Celebrate National Chocolate Day with 3 Specials at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen at Universal CityWalk
Chocolate is so well-loved, society dedicated an entire day to it. October 28 is National Chocolate Day, and we know just the right place to celebrate the occasion: The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen at Universal CityWalk. There’s no better place to go than here when it comes to getting your chocolate fix, but from October 26 to October 28, it’s about to get extra chocolatey! We’re exploring a whole new world of culinary excellence as the talented chefs at Toothsome soar chocolate to new heights with three specialty menu items. If you haven’t celebrated National Chocolate Day before, the perfect reason to is waiting for you at Toothsome!
The Truffled Brie Fondue
Sweets are what The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen is all about, but there’s a reason they put “savory” in the latter half of its namesake. Chef Brandon Conklin at Toothsome says he wanted to highlight chocolate in a savory manner in a way that’s never been done before, which is how he landed on the Truffled Brie Fondue.
This rich fondue is dusted with ancho chili cocoa powder and served with Toothsome’s iconic chocolate almond bread crostini, Granny Smith apples, rainbow cauliflower and baby carrots. The combination is so delicious, it even wowed Chef Brandon — who created the dish! “The pairing between the chocolate almond bread and the Truffled Brie Fondue is ridiculous,” Chef Brandon says. “I can’t believe how good it worked together.” Sharing is caring, and this National Chocolate Day treat makes for the perfect starter to dig into with a group at Toothsome!
“Cocoa” Coq Au Vin
Who would’ve thought chicken and chocolate looked so good together? Chef Brandon, apparently, which is why he came up with the “Cocoa” Coq Au Vin as a National Chocolate Day entrée! This airline — meaning the drum is still attached — chicken breast is sous vide in a red wine valrhona chocolate demi, which Chef Brandon says is the “best of the best” when it comes to French-style chocolate. Served on the side you’ll find pearl onions, baby carrots and gruyere mashed potatoes.
Chef Brandon added that coq au vin (chicken braised with red burgundy wine) is a very classic French dish that he wanted to bring to the table at Toothsome. “It actually translates to ‘rooster in wine,’ and it’s a staple within French cooking,” he says. “So, I just did my chocolate take on a very classic French dish.”
Of the three, Chef Brandon says this one is definitely his favorite. “The ‘Cocoa’ Coq Au Vin is something that is so classically French that to take that and incorporate a really great quality French chocolate into a classic dish and do a modern take on it, that’s something I’m extremely, extremely proud of,” he says.
Cocoa & Coffee Rubbed Roasted Lamb Chops
Lamb lovers, your prayers have been answered. You can’t complete the first celebration of National Chocolate Day at Toothsome without first having tried the Cocoa & Coffee Rubbed Roasted Lamb Chops — specially crafted by Chef Brandon, of course! He says the rack of lamb is first coated in a cocoa coffee crust before it’s put on the grill, giving the dish a nice crunch with every bite. Once done cooking, it’s slathered with a valrhona chocolate brandy peppercorn sauce, which the chef describes as a “chocolate twist on a very classic French steak sauce” and garnished with micro mint. Enjoy it with a side of creamy gruyere mashed potatoes and chili laced rapini.
“I’m not even sure how it worked,” Chef Brandon says. “I came up with these dishes conceptually and went, ‘I don’t know if this is going to work,’ and I did it, and I was like, ‘Well, wow, OK, this worked.’” Chef Brandon truly outdid himself for National Chocolate Day, and I can’t wait to celebrate accordingly!
BONUS: Strawberries with Melted Chocolate
Did you really think we’d go our National Chocolate Day celebration without offering some kind of dessert? Toothsome knows better! Strawberries with Melted Chocolate is a treat that has become a massive hit in Europe, and Toothsome’s take on it is yours to enjoy. The talented chefs fill a Toothsome branded mason jar to the brim with fresh sliced strawberries and drizzle them in a near-endless amount of hot, melted dark chocolate. Simple, but effective, and undeniably delicious! I feel like it’s the perfect way to wrap up such a momentous holiday for The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium!
A New Era for The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen
Toothsome is no stranger to coupling savory and sweet in various ways, but National Chocolate Day poses a perfect opportunity for chefs like Chef Brandon to explore new areas of culinary excellence. Chef Brandon says he and the Toothsome team highlight chocolate in plenty of savory ways, but the National Chocolate Day dishes elevate these French classics.
“These dishes are really on a level of something different than we’ve ever served at Toothsome before,” Chef Brandon says. “They’re almost fine-dining level dishes. So, it’s going to be something very special for the guests coming in on that weekend.”
Chef Brandon says he’s very excited for guests to experience the savory side of chocolate at Toothsome during National Chocolate Day. “I really love to watch people’s expressions when I tell them that it’s a French chocolate red wine demi, or when they dip the chocolate bread into the Truffled Brie Fondue and the flavors just work,” he says. “Watching their facial expressions go ‘All right, cool,’ and then they try it, and they’re like, ‘Huh…well I don’t know why that works, but it really works.’ It’s all on the expression of the guest’s face.”
Source Universal Orlando Blog written by Yasmene Warren
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