One visit to The Chocolate Box is sure to leave you asking for more says PRACHI RATURI MISRA

If the love month is making you feel all starry eyed, here is a suggestion that is sure to delight. Head straight to ‘The Chocolate Box’. A designer pastry and Boulangerie lounge, at Radisson Blu MBD Hotel , Noida, this one is a sheer delight.

And when I say delight, I mean it in every sense. But a word of caution here: Enter at your own risk. For when you go to The Chocolate Box, one thing that you surely must forget is any guilt. For the treats are sure to make sway completely from any resolution on chocolates.

Designed like a chocolate box, the lounge has all the elements that will make you go back to the simple happiness chocolates can bring.

At The Chocolate Box, as the name suggests, the interiors are inspired by the components of a box of chocolates.

And the inspiration has been carried forward in the not just the colours but also shapes and textures. The colours, a mix of rich dark chocolate brown, gold and white, have all put together such that the place actually resembles a “chocolate box”. While parts of it resemble a box, the gold used in the elevations and equipments are inspired by the wrapper of a box. The ceiling will remind you of chocolate sticks and the blinds are the inspiration from a butter paper wrapper in a box.

The interiors created by Ms. Monica Malhotra Kandhari (Director, MBD Group), are sure to take you back to childhood memories of the sweet treasures. And once you’ve started feeling the warmth of comfort, it’s time to taste the delicious chocolates from the winner of the Times food Guide Award for the best pastry shop in Noida for consecutive years, 2011-12, 13 & 14

Almost all the ingredients used at The Chocolate Box have their origin in Belgium, Switzerland and France. What is more, the chocolates are done in the most innovative forms, textures and of course, taste.

There are coloured chocolates, sugar free chocolates, designer chocolates, truffles and soft center pralines. Some of the interesting offerings are the “Spice collection” chocolates, passion fruit chocolates, Baileys, green tea chocolates.

Head for the lounge and you are sure to get a treat for your taste buds.

I settled for The Cheese Board and the designer chocolate platter, a signature assortment, which one must sample. Of course I didn’t finish it all (I couldn’t!) but every one of them surely deserves a nibble. Both of these exquisite creations are also a foray into a tantalizing palette that The Chocolate Box Lounge cultivates.

In fact, even the traditional cakes are served with a twist. The delectable slices of cakes such as date and cashew or almond cheese are paired with fresh sorbet like ginger and passion fruit. There are 33 different types of chocolates to sample and an extensive range of chocolate drinks.

If you are still craving chocolates, it’s worth trying the signature chocolate delights like the Iced Cococcino (An amalgamation of melted chocolate Coconut cream, Espresso and Pineapple Juice, served on ice) Spiced Choco Punch (Mix of chocolate, vanilla ice-cream and milk infused with clove and cardamom, poured over ice), Immortal Memory or Dark Temptation.

Since I’d had my fill of chocolates for then, I decided to look at the gorgeous selection of teas. The varieties of teas have been handpicked by tea connoisseurs. The tea come aesthetically arranged on a silver platter with a paired chocolate amuse-bouche to taste. A palate cleanser offered in the tea set up helps one to explore the tea.

And if you’d like your taste buds to break the sweet feeling, don’t think you can’t do it here, just because the place is called, The Chocolate Box.

I went in for the Wild And White Rice Galette, which is served with an addictive Roasted Pepper Pesto, Pine- Nut And Gruyere Stuffed Mushroom With Tropical Fruit Vinaigrette. The stuffed mushrooms are filled with awesome Gruyere and pine nut topped off with inventive tropical fruit vinaigrette. For the adventurous there is also Grilled Prawns with barbeque sauce. The duet of hot and sweet throughout the menu play with the nuances of European and Indian that are consistent with the lounge feel. The unique facet of The Chocolate Box lounge is noticeably its unique dishes, a baguette of Shredded Chicken Tikka and Caramelized Onion being a rather fine example. You could also try the scrumptious offerings like Smoked Salmon on Granary bread, the gluten bread and the high fiber bread, Whole bran bread, Multigrain and three seed bread. The chocolate box also offers Pistachio and orange cookies Date and walnut and mocha cookies are great munches for those in-between times.

True to the traditional offerings of an English afternoon tea the lounge offers an English Charlie which has a selection of finger sandwiches, Warm Raisin and Plain Scones with clotted cream and preserves and freshly made Crumpets. And if you the desi in you peeping out, go ahead and get comforted with fresh pakoras and samosas.

If you still want to savour the chocolaty feeling later, it’s good to know that you can have the chocolates customized to your individual taste for that exceptional indulgence!

Something to carry back? The Chocolate Box promises to surprise you with the art of their designer sculpted Cakes. Some signatures include the sinful Frosted red velvet Tiramisu and the original Schwarzwaelder Kirschen torte (Black Forest Cake), Almond Prunes Ring ,seasonal fruit cake and Chocolate Mud Cake to name a few.

What is more, you can help the passionate chefs help you to design your own cake

So go on, indulge, I did and am still smiling!