Hi everyone -
Just got back from exploring the joys of Paris with my little sister, who was here to visit (although, let me tell you, those joys are a lot less joyful in rain and near-freezing winds. In July. Le sigh.)
And somehow, in between stocking up on various pates from Le Grande Epicerie (food hall heaven!), mistakenly buying nearly two kilos of bread from famous baker Poilane (I panicked! I don't speak French well...or at all), and stuffing myself silly on baked egg in foie gras and duck with blackberry sauce at my favorite restaurant in Paris - nay, maybe my favorite restaurant in the WORLD - I somehow managed to get my hands on some cheap chocolate bars so I could have something to review. Now that I'm finally recovering from my eating fest, here they are!
The first bar I got was a Nuts, simply because it fit with the model of getting bars with funny/ridiculous/unappetizing names when I visit other countries. The Nuts (hee) bar is creamy, light colored nougat with a layer of caramel on top, all covered in a very thick layer of milk chocolate. The added ingredient that makes the bar so nutty are the chunks of hazelnut buried in the nougat.
Now this sounds fantastic - and could probably be that way if some essential modifications were made. The nougat was lovely - light and whipped, kinda like a Three Musketeers bar from the US (one of my favorites). The caramel wasn't overly sweet, and the chunks of hazelnuts were big and crunchy. But somehow it just didn't all come together. Because the hazelnut chunks are just floating in the nougat, the contrast between tastes and textures was just too strong. Now, I like added crunchiness in my bar probably more than the average person, but it veered too much towards the chocolate-covered pretzel kind of mix of sweet and non-sweet (even salty) that I totally abhor. Seriously, how does a salted caramel macaroon from Laduree taste oh so good but this tastes oh so slightly wrong? A nice bar all the same, and a middling 2.5 bars - if only the hazelnuts weren't ruining the rest of it for me.
The next one I tried was slightly harder to find. My sister and I saw it advertised in cafes all over town but weren't able to find one until we passed a corner store with a generously stocked candy section somewhere near Bastille. The bar in question was a Ballisto, and it was worth the hunt!
So I almost completely missed reviewing this bar. That's because, after squeezing myself onto the Metro and then waiting an hour standing up to see the fireworks on Bastille Day, I ate it in a sugar-starved frenzy. Luckily , there happened to be two bars in the pack (much like a Twix). Otherwise I don't think I would have had enough recollection of what it tasted like to go on. (Don't judge - being a tourist is hard work.)
The variety of Ballisto I tried was honey and almonds - or at least that's what it said on the wrapper. What I got didn't taste entirely of these two ingredients, but it was delicious. The bar consists of two thin fingers of a crunchy cookie-like bottom with a light-colored cream (which I assume is the 'honey and almond' part) on the top, all covered in milk chocolate. The cookie base was fantastic, kinda hovering somewhere between the taste of a graham cracker and the consistency of Chips Ahoy. The cream was sweet but not too sweet, and added just enough substance to still make it feel like a candy bar and not a chocolate-covered cookie. My only complaint was that the chocolate on the outside could have been a little thicker, but all in all, one of my faves so far! 4.5 bars.
In total, that works out to an average of 3.5 bars, but seriously, it's Paris, so I'm going for 5 bars in commemoration. And also to mark the discovery of another non-chocolate confection - supermarket-brand strawberry cones. MMMMMMMMM French gummies. Vacation WIN.
Just got back from exploring the joys of Paris with my little sister, who was here to visit (although, let me tell you, those joys are a lot less joyful in rain and near-freezing winds. In July. Le sigh.)
And somehow, in between stocking up on various pates from Le Grande Epicerie (food hall heaven!), mistakenly buying nearly two kilos of bread from famous baker Poilane (I panicked! I don't speak French well...or at all), and stuffing myself silly on baked egg in foie gras and duck with blackberry sauce at my favorite restaurant in Paris - nay, maybe my favorite restaurant in the WORLD - I somehow managed to get my hands on some cheap chocolate bars so I could have something to review. Now that I'm finally recovering from my eating fest, here they are!
The first bar I got was a Nuts, simply because it fit with the model of getting bars with funny/ridiculous/unappetizing names when I visit other countries. The Nuts (hee) bar is creamy, light colored nougat with a layer of caramel on top, all covered in a very thick layer of milk chocolate. The added ingredient that makes the bar so nutty are the chunks of hazelnut buried in the nougat.
The next one I tried was slightly harder to find. My sister and I saw it advertised in cafes all over town but weren't able to find one until we passed a corner store with a generously stocked candy section somewhere near Bastille. The bar in question was a Ballisto, and it was worth the hunt!
So I almost completely missed reviewing this bar. That's because, after squeezing myself onto the Metro and then waiting an hour standing up to see the fireworks on Bastille Day, I ate it in a sugar-starved frenzy. Luckily , there happened to be two bars in the pack (much like a Twix). Otherwise I don't think I would have had enough recollection of what it tasted like to go on. (Don't judge - being a tourist is hard work.)
In total, that works out to an average of 3.5 bars, but seriously, it's Paris, so I'm going for 5 bars in commemoration. And also to mark the discovery of another non-chocolate confection - supermarket-brand strawberry cones. MMMMMMMMM French gummies. Vacation WIN.
* Badly translated by Google Translate, this is my attempt to title the post 'Hooray for eating!'
* Badly translated by Google Translate, this is my attempt to title the post 'Hooray for eating!'
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