Did you know I love chocolate??! …Oh I haven’t mentioned it?!?
Haha, as if! So when I managed to bag an invite to an event from Lela at my favourite restaurant Roast & Conch (see my first ever visit here !) I squealed in delight!
First up on the agenda was chocolate tasting, in the Hotel Chocolat bar/cafe part of the venue. We got to learn lots about chocolate, and Dan taught us that it’s very much like wine tasting in you should use all your other senses before tasting and each chocolate can be very different, some can even smell of mothballs (to roughly quote Bee from Queenbeady ‘what actually do they smell like, actually what actually are they?’) I soon realised I don’t know what mothballs are, are they like moths poo?!? Haha anyway I digress, we didn’t smell any mothball chocolate luckily but got to taste some of their blended chocolate and even some chocolate that tasted of ‘rabbit hutch’ one guess who said that! (Hint her blog name starts with a Q!) my favourite was the supermilk variety which I am now hooked on and is my favourite chocolate to break my healthy eating with.
After the tasting we then were lead upstairs to the Roast + Conch restaurant.
I must say it really didn’t disappoint. And nor did the company! It was great to see some familiar faces like Kellie, Bee and Mary and to meet new ones like Lela, Nic, Em , Laura, Jessica and Laura
For starters I had the Yorkshire Pudding with Parkin Spiced Beef which is what I had on my last blog post (I’ve been in-between posts, and didn’t have it honest!) it was glorious, the thick red wine cacao sauce is just divine and the perfect accompaniment to the gorgeous tender beef. The Yorkshire pudding was on point too although slightly more crispy than I usually like (my mum cooks large puddings in a massive tray just like my nan and I like the soggier centre), but for those who like a traditional pud you’ll be highly satisfied!
For main I chose the Pork Shack which was pork belly, chopped pork and liver meatball and smoked bacon with cacao beer braised onions and white chocolate mash.
The pork belly was lovely and just shredded away from the fat, the smoked bacon was lush and added a stronger flavour to the Neal and the meatball was my favourite meat bit as it was so unusual, and had a lovely herby flavour, combined with the braised onion it made it feel rather hearty and the flavours complimented each other well.
The white chocolate mash was still my favourite though as always!
This was Mary’s Mac n cheese- doesn’t it look amazing?
Needless to say after tasting all this we were too full for dessert! Luckily you can choose to have chocolates as dessert (my kinda restaurant!) and as we had a cocktail masterclass in the downstairs bar we had them delivered there whilst we watch the bartender making a chocolate cocktail, I can’t tell you how it tasted as I was driving so couldn’t try it out but I’m informed it was gorgeous.
Also checkout the cocoa bitters! Just like angostura’ bitters but a cocoa variant- this is a total need for me now.
Unfortunately it was at this point I had to depart, fully stuffed wondering when the next time is I’m going to visit.
Are you intrugued to smell mothball chocolate?!!(I still am!)and what’s your favourite chocolate or recipe with chocolate? I’m so trying the white chocolate mash this weekend!