It’s not my fault that this picture sucks.I was at Wheelock Place when I stumbled upon a strange-looking store. It was one of those chic, minimalist stores with a streamlined inventory. It was called the Chocolate Research Facility.
It looked like they were selling soap.
I gingerly looked through their store front for a moment, trying to ascertain what it was they were selling. Was this shop selling chocolate or soap ala Skin Food?
There was only one way to find out, so I entered the store to browse. The store was nearly empty by the time I arrived. After browsing for a couple of minutes, the last few patrons, a bunch of school girls, left, leaving me alone in the store with two attendants.
By this time, it was apparent to me that they were selling chocolate. Edible chocolate, not the kind you use as soap.
I paced around slowly, and just as I was about to form a poor opinion of the shop’s customer service, the female store attendant finally approached me to offer some service. My brother’s birthday was coming up, so I decided to reward the attendant’s good service with a purchase.
The packaging is gorgeous.
I decided to buy the almond milk chocolate ($10) for my brother and the lychee martini milk chocolate ($12) for myself.
This is not soap.(I think.)
Being the cheeky rogue that I am, I couldn’t help but tease the attendants. “Do you guys really conduct research on chocolate?” I asked.
Apparently, they do. The Chocolate Research Facility is a Singaporean brand. All the chocolate is made in Singapore. They conduct ‘research’ on chocolate by creating experimental flavors.
They told me that they have a SzeChuan Peppercorn flavor as well as Cheese Chocolate. Later, a friend of mine, Grace, would tell me that the Chocolate Research Facility offers samples.
I am quite disappointed that they did not offer me samples of the strange flavors, even though I had spent $22 on two bars of chocolate that are each around the size of a deck of playing cards. Should you ever visit the Chocolate Research Facility, ask for samples.
I wanted to take pictures of the interior of the store, but I was stopped by the attendants. That is a publicity opportunity gone to waste. It’s such a pity that they stopped me. Their interior is quite beautiful.
Now my readers will have to make due with a less-than-compelling shot of the shop’s exterior, but I digress.
I gave the chocolate to my brother. Instead of savoring each square like it’s an overpriced piece of chocolate, he gobbled it all in 5 minutes. Perhaps I should have told him it cost $10. He was kind enough to let me try a square though.
Not pictured: A very hungry 14-year old boy.
The almond chocolate is lovely. The milk chocolate is smooth and creamy without being too rich. The almond to chocolate ratio feels right and at no point does one element feel overbearing. The sweetness of the chocolate is well-balanced.
The store attendant told me that the lychee-martini milk chocolate is their most popular flavor. Like the almond milk chocolate, the quality of the lychee-martini’s milk chocolate is also excellent. White strips of ‘lychee chocolate’ can be found in the bar. The taste of lychee is unmistakable. There is a slight hint of sweetness, but unlike real lychees, the sweetness is not overpowering.
Strangely, the taste and smell of alcohol was non-existent. This wasn’t a problem for me because I disdain chocolate that reeks of alcohol.
As good as both bars were, I have a hard time recommending either. The quality and quantity of both bars of chocolate do not justify their high prices. Do keep in mind that each bar of chocolate is around the size of a deck of playing cards.
I must say that the packaging is very attractive. I was also impressed by the environmentally-friendly paper bags.
I would have been more impressed if the bag was made of chocolate.
The Chocolate Research Facility is worth visiting for its wide range of flavors and its sophisticated, but minimalistic store front. However, if the Chocolate Research Facility wants to warrant another purchase from this Ninja, they need to conduct more research on their pricing.
The Chocolate Research Facility I visited is at #02-10 Wheelock Place. It is located at the top of the escaltor that is next to Borders.
