SIFF 2010 Sugar Hit - Guylian Belgian Chocolate Cafe, The Rocks

One day break and we are out again for a Sugar Hit, this time at Guylian Belgian Chocolate Cafe. We made our reservation at The Rocks branch but you can have it at the Circular Quay one as well.

I arrived too early so walked around to the nearby bookshop that opens very late (till 11pm). While walking back to the cafe, I spotted this in one of the tiny laneways. Perhaps it has always been there but I've never noticed :P

Suez Canal @ Night

Suez Canal is one of the laneways here at The Rocks, before a proper drain system was installed, rain water would pass through this lane down to George Street hence a canal. Back in the 19th century, this laneways is notorius for its gang activities, robberies and crime. Now of course it is safe albeit quite spooky actually...especially late at night....*uuuuuuooooooo (ghost sound)*

Anyway....that completes a quick info on the canal and let's return to the main reason we are here this late at night.

Brown Brothers "Cienna" Wine ; Cappuccino

Unlike previous years Sugar Hit where we have only an option of Brown Brothers "Orange & Muscat" with the dessert, it seems like this year the wine at each participating restaurant varies.

Tonight we were served the Brown Brothers "Cienna", a ruby red sparkling dessert wine with berries aroma. I actually prefer this than the one that was served at Bel Mondo, this I found was lighter and more pleasant.
Of course I swopped mine with a cup of coffee instead, had a sip of the wine for research purposes only hehehehe :P

Grand Forest 

It was sooo pretty ! The "Grand Forest" is very grand indeed, it was shaped like a thick hockey puck but so much prettier and adorned with gold leaves.

Grand Forest is a baked chocolate cake layer with grand marnier strawberries, kirsch dark cherries and raspberry creme patissiere sandwich between 2 thin white chocolate discs and then sprayed with white chocolate.

It might looked like such a small dessert on a huge plate, do not let its appearance deceive you, we struggled to finish it as it was a very rich cake.

Grand Forest ; Strawberry Popping Candy Chocolate ; Caramel Honeycomb ; Dark Chocolate Stick

There were a lot other components to this dessert, the cake was resting on a moist biscuit with lovely ginger flavour secured with some chocolate ganache. Next to it is what to me tasted like a caramel honeycomb, it has a lightly aerated texture but melts instantly in your mouth, it was very good. The strawberry popping candy chocolate unfortunately didn't have much popping action :( I only got one single pop *sad*. Then to top it off, a stick of smooth dark chocolate with some bits on it, sea salt ?

The layers of Grand Forest

The verdict : 2 thumbs up !! The cake was really moist and tasted just like Black Forest, but with a twist :) It was fun eating the different things on the plate , it is definitely a dessert for chocoholics.

But, try not to go there straight after dinner as it is a very rich and filling dessert.