During my recent trip to Montreal, I was on the lookout for a unique place to buy gifts for people cause one of the things I always do on trips is bring home stuff for others. I'm not big on souvenirs unless they're useful ones; Most of the time I gravitate towards foodstuffs. Chocolats Genevieve Grandbois definitely fit the bill: beautiful and deliciously rich chocolates, only available in Canada (there are 28 location and all located in Canada). I didn't get to try any of their display chocolates or the hot chocolate but I've heard great things about them and bought a ton for friends and family. I may very well open one of the smaller 2-chocolate boxes and try these though. When we were there, the shop owner did provide us samples of their chocolate bars though and those were absolutely scrumptious! Rich, high quality, intense flavor. Made from real cacao and high concentrations of it, these chocolates taste like chocolate should taste. The display chocolates, which come in boxes of 2 or 9, come in 9 different flavors, including the classics:
- Gianduja
An Italian speciality. Caramelized hazelnut butter and chocolate.
- Maple
Maple butter with maple syrup added, combined with pecans caramelized in maple sugar.
- Caramel
An amber caramel flavoured with vanilla and enhanced with fleur de sel.
- Extra-vierge
A ganache made with 70% cocoa chocolate delicately blended with extra-virgin olive oil.
I don't remember the other 5 flavors when we went but I think they're seasonal. Each 2-chocolate box comes with one maple chocolate and one other chocolate.
Food: 4/5 -- rich, real cacao, high quality ingredients
Service: 4/5 -- fantastic! The shop owner in Montreal spoke fluent French (obviously) and ok English but asked if we spoke French and after I said "a little bit," she charmingly started talking to me in French. Although my French isn't good enough for me to respond quickly, I did understand her and it was great :)
Atmosphere: 4/5 -- a small, cozy shop; clean, welcoming, chocolates are beautifully displayed
Overall: 4/5 -- Beautifully packaged, high quality chocolates that can only be found in Canada; Need I say more?