William Curley and Rococo; Chocolate Pilgrimmage Continues...

On Saturday we set off to Richmond to explore their branch of the William Curley shop. It was a rainy, grey day, and after having a look at the river and a wander down the cute lanes that surround the Green, we sought refuge in this bright little shop down Paved Court. There is only one table, with two high stools, so we were lucky enough to nab this and sit down to enjoy one of their spectacular little cakes. J slept peacefully in her buggy, so unusually I didn't have to juggle breastfeeding and cake-eating.

N was disappointed when he saw the selection; he had been swotting up on foodie internet forums, and had already got his heart set on something particular. I had done no such planning and felt a warm glow as I looked at the exquisite creations, like little sculptures. I chose a Dark Madasgascan dome, which positively gleamed, topped with a stalk of candied orange peel, with Grand Marnier cream, clementine segments and chocolate mousse inside. As well as being beautiful to the eye it was also an adventure of a cake; each spoonful gathered a different combination of the composite elements, making each mouthful a new experience, although the general theme, that combination of orange and chocolate, held the whole thing together. There is always something special about chocolate with orange, whether it is one of those Terry's things everyone gets in their Christmas stocking, or whether it is this creation by a prize winning chocolatier.

N ordered Petit Fours, and generously gave me plenty of little tastes. The small scale of the four creations made it look all the more an artistic masterpiece. My favourite tastes were of the choux pastry of a choux and cherry thing, and some chesnut mousse, which came as part of a little chocolate and chesnut cup. The taste of chesnut is one of my favourites, reminding me of the chesnut puree you can buy from the supermarket, and either use in dessert recipes, or, as I prefer, spoon straight from the tin. On a rainy day, this was perfect comfort food, but also made me feel far more glamourous and special than I had done when I entered the shop, with my wet hair and rain misted glasses.

The only thing that almost shattered this play at sophistication, reminding me of my true hapless self was when, in an act of characteristic clumsiness, I managed to drop the glass top of the teapot... I held my breath and time stood still as the tea pot lid bounced off the table, off my lap and fell the floor... but when I refocused, I saw that it hadn't broken. The staff were polite and quickly fetched the lid and returned it to the table, while I silently swam in a mixture of relief and embarrassment.

This didn't last for long. After finishing our cakes, J woke up and N announced that it was time to choose the chocolates we would take home as souvenirs. After choosing a House Dark truffle, Jasmine, Sea Salt caramel, Heather Honey and Thyme, and Pistachio and Toscano. I walked J around the shop, trying to educate her by showing her the chocolate dipped orange slices, the little bakewell tarts, the hot chocolate flakes. Meanwhile, N was more being more adventurous in his choices, opting for, along side the House Dark and Honey and Thyme, a Wasabi, a Szeuchan Pepper and a Japanese Vinegar.

William Curley is married to another master chocolatier, Suzue Curley from Osaka, Japan. So, as well as Scottish and French influences, they also offer Japanese inspired creations, such as the mentionned chocolates, and according to their website, Green Tea ice cream and miso and walnut biscuits. It seems a shame that, despite her inspiration and graft, Suzue Curley does not get a mention in the name of these shops. I wonder if "The Curley Wurlies" has been considered...

We started eating our chocolates on the train ride home, and managed to make them last until the next day. I have to say, going back to what I said about L'Artisan du Chocolat, on the whole, the adventurous flavours were not quite what they promised. We could taste the gentlist hint of jasmine, wasabi, and vinegar, but had we not chosen them ourselves and remembered their names, we may not have known what we were supposed to be tasting. This does not apply to the Pistachio and Toscana, or to the Sea Salt Caramel. On biting into the former, I could admire the cross section of the chocolate that showed a layer of chocolate ganache and a layer of bright green pistachio cream. The classic chocolate/ pistanchio combination worked perfectly. The Sea Salt Caramel was composed basically like a Rolo, but the buttery caramel and fine dark chocolate made it a particularly luxurious, memorable Rolo, one that you would only hand over to someone VERY special.

The next day we visited Rococo, Marylebone High Street. A trip to Marylebone High Street is always makes a foodie's day. N used to work in that area, and has many happy expectations. The chocolates we sampled were delicious, though perhaps no more special than the other places we visited. N and I would both recommend the pistachio truffle. But what I found most pleasing about our trip there was the look of the place. They have established a very stylish trademark aesthetic, so I wasn't surprised when I read that the founder, Chantal Coady. graduated in Textile Design before embarking in the chocolate shop business. We only tried two each of their chocolates, which at 80p each were expensive even for that end of the market. But I think we will be returning to that shop, to try some more of their flavours and oggle over the beautiful packaging and accessories.