New Brisbane

Running a website like NewBrisbane presents plenty of opportunities to review fun and exciting products and venues, as well as to meet some inspiring business managers, but I can honestly say that the review of Monty’s Chocolates in Paddington was by far the most fun I’ve had writing a review in my long history of reviewing “stuff”. And not only that, now I get to brag to my friends that part of what I do involves sampling deluxe imported European chocolate.

Monty’s Chocolates
155 Labtrobe Terrace,
Paddington, Qld, 4064.
+61 73369 3135

Nestled in the heart of Paddington’s cafe strip, Monty’s Chocolates specialises in importing deluxe chocolates from Europe and deals exclusively with the who’s who of chocolatiers, including Artisan du Chocolat, Rococo, Copponeur and Charbonnel et Walker to name a few. Run by the husband and wife team of Steve and Dory Sheldon, these are definitely two people that are passionate about what they do, and it shows in the mouth-watering product range that their store offers.

Before going to Monty’s, I decided I would invite our chocolate loving Operations Manager at work along to be my “official assistant chocolate taster”, because it’s always good to get a second opinion and I thought it would be something she’d enjoy - plus it earnt me some brownie points back at the office. And it was a good thing I did, because as I was soon to discover, everyone has their own preferrred tastes in chocolate! Here’s a few of what we got to try…

Hot Drinking Chocolate

This wasn’t strictly on the sampling menu, but when I saw the big vat of what appeared to be melted chocolate, I just couldn’t resist. Steve offered me a very professional and detailed explanation of what was in this hot chocolate, but honestly all I can remember is that it was like drinking melted milk chocolate. An absolute must if you visit Monty’s.

Le 100% Chocolate

This chocolate, made from “Criollo” beans grown on the island of Madagascar, is literally 100% chocolate. To give my rough layman’s version of how it works, when the cocoa beans are crushed they exude an oil which can be collected and formed into solid blocks. This is what 100% chocolate is - no sugar, no milk, no other additives. Obviously a very dark chocolate, this one wasn’t a favourite of mine(I prefer milk or white chocolate), but my assistant absolutely loved it.

Liquid Salted Caramels

Designed by Artisan Du Chocolat in London for Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant at Claridges Hotel in London, the liquid salted caramel is reported to be the biggest seller at Monty’s and it’s no wonder why! Described as “a sweet liquid caramel with a pinch of Noirmoutier island’s grey salt, captured in a cocoa dusted shell of intense dark chocolate”, these chocolates are truly decadent and are available for only $1 a piece. Just remember, no matter how tempting it might be, do NOT bite into them until the whole chocolate is in your mouth, as the caramel inside is very liquidy.

Marzipan and Fruit Concoctions

German manufacturer Coppeneur also gets their foot in the door with some rather interesting (unexpected?) treats. The first of these we tried was a Marzipan delight called an “apple strudel”, which, combined with a dash of cinammon, really did taste just like an Apple Strudel. The same manufacturer also produces a range of truffles with fruit-flavoured ganache filling, such as the Mango Lassi and the Cactus Fig, which are an absolute explosion of sweet fruit flavour in your mouth.

Rococo Organic Chocolate

Rococo is also worth special mention for its organic chocolate. Notorious for its extremely high cocoa butter content, this chocolate has a silky texture and a crisp snap that you just don’t find in your Cadbury chocolate. We sampled the white chocolate + strawberry, white chocolate + raspberry and the white chocolate + cardamom chocolates. My favourite was definitely the raspberry, though the cardamom really did add an interesting flavour.

But Monty’s is more than just a shop window selling chocolate. Every piece of chocolate at Monty’s has a story to tell and the shopkeepers are happy to walk you through the entire range to find something right for you. And if you want to sit and enjoy a tea, coffee or hot chocolate, that’s fine too.

Every piece of chocolate at Monty’s has a story to tell.

Truth be told, I think both my assistant and I ate ourselves sick on chocolate that afternoon, but it was totally worth it. I could literally spend pages describing the different types of decadant, luxury chocolate that are for sale at Monty’s, but instead you should get up, leave your computer right now and go check them out. Highly recommended.