I’m originally from Toronto and so when I visit, I like to discover new chocolate places.  I find most use Callebaut, buy pre-made chocolates from the same chocolate supplier in Belgium and are generally unoriginal.  I found only Soma Chocolates, Stubbe Chocolat, Xococava and certain others doing anything original.

I found Dahaso Chocolat et Cafe on St. Clair Ave W just ever so slightly west of Yonge St, south of Xococava. Instead of yet another Simone Marie or other generic Belgian chocolate shop, I found a delightful cafe with some of the most delicious chocolates.  I cannot believe these are mass-market because they are so delicious.  I know they are not made on the premises but I don’t believe they are mass-market Callebaut.

Never before have I had such a delightful ginger chocolate. The ginger was delicate, the chocolate delicious and as the flavours combined in my mouth they blended perfectly. The ginger ganache was obviously created by using fresh ginger as the ganache gives a hint of ginger heat without overwhelming the palette.  You have to try this chocolate.  It was really surprising to me.

The dark chocolate was distinctive and without the waxy edge I’m used to with Callebaut chocolate. There is a sweetness here that, without being overwhelming, will make it a more popular chocolate for those not as used to dark chocolates.

There are a ton of chocolates here and they are delicious. I bought quite a few and shared them around but chocolates aren’t the only thing that this cafe does.  They also do food and pastries and coffee and tea and Belgian waffles.

When I visited Belgium, I had WAFFLES.  These were confections upon which were piled delicious toppings. In Toronto generally waffles are things made from pancake batter and cooked up but not at Dahso.

At Dahso the visitor can expect a lovely proper Belgian waffle that has a caramelised outer crunchy layer with a proper cooked interior of a mixture that holds its form in the presence of maple syrup, whipped cream or chocolate sauce.  In fact, next time I’m in Toronto I’m making time for one with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.  One to eat in please, with a hot chocolate!

Visit Dahso Chocolat in Toronto at 15 St Clair Avenue West – call ahead on 416-922-3000

This small box of chocolates which you can pick up for £12 arrived at my home in a giant box.  Delving in to the bubble wrap was fun, but not as much fun as the chocolates themselves were.

There were 2 each of 5 different flavours, one worrying labled “olive”.  Having tried an olive oil chocolate before I was worried about it but decided to try it anyway… last.  Apparently they were inspired by the flavours of Province.  So adventurously I tried to place them in a logical order for tasting and tried them all –

Soledad – Dark and robust chocolate ganache. This chocolate has a mild flavour which does not challenge the palette.  The ganache has a slightly fruity flavour but melts well in the mouth (unlike other La Maison Du Chocolat chocolates I have tried).

Limonelle – dark chocolate ganache infused with fresh zest of lemon peel.  From the first bite you can taste the lemon within the dark chocolate.  It is quite strong and yet quite pleasant and there seem to be little bits of lemon peel in the ganache which probably helps keep that sense of lemon flavour so strong.

Olbia – compote of apricots from the Rhone Valley wrapped in milk chocolate.  The milk chocolate is sweet and the compote overwhelming. It’s a bit like fruit leather chopped up and covered in sweet milk chocolate.

Amelo – Almond paste from Provence. I found this sweet with an almost fruity edge to it.  I’m sure lovers of almond paste will love this chocolate but I’m starting to think perhaps almond paste and I aren’t the best of friends.

Oulivado – an almond and nut praline made of Berugette olive oil which is apparently made from black olives. This chocolate is extremely interesting in flavour with crunchy bits. The flavour of the black olives is extremely faint but there – especially at the end.

Overall an interesting mix of flavours.  These chocolates were better than the ones I tried in the shop leading me to wonder if the shop chocs may have been past their prime.  I’m glad I had the chance to try these chocolates and think that maybe as a gift or a dinner party selection they would be great with their diverse flavours.

I originally found this chain as the Australia Ice Cream and Chocolate shops in Amsterdam.  Here in Berlin they are Bandy Brooks with ice cream and a range of chocolates.  These aren’t the best chocolates in the world and really I had to invent an extra category for them as they aren’t great but they are better than just OK.  I tried a bunch of them and these are my thoughts.

Raspberry – sweet dark chocolate with a raspberry jelly and white chocolate ganache filling. It’s OK but it is also huge and enough on its own.

Milk chocolate ganache covered in dark chocolate – the surprise here is that there are crispie bits. Very sweet which typifies this range of chocolates.

Bittersweet Ganache – this bittersweet is slightly harsh, as though they are trying to make up for all the sweetness of the rest of the line by making the bittersweet chocolate excessively bitter.

Bittersweet love – orange jelly with sweet milk chocolate ganache but the ganache is grainy and overly sweet.  It’s a bit much for me.

Green Tea – when taken in small doses, it is OK but more than s tiny bite is so extremely sweet it is a bit too much for me.

Coffee – bitter intense coffee this is probably the best of the lot.  The extreme coffee flavour overwhelms the flavour of the chocolate and isn’t as sweet as the other ones so it makes it the best chocolate of the lot.

A for effort but there is a long way to go.

I am passionate about chocolate, as is clear from this blog. I seek out everywhere I can to find the novel, unique, top quality and enjoyable chocolates.  Sometimes I win and sometimes I have to scrub my tongue in order to remove the oily film left behind.

Simone Marie chocolates promises the best quality Belgian chocolates.  Upon entering you are met with the distinctive scent of imported Belgian chocolates with a longer than high quality shelf life.  It speaks to you of a higher sugar and fat content, with preservatives.  To most people, this aroma is absolute heaven, so unfamiliar are they with high quality chocolates.

I chatted with the lovely owner for awhile about her chocolate selection.  Familiar as I was with Hotel Chocolat and other suppliers, I quickly spotted the fondant mint I enjoy from Hotel Chocolat sitting among her chocolates.  We spoke about European chocolates and quality.  She recommended some chocolates, which I bought and tried at home.

This shop is quite clearly passionate about chocolates.  The person I spoke to was clearly enthusiastic about chocolate and had much to share.  The chocolates were quite typical Belgian chocolates created for export.  In order to prevent spoilage they are not the best, most pure chocolate but they are very good quality.  I’m sure a lover of Belgian chocolate would make this a regular stop for a weekly shop for a chocolate a day.

These are really good quality chocolates but not top notch.  That is by necessity because of the shipping and the manufacturing.  I am also not a huge fan of the Belgian style of chocolate, preferring what I have been told is the French style.

I would say that there is better chocolate in Toronto but it is still worth a visit and worth a shop.