

Merkel and Myrtle visited Jam the Bistro at 64 Wright Street approximately a year after Merkel last visited this restaurant. Last year this was an exhibitor in SALA 2010 and this year Jam the Bistro continues with SALA 2011. They are exhibiting the works of Shannon Poulton. The exhibition is series of nudes using stencils and boldy applied oil colours reminiscent of the series of nudes by David Bromley.

The hot chocolate came in a custom decorated coffee cup and saucer. It was topped with a white froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder. The flavour was a lighter swiss style milk chocolate and cost $3.40.

Lunch at Ritz

The signage outside still proclaims this café as the Ritz Café Espresso Bar. It is a busy lunch place at 180 Gawler Place. The regular hot chocolate still costs only three dollars and comes in glass and a saucer. A marshmallow was also provided. This is still a creamy hot chocolate with a good froth but the chocolate is not particularly rich.

Higher Ground Café

On previous visits to Higher Ground Art Café there had been not much available for lunch but this time the waiters were ready and willing to provide baguettes and crepes together with a variety of beverages. Higher Ground can be found at 9 Light Square and its central function as Gallery means that it is always a key venue for Fringe and SALA festivals. For the SALA 2011 festival it is exhibiting a range of artists who call themselves the "Super Friends". I liked the white ceramic gloves by Ebony Heidenreich distributed randomly around the corner of the room. I also enjoyed the colourful skateboards by an artist I cannot recall and the realistic watercolour portraits by Piyarat Mukura.

The hot chocolate was available in a cup for $3.20 and a mug for $3.80. The mug was topped with a white froth and a liberal sprinkling of chocolate powder. The milk chocolate flavour was not particularly rich but was still comforting on a cold day.

National Wine Centre

The National Wine Centre on the corner of North Terrace and Hackney Road is an impressive build and has a fairly swish Concourse Café. The Centre is also an exhibitor for the SALA 2011 where they are showing the work of Kangaroo Island artists with a theme of the Glossy Black Cockatoo. The work of over 20 artists is on display using a range of media. The colourful Cockatoo is an excellent theme for the artwork. Your reviewer's favourites were the vivid glasswork of Llewelyn Ash and the detailed etchings of Janet Ayliffe.

The hot chocolate came in a glass and saucer with two homemade marshmallows. The chocolate was a delicious dark rich flavour. It was creamy and was topped with a froth and dark chocolate powder. The hot chocolate cost three dollars.  This was an excellent place for a hot chocolate and a look at the art, even if you had no interest in wine.

Chocolate Bean, Butterscotch

Your reviewer returned to Chocolate Bean for another of their multitude of flavours of hot chocolate. This time it was the butterscotch flavour being reviewed. The butterscotch flavour went well with the Chocolate Bean creamy style of Belgian hot chocolate. The flavour did not overpower or over-sweeten the chocolate flavour. The drink was served on the usual mug on a square saucer and cost $4.80

Delish Golden Rough

I returned to Delish on Victoria Square for another of their flavoured hot chocolates. This time the flavour was called "Golden Rough" which was a bit of mystery because I do not ever recall consuming one of the Nestle biscuits of the same name. The taste was of caramel and coconut and did not seem as sweet as the the other flavours at Delish. The hot chocolate came in the normal glass with decorative froth and cost $4.60.

Bar 9 has Moved

Merkel and Myrtle ventured to Bar 9 to discover it has moved across the road to 96 Glen Osmond Road. It is now in a bigger, renovated stone building and offers an expanded the menu. It is also one of the exhibitors in the South Australian Living Arts Festival (SALA) 2011. On show were works by Nicholas Thomas which were realistic paintings of dolls and other toys which left an eerie and unsettling impression on the viewer.

Since last vist Bar 9 has added a Begian hot chocolate to their list of beverages. The drink came in a big black and white mug and sacucer. There was a thin froth on top with a sprinkle of cocoa. The Belgain chocolate flavour was great but could have been richer. The cost was $4.80. For coffee drinkers, the Bar 9 baristas still display great skill in Latte Art.

Price's Bakery & Coffee

Just next to Eurolls in the Southern Cross Arcade is Price's Bakery & Coffee. This stall provides a good range of pies, pasties and buns to take away or eat in the food hall.

The hot chocolate cost $2.80 and came in fancy looking mug. The drink was topped with a bubbly froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder. This was a little more chocolaty than the one at Eurolls and not very expensive, but still not a great hot chocolate.

Eurolls

Eurolls is located in the Southern Cross Arcade of King William Street near Cafe One. It provides a range of inexpensive sandwiches and rolls. Food is available for take away or for eating in the food hall.

The hot chocolate only cost $2.60 for cup and and $3.00 for mug. Merkel was served a mug topped with a heap of white froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder. The drink was weak and watery but certainly not the worst he has tasted.

Delish Mint

Mint hot chocolates are somewhat challenging to get right. They can too easily turn out tasting like chalk or toothpaste. The Mint Hot Chocolate at Delish Espresso at 195 Victoria Square was recommended to me. Around the same time one of my readers criticised the Mint Hot Chocolate at Ink Café a few doors South of Delish.

The hot chocolate came in a glass with a dark froth and a dollop of white froth covered with a semi-circle of chocolate powder. The hot chocolate was on the Delish blackboard as "Mint Slice" which possibly infringes the Arnott's trading name for their biscuit of that name. However the drink was reminiscent of this biscuit exhibiting a good balance between the mint and chocolate flavours. The taste of Delish hot chocolate was better than Ink Café, although at $4.60 it was a more expensive drink for a smaller glass.

Just Tickled Pink

Just Tickled Pink is a specialist cupcake shop opposite Patisserie Jin on 247 Unley Road, Hyde Park. As you enter the store you are stuck by the many portraits of Audrey Hepburn and in particular photographs of her role in Breakfast at Tiffanys. This is reminiscent of the Marilyn Monroe adoration displayed in A Café Etc.  The effect in Just Tickled Pink is shop devoted glamour, femininity and good cupcakes.

Your reviewer chose the special Lindt Hot Chocolate that was on the menu. It came in a stemmed glass with handle. It was topped with a white froth and a syrup design. Two chocolate flowers were delicately balanced on the edge of the glass. These sunk below the surface as they were being photographed. There were a number of pink and white mini-marshmallows served in the saucer and there were syrup designs visible through the glass. This was the most elaborate of presentations. Fortunately the taste of the Lindt hot chocolate lived up to this presentation. It had a rich distinctive Lindt Swiss milk chocolate flavour and cost $6.50.

Puccini's

309 Fullarton Road used to be the location of Savior and Camellia Tea Rooms. Now the place has had a sophisticated makeover and is a fine table service restaurant called Puccini's. This restaurant has been open about six weeks and got its liquor license last week. Despite focussing on the lunch and dinner market it was open on Saturday morning when Merkel and Myrtle enjoyed a hearty breakfast.

The hot chocolate came in a tall glass that was too hot to touch with a dark brown froth. It contained a deliciously rich, distinctive tasting Haighs hot chocolate. The hot chocolate cost $5.00.

Chocolate Bean Caramel

It was time for another hot chocolate at the Chocolate Bean. This time it was the Caramel Hot Chocolate. It came in its usual generous mug with a bubbly froth and a small dollop of whipped cream in the middle. There was some trepidation as I tried the Caramel as this can a fairly sweet flavouring but it worked well with hot chocolate giving it a chocolate bar flavour. The cost of the medium mug at Chocolate Bean is $4.80.

Adelaide Coffee Bar

Merkel returned to the Adelaide Coffee Bar for lunch. This is long surviving specialty coffee shop.

The main attraction for keen hot chocolate drinkers is the the Italian Hot Chocolate. As the chocolate mixer was hidden away Merkel tried their standard hot chocolate. This was was served in a white ceramic cup and saucer with a white froth and semicircle of chocolate powder on top. The chocolate flavour was good with out being outsanding. The standard hot chocolate was $3.40.

Merkel returned a couple of days later for the Italian hot chocolate which was $4.50. This was great drink. It was unmistakably Italian hot chocolate although not as thick as some. It was served in a ceramic cup and topped with whipped cream and sprinkle of cocoa.