it became apparent as we approached the chocolate shop, that it was housed in the old digs of oh calcutta!. i’d never been inside oh calcutta!, and i’m sure it was nice and all, but i can assume that it looked nothing like boon (the chocolate experience), which looked very nice indeed with its glass-enclosed, marble-topped jewelry shop counter and blond wood panelling.

in fact it was deborah who initially alerted me to this store’s existence — “they have a tea room! and chocolate ornaments!” is essentially what the email said — and then i read some in-depth reporting over at the unbearable lightness of being hungry, and as the plans for our day fell into place, it became clear that boon would be a stop along the way.

and so. we stepped up to the door, and opened it, and the smell of chocolate that engulfed us was really quite exhilarating. because we had come from sopra, and gelato, we were in no condition to climb the narrow stairway up to the tearoom. but there was enough downstairs to keep us entertained.

behold — indeed — xmas baubles rendered in chocolate. dainty bags of nibbly things. smart canisters of biscuits. across the way, laid out just so in the long counter, exquisite little squares of handmade filled chocolates, with pretty names to match.

alas, my note-taking is wanting, and i have no recollection of what any of the names are. but in my box of five ($10), i had a quite savoury one of peach and cardamon, one of jasmin tea in a dark ganache, one of rose in a white ganache, one of anise and vanilla (it wasn’t too liquoricey, as the shopboy had said, but the air of aniseed hung around my mouth for somewhat longer than i’d like), and…

…something. told you my note-taking was poor.

the chocolates, on the other hand, were wonderful. crafted by a belgian-trained chocolatier, their fillings were lush and smooth, their flavours subtle and sophisticated.

five chocolates go by too quickly (six even, if you count the sample the countergirl offered me after i’d made my selection), so i’m hoping that the bizarre weather continues, and throws me a summer’s day cold enough for hot chocolates and belgian waffles upstairs.