PUBLISHED March 18th, 2014 02:00 am | UPDATED April 17th, 2016 10:00 pm
Being a serious choco-holic, when I first moved to Singapore, my heart sank at the woeful lack of choices when it comes to that sumptuous type of chocolate that makes your eyes roll into the back of your head in true choco-gasm style. It’s true, that chocolate and a hot, humid climate are not the most likely of bedfellows. But still. Things didn’t seem to get much better than Royce. Surely there had to be more out there to tantalize the tastebuds of us serious chocolate pleasure seekers?!
Fast forward four years and it seems that the chocolate tumbleweed has been worth the wait, thanks to an insider tip. Let me introduce to you: Leela’s Fine Chocolates, a new foodie venture specializing in bespoke, hand-made and utterly divine chocolates. Apparently Leela also felt my pain, “Singapore really is a mecca for food, however there is a surprising dearth of properly indulgent chocolates. My mission, as a lifelong chocaholic and chocolate pusher, is to fill that gap in Singapore with beautiful handmade chocolates made with love and the best ingredients I can get my hands on”.
OK so let’s cut to the chase and talk serious chocolate porn now. We’re talking lovingly hand crafted chocolate creations like liquid salted caramel, almond rochers, chocolate-coated honeycomb but then some fantastic chocolate curve balls like chilli, olive oil & rosemary (what in chocolate? YES!), and apple & cinnamon. Oh and then there’s the naughty but extremely nice adults-only range which tempts you with dark chocolate and whiskey, Frangelico hazelnut crunch, and Aperol & white chocolate truffles.
In a nutshell, having devoured a box ourselves they are all hugely pleasure-inducing and the sort of chocolates you really want to take your time savouring (no dirty quick chocolate fixes here please!). These are serious artisanal chocolates made with the finest European chocolate including luscious Valrhone cocoa and fresh natural ingredients sourced locally wherever possible – and quite frankly if these don’t induce a chocolate-gasm we don’t know what will!
However there is a catch – you can’t rock up to a physical outlet and snag these babies at present as they are currently only available on a order-only basis. However keep your eyes peeled as there are plans afoot to change that. Other exciting news includes plans to extend beyond the current premium line to an everyday range of chocolates that will be made with with great quality couverture chocolate but without the premium price tag.
If you’re looking for some serious me-indulgence, or perhaps a special gift for someone (customised or bespoke chocolates to order anyone?), then Leela’s Fine Chocolates is your one way to ticket to a moment of pure pleasure. And for those of you not content with just devouring them, you might be interested to learn the craft of making insanely tasty chocolates in their chocolate-making workshops.
Leela’s Fine Chocolates are priced at $2.50 -$3.50 per piece depending on the type of chocolate. Boxes start at $28 for an 8 piece box all the way to $70 for a 20 piece box..
Written by Ms Demeanour