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Worshipping at The Chocolate Boutique at The Shangri-La Bangkok

May 31, 2012 at 2:33 PM | by | Comments (0)

We at Hotel Chatter like to indulge our desires on a regular basis (cake from the Mandarin Oriental Paris, anyone?) and few come any more passionate than chocolate.

The Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok with its splendid setting on the banks of the Chaopraya River is home to a confectionery cornucopia called, simply, The Chocolate Boutique.

The classy signature outlet is located on the lobby level and a heaven for chocoholics. After being greeted at the imposing entrance to the hotel by pith helmeted and putteed doormen, a homage to colonial style, head inside the chandeliered lobby, go forward and turn right and there you see it. The duck egg blue and rich mahogany exteriors and subdued lighting are enticing and suggest the dark pleasures that await.

The glass display cases which border the open plan boutique are there to show off the range of sculpted chocolate masterpieces. We are here to view and worship first, then, buy the artistic creations of Executive Pastry Chef Frank Braun. There is a glorious selection of premium milk and dark chocolates with special combinations of cocoa and the finest ingredients such as peanuts, caramel, raisins, cherries etc.

The variety of temptations is wide and includes signature chocolate cakes, praline, fudges, chocolate bars and pastries which you can enjoy in the adjoining stylish lounge or take away for guilty pleasures at home.

This is an intense love affair, the first lingering eye contact, reveling in the textures, flavors, smooth surfaces, the fragrances, the sensual surroundings. The wrapping and the unwrapping of the packages. The friendly staff are attentive, but never obtrusive and understand that you and the chocolate offerings need time to be together.

Many of the products have a short shelf life and are changed each month. On our visit we saw chocolate lipsticks and ladies’ designer handbags and this being Thailand there were some cute white chocolate Tuk-Tuks!

Every weekday there's also an irresistible High Tea selection to savor with friends from 12 noon to 5 p.m. with chocolate scones, profiteroles, eclairs, assorted French pastries and more. They say life is a like a box of chocolates, well here is a place that thinks outside of the box and offers sweet dreams!

The Chocolate Boutique is open from 8am to 11pm. If you can tear yourself away from the Chocolate Boutique, then the Shangri-La Hotel offers a range of fine dining venues, other facilities and more than 800 rooms including its Krungthep (Bangkok) wing.

[All photos: Christopher Scott Dixon]

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