If you love chocolate as much as I do then trust me Fabelle will become your little bit of heaven in Kolkata. A lot of people like chocolate but for me chocolate is not just something I eat and enjoy but something I feel. Good chocolate speaks to me and it has been a true friend, cheered me up when I am down , celebrated happy moments and successes , helped me express my emotions of love, friendship , gratitude or apology to people I care about. We don’t really realize how much a part of our lives chocolate has become but we use it as a bribe, a peace offering or just because we feel like having some.

As I have grown older I have started to prefer dark chocolate. I love the slightly bitter intensity of flavors it brings to my taste buds and I certainly prefer it to Milk Chocolate which I loved when I was younger. Is it maturity that makes me feel this way? After all as you grow older you realize that life too is bitter sweet just like dark chocolate!

After reading the above I am quite sure you would understand my blissful glee when ITC Sonar and Calcutta Instagrammers were kind enough to invite me for the #KolkataWelcomesFabelle launch at the beautiful ITC Sonar. The excitement of all the invitees was palpable (like I said most people love Chocolate) and we were taken through an exciting and informative presentation by Team Fabelle.

They shared with us that this brand has been lovingly conceptualized and worked on for ten long years before they felt that they had met the exacting standards their mandate demanded. Fabelle offers us a range of exquisite chocolate creations such as Elements – intricately crafted pralines inspired by the elements of nature, Ganache – velvety soft cubes of exotic cocoas delicately churned with butter & fresh cream and As You Like It – personalized chocolate cup creations offering myriad possibilities of fillings and toppings. In addition, the Chocolate Boutiques will provide a range of exquisitely crafted Fabelle desserts and cocoa beverages, created live by the Fabelle Master Chocolatiers.

We were then divided into two groups and taken in turns to the tastefully elegant Fabelle Boutique located just opposite the Coffee Shop in the Hotel. The understated opulence perfectly matched what their stunning Chocolates represent.

I have to confess I was in chocolate heaven…. all around me like prized jewels were stunningly displayed chocolates. I could not wait to get my hands on these little beauties and I think Chef Ruby one of their highly trained and expert Chocolatiers realized my plight and the tastings began. We started with the Ganache (Creamy Milk and Rich Dark) and they were exquisite …. so beautifully made that all I needed to do was pop it in my mouth and it just melted into this decadent, fantastically flavored chocolate puddle and left me stunned. I simply could not believe that I was eating Chocolate that was made in India.

After a while of savoring the Ganache and taking some pictures I went ahead and tried a sample from their Faballe Element collection. These are inspired by the five elements Earth, Air, Water, Wood and Fire. I choose Water because I loved the sound of it …..  Dark Chocolate Mousse dripping with Acacia Nectar and French Sea Salt in a Dark Chocolate Shell. Just writing about it makes me want to go back for more, fantastic balance of flavors and loved the synchronization of flavors of the Acacia Nectar and French Sea Salt. An absolute winner it was and I will go back soon and try all the other Elements.

A few bloggers volunteered to try their hand at the As You Like It collection where they stepped into the open-kitchen section of the Chocolate Boutique and created their own chocolates using various combinations of fillings and toppings. It was great fun and it sure brings out the kid in all of us. Then came the Fabelleogram which was a software that measured our brainwaves after we had tasted these stunning chocolates. I was the first to volunteer and I was set up in front of the computer with some kind of device fitted on my head and made my very own Fabellogram. It was a unique experience and they gave us a framed copy as a memento of our very first Fabelle experience.

But wait there is more we were escorted back and the Master Chocolatiers displayed some fantastic and I mean out of this world Desserts and Beverages for us to sample. They looked divine and tasted heavenly and I know when I want to make a gloomy day brighter or celebrate something special this is where I will be heading. We had a Dark Chocolate Petite Cake with Fleur de Sel and that was gorgeous and the one I liked best but others like Black Forest Revisited were no less delicious and will be available at the Boutique. They also made us try a few beverages both hot and cold which I did not sample as I was too full but will certainly go back for as soon as possible.

 

Fabelle is undoubtedly and unhesitatingly the best chocolate available in the country and is a head and shoulders above anything else in the market at present. Its absolutely international class and that truly excites me. It made me feel very proud that we now have a home grown brand that can stand tall beside all the international giants.

 

DISCLAIMER : The Author was invited by Fabelle for this tasting but the views expressed are entirely their own.