Amandine Pâtisserie’s thick, ambrosial drink puts hot chocolate from the gas station and cocoa powder packets to shame.
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Amandine Pâtisserie
Open: daily from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Prices: hot chocolates from $4 to $7
Fortunately, I was forgiven for my silly question.
After enjoying an incredible cup of hot chocolate at Amandine Pâtisserie on Wellington Street West, I asked a staffer what the brand was for that amazing beverage — basically a chocolate fan’s thickened, flavour-packed, liquid ambrosia.
Let’s just say that If you are OK with gas-station hot chocolate, or the just-add-water stuff made from packets of powder, Amandine Patisserie’s hot chocolate will rock your world.
It turned out that at the French pastry shop in Hintonburg, the hot chocolate was house-made, and has been since the store’s day one, a little more than two years ago. I wonder: if I had made a similar gaffe in Paris, would I have been met with an icy stare and a derisive remark?
They were much kinder to me at Amandine Pâtisserie. The hot chocolate is made every two days from just whipping cream, “really good” European chocolate, cocoa, and sugar, said owner and pastry chef Amandine Pajor.
“We like to make it in the European way,” said Pajor, 31. “Not too sweet, not too bitter.” The hot chocolate is kept warm during service, rather than reheated for each order. Otherwise, it would then become too thick, Pajor said.
How many calories are in each cup of hot chocolate? “You don’t want to know,” said Pajor, who learned her skills in Grenoble, France, before she moved to Canada not quite six years ago, first to Montreal and then Ottawa.
“I prefer Ottawa,” Pajor added. “It’s greener outside, it feels like a small town.” Lucky us.
At Amandine Pâtisserie, the hot chocolates come in four sizes — kid’s, small, medium, and large. To me, a small serving, which cost $5, felt like a massive indulgence. I could not imagine drinking a large cup. A kid’s serving might even do the trick for you, if you can overcome the embarrassment.
The drinks come with a mini-Madeleine because hot chocolates and coffees never arrive without a little something in France. Pajor suggested that if you’re hungrier, a simple croissant, chosen from the pastry shop’s impressive showcase, would go very nicely with her hot chocolate.
“You can even dip your croissant in the hot chocolate for the ultimate treat,” she said.
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