If you don’t mind the dental caries, you probably wished you were one of the kids (or guardians) in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Everything can be eaten – a river made of chocolate, a garden which is made entirely of candy, and Willy himself! Just kidding, Mr. Wonka is inedible.
Flashbacks of the scenes of the movies can be a good way to describe the experience of eating in a chocolate buffet. If you haven’t been to one, we will bring you the best and the most unique chocolate buffets the world has to offer. Some of these locations may be absurdly far and travel restrictions due to pandemic will not allow you out of the country, but a trip to Bacchanal Buffet or Bellagio Buffet should invoke sweet memories. Go crazy on the dessert bar!
The first of the list is the Sukhothai in Bangkok. The hotel offers its guests a sweet memory to take home. A chocolate buffet is held every Friday, Saturday, and Sundays between 2:00 and 5:00 PM. The chocolate buffet is nauseatingly good, with offerings of exotic chocolate buffets like the Guanaja or Manjari. The Guanaja has an interesting history. It’s a 70% chocolate mix; introduced in 1986, and is made by blending Criollo and Forestero beans from Venezuela. The name Guanaja was actually an island’s name, on which Christopher Columbus first met the beans that would eventually make the KitKat chocolate in your pocket. The Guanaja is a dark chocolate. Tasting this at the Sukhothai is absolutely a multicultural experience.
Pasadena’s Langham Huntington Hotel goes experimental; they have additional flair to their chocolate buffets by mixing in delicious art. Intricately- carved chocolate art sculptures like sandwiches, tarts, and mousses compliment your beverages. If you want to try their creations, you can enjoy a seafood bar in a chocolate bar with their marinated shrimp, or smoked salmon and roasted fennel.
Now the next one is truly a Willy Wonka adventure. Allowing only small groups of 10, VIP tours of London with chocolateecstasytours.com are taken on an exclusive journey lasting around two to three hours. They are shown the history of chocolate. And as with any other historically- famous products, connoisseurship is inevitable. The company provides a mix of chocolate in wine, or chocolate in beer.
For a very soulful chocolate experience, people who happen to stay at the Peninsula Chicago will experience how setting the mood can improve your palate for chocolate. Jazz is played in a sleepy atmosphere although the chocolate is paired with brews of coffee and espresso to help keep you excited.
Coming to the mid-eastern side of the world, you’d least expect Beirut to house one of the most indulgent chocolate buffets. The brands of chocolate and the layout is both artistic and expensive. They set up their chocolate buffet in the very spacious and elegant Boulevard Lounge. What makes this special is the buffet goes with the seasons – for spring season, expect to have a deep dark bitter chocolate with floral hints. This setup is so premium, guests are also given the choice to order by piece.
If you want to go to a really historical hotpot or a multicultural chocolate tasting adventure, look to the Far East! Sofitel Hotel Metropole Hanoi looks back on French Indochina for inspiration and to heighten the experience, they provide French-based cuisine on the chocolate treats. Crepes, mini éclairs, and mille-feuille pastries are just some of their most famous offerings.
There seems to be a growing appreciation among Asians for chocolate considering cacao is mostly a western world food crop. Two Fullerton Hotels in Singapore provide you a sweet relief from the high pressure society where everything is just about finances. People who have gone to the chocolate buffets highly recommend the Manjari crunch cake or the Tainori chocolate cake. If you think everything is just a little too much, go light with berries dipped in milk chocolate. Macaroons are available, as well as pralines.
Seriously, what is up with lavishness in Singapore? The Marina Bay Sands’ (most creative person yet when it comes to food) Chef Ryan Witcher will enchant you with his dessert creations. Every 8:00 PM in the Sands Sky Park, guests walk into chocolate heaven and can sample chocolate combinations that are a sensory delight.