I was recently invited to a special media event to preview the new Koko Black salon in Claremont Quarter. I got to meet some of the team, took part in a chocolate tasting of the exclusive Claremont salon range and indulged in the Queen of Hearts high tea.
When Jac and I were in Canberra last year, we dropped by the Koko Black salon in Civic. Unfortunately, we’d just eaten a big dinner at Kingsley’s Steak and Crabhouse next door and although the chocolate looked and smelled intensely beautiful, we really couldn’t fit it in. So I was looking forward to this, my second chance to try Koko Black.
It was the day before the salon was due to open and tradesmen were busily working getting it all finished. A table was set up outside for us.
Koko Black – place setting ready for high tea
We started by tasting two different single origin chocolates – the bittersweet Dominican Republic 64% dark chocolate and the sweeter, creamier Venezuela 38% milk chocolate.
Dominican Republic 64% and Venezuela 38% chocolate
We met Kim Linssen, the head chocolatier. She told us a bit about herself, how she began her career as a pastry chef and six years ago applied for a chocolatier job at Koko Black’s flagship Royal Arcade salon in Melbourne. She’s looking now forward to a new adventure, living and working in Perth.
Koko Black Chocolatier Kim Linssen
Operations Manager Grant told us more about the Claremont Salon.
It will be one of the biggest Koko Black salons, with a relaxed, yet elegant atmosphere, with seating inside the salon (including couches) as well as outside. I am looking forward to returning to see this for myself as it was difficult to imagine how it would all look while the tradesmen were still working and without all the furnishings in place.
Customers will be able to make up their own chocolate gift boxes, selecting individual handmade chocolates and truffles out of the extensive range showcased in the display counter.
A unique feature of the Claremont salon will be the Ice Creamery, which will feature up to eight ice creams and sorbets, each served with a handmade chocolate garnish. Grant told us about two autumn menu flavours I’d love to try: pear sorbet with caramelised walnuts, and hazelnut praline with bresillienne hazelnuts. I think the ice creamery will be a great feature and especially welcome after the record-breaking scorcher of a summer we’ve had (has anyone told mother nature it’s meant to be autumn now?).
For coffee and tea drinkers, Koko Black serves St Ali coffee and Chamellia organic teas.
Passers-by will be able to look through a window into the chocolatier’s kitchen and watch Kim and her team creating the handcrafted chocolates.
Koko Black founder Shane Hills talked about his vision for the company, his desire to create a world-class chocolate experience and his team’s excitement about the opening of their first salon in Western Australia. The Claremont salon will be the ninth Koko Black.
For all the people who complain that Perth misses out on everything – this time, we haven’t! There are Koko Black stores in Melbourne, Canberra and now Perth – for once, we’ve got something Sydney doesn’t! :P
Shane also told us that the company is a family-owned, Melbourne-based business, not a franchise.
Koko Black founder Shane Hills
Koko Black chocolate is made using fresh, all-natural ingredients supplied locally wherever possible. Keeping with this philosophy, the Claremont salon will feature two new cocoa butter caramel chocolates exclusive to Perth, each of which features a key Western Australian ingredient.
First, we tried the Stout Caramel, made with Little Creatures Single Batch Oatmeal Stout. The malty caramel was delicious, with an ever so slight hint of bitterness. These chocolates are garnished with a dusting of lightly crushed wattle seeds.
Koko Black stout caramel chocolate
The second butter caramel is Truffle Caramel, made with Wine & Truffle Co Manjimup truffles. These chocolates are garnished with blackened truffle salt. As a big fan of sweet and salty combos, I was delighted by the salt and caramel. Both caramels were lusciously smooth, thick and gorgeously teeth-sticking. Don’t try to talk once you start chewing on one of these!
Koko Black truffle caramel chocolate
Next, we were served the Belgian hot chocolate, made to a traditional Belgian recipe that blends full cream milk, cream and 54% dark chocolate. It had a lusciously creamy foamy top and a decadently rich flavour. Normally AU$5.95, it’s also available in chilli, mocha, cinnamon and hazelnut varieties. A light hot chocolate (made to a lighter recipe) and soy hot chocolate are also available. Before you lift the cup to your lips or touch a spoon to the foamy top, take a moment to lean in close and enjoy its wonderful chocolatey smell.
I’ve talked before about my tastes changing as I get older. I’m still a savoury tooth but my sweet tooth is definitely growing. I’ve never thought of myself as a chocoholic and still wouldn’t describe myself as such, but I am enjoying chocolate more and more.
Belgian hot chocolate
The highlight of the session was the Queen of Hearts high tea, served on a lovely two-tiered platter. I was pleased to see that there were savoury items as well as sweet, and the savoury items were served hot.
There were two kinds of hot mini toasted sandwiches: roasted zucchini, capsicum, bocconcini and pesto; and pastrami, gruyere and seeded mustard. The savoury tarts were leek and ricotta, and pancetta and cherry tomato.
Bottom tier: hot mini toasted sandwiches and savoury tarts
The top tier featured the sweet items, including the layered chocolate opera cake, mini vanilla creme brulee, lemon tart, mini chocolate cake, chocolate tart and the Alice lamington, featuring cream and sour cherry jam sandwiched between dark chocolate and coconut covered sponge. The lemon tart was gorgeously gooey, but the lamington and creme brulee were my favourites. It was deceptively filling. I didn’t try everything as I was starting to feel pretty stuffed – my fellow previewers felt the same!
Top tier: sweet pastries and cakes and tarts
At Koko Black, high tea is not just for the weekend! The Queen of Hearts high tea (AU$18.50 per person) is served daily and includes tea, coffee, hot or iced chocolate (iced chocolate $1 extra). Some of the items featured on the Queen of Hearts high tea, including the Alice lamington, sandwiches and savoury tarts, are also available separately as part of the Patisserie menu.
On display was Koko Black’s Easter range for this year, which includes limited edition hand-painted chocolate Easter bunnies, each with its own individually numbered sticker. There are also illustrated pencil boxes, each containing solid milk chocolate eggs, white chocolate bunnies and cocoa butter caramel chews. Koko Black has very generously sent me a bunny and pencil case, which I am saving to enjoy and share during the upcoming Easter holidays.
Koko Black Easter chocolate range
The collector boxes feature the a lovely drawing by last year’s winner of Koko Black’s Easter Creative Drawing Prize. Koko Black has held this drawing competition every Easter since 2008. The winning artists across three categories receive prizes that include money towards studies in art, an exhibition or art supplies; a 12-month membership to a gallery of their choice; and a year’s supply of Koko Black chocolate. Drawings by the winning artists have been featured on various Koko Black products.
Koko Black Easter chocolates with rabbits!
Regular readers will know I am mildly lactose intolerant and have written before about the “glugginess” I get after eating dairy products. I save my dairy consumption for things that I know will be worth the after-effects – I waddled to the train station nursing a chocolate coma, but it was totally worth it. And I have no doubt I will do it again. I plan to return soon and see the salon it all its glory, now that it’s fully operational, and I can’t wait to taste the pear sorbet.
I know two little girls named Ruby and Zoe who would love a babycino teddy bear (AU$2.50) – warm frothy milk with chocolate on top, served with a milk chocolate teddy bear pop. Even I like the sound of that!
The Claremont salon opened the day after this event and I know some of you have already been there. What did you think, and (more importantly) what did you eat/drink? If you haven’t been to Koko Black before, do you think you’ll be tempted to head over to Claremont? :)
Koko Black Claremont Salon
The Lane, Claremont Quarter
23 St Quentin Avenue (corner of St Quentin Ave and Bayview Terrace)
Telephone: (08) 9284 2049
Current Koko Black Perth menu (PDF 84KB)
Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday 9.00am – 10.00pm
Friday 9.00am – 11.00pm
Saturday 9.00am – 11.00pm
Sunday 10.30am – 10.00pm
There are 7 Koko Black salons in Victoria and one in Canberra. See details at www.kokoblack.com
Koko Black chocolates and gift vouchers can be ordered online too.
The Food Pornographer attended this event as a guest of Koko Black.
I'm TFP, a food blogger from Perth, Western Australia.
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
I went on Friday night. After a big dinner I had the Junior Autumn Spoil off the kids menu. A little slice of cinnamon cake, a little scoop of pear sorbet and a teddy pop.
It was so nice! The cinnamon cake was really tasty and next time I will order a giant scoop of the pear sorbet :)
Grace,
I was just looking through the menu and thinking the Junior Autumn Spoil looked pretty yummy! I know the teddy bear pops are designed for the kids but I’m a big kid really and they sound very appealing to me! Though I see the full size Autumn Spoil plate includes a gingerbread cookie – I LOVE gingerbread! I can see it’s going to be tough to decide. Multiple visits will be required, I think.
Mmm, that all looks so nice. I particularly like the presentation though, especially the two-tier platter and the Belgian hot chocolate!
I’m looking forward to the fare in Sydney, but now you’re starting to make me jealous about some of the places in Perth! At least Perth’s not as far from Sydney as it is from Johannesburg! :-)
Craig,
There were quite a few passers-by that day looking at us – first, curiously, then enviously as the hot chocolates and high tea were brought out! :)
Yes, true. If you and Caro make it out here before Sydney gets its own Koko Black, we can definitely all take a trip to Claremont. :D
I was at Claremont Quarter a couple of weeks ago and saw them finishing off Koko. I like the sound of the pear sorbet and am a sucker for a good hot chocolate. Love that they have a light hot chocolate available too!
Kate,
I’m curious to try the light hot chocolate to compare it to the full-blown Belgian version. I love how refreshing fruit sorbets are and I think it would go well with a rich hot chocolate or any of the other chocolatey goodies.
I have been twice already :) Once on the opening day with my two year old and then the next day on my own. Jack had a baby cino with the chocolate teddy bear pop – you have never see a chocolate disappear so fast. And it was his first piece of chocolate. I had a iced coffee at the first visit ( and it was massive and very yummy). I had a cinnamon hot chocolate at the second visit and it was perfect. I will be back on Thursday :)
Sarah-Jane,
Haha, fantastic! Wow, Jack’s first chocolate, that’s an important milestone! :D Koko Black should be honoured! :) I can’t wait to get Jac over there. I think she will love it.
yum, i love koko black – a must visit when i’m in melbourne :) that stout caramel is making my mouth water…
the other Charlene,
Those two butter caramels were lovely! I love chewy things, so I always like chewy thick caramel (as opposed to more soft liquid caramel). It was great knowing they’d been made using the WA stout and truffles. I don’t think I’d have picked truffle as a key ingredient in the caramel if I didn’t know about it, but it certainly tasted delicious.
omg..i love their truffles!!! it is to die for…
but i’m leaving perth in the morning :(
Sam,
Aw, what a shame! Hopefully you’ll get the chance another time.
Hi LOVE my coffee and don’t have a sweet tooth at all… but the chilli hot chocolate on a cold Canberra day ROCKS!
Lizzie,
I don’t mind hot chocolate with chilli, but I love chocolate and hazelnut, so part from the original plain hot chocolate I’d choose hazelnut. Yum yum!
That looked like a really fun time. The High Teas look so good! I love High Tea! I like chocolate, but too much makes me feel kind of sick. Small doses. This place looks like very high quality stuff, so I probably would go overboard! have a good week!
Kathy,
I’ve surprised myself lately by eating a lot more chocolate than I thought I could in a sitting. We recently attended Koko Black’s official launch party (that post is coming up) and I felt fine after eating lots of different chocolatey goodies – though I really craved something salty/savoury. Jac, on the other hand, who’s always been able to eat more sweet things than me, felt a bit sick as we drove home. Thankfully, she felt yucky but didn’t actually need to be “sick” – I’m sure you get my drift :)
“…the Alice lamington, featuring cream and sour cherry jam sandwiched between dark chocolate and coconut covered sponge…”
I. Have. Just. DIED. Of. MASSIVE. Food. Envy. Desire!!
Oh man. The second I saw that beauty in particular, my eyes brightened and my mouth began watering.
Everything looks spectacular. Glad to know the savoury items were hot. I would want that Queen of Hearts high tea all to myself! ;-p
Cindy,
I love lamingtons, which don’t normally come with any filling – they’re usually just the sponge covered with chocolate icing and coconut. I must admit I’ve since considered buying lamingtons, cream and jam from the supermarket and making my own Alices at home. :D
Great wrap-up of the session!
It was superb and nice to meet other foodies there.
It was nice to meet you, Grendel. And then again at the launch party – by then, as a familiar face :)
Nice photos there.
I visited on Sunday afternoon with two friends, and was actually pretty disappointed. The staff were struggling with the menu, the service was slow, the cutlery was filthy, two of the plates were cracked, and the Queen of Hearts was no where near as generous as the one you had!
I’ll probably visit a second time before writing a review on the cafe side. I will say though it’s good to have access to their chocolates locally.
Orpheus, I’m glad you’ve shared your experience as it’s important feedback and I know they’ll be reading this post and all the comments. Hopefully they’ll resolve any service issues/teething problems sooner rather than later.
I was at koko black on Sunday 10th April, and I must say the service has not improved. I waited for half an hour before I had to ask if anyone was serving us. It was very busy and the handful of staff were struggling.
Orpheus,
Kook Black did read your comment and have responded, see comment #25 below.
I’m taking my team there this morning and the additional assessors should be interesting feedback for me as well – always nice to have cross check!
Grendel,
I’d love to have a team excursion to Koko Black! Though it would be hard to be productive on a chocolate coma…would have to go at the end of the day!
Hi Orpheus,
We noticed your comments above and wanted to respond. Please accept our sincere apologies for what you experienced. The vision that we are trying very hard to achieve is far from what you have described and we will investigate the matter fully. We did expect there would be a few teething issues to overcome and we appreciate and value your feedback. I hope you will return to the Claremont salon and give us another try. We would like the opportunity to rectify this for you. Perhaps you could email me at service@kokoblack.com? Please attention your email to me – Marian Syme. Thanks Orpheus.
I’ve tried ringing them 4 times today (at different times of the day) but nobody’s picking up the phones….(08) 9284 2049
I really want to check it out tomorrow night but I’m afraid it might be fully booked, as it’s now Thursday night… :(
Shona,
Hope you managed to get in touch with Koko Black Claremont in the end or got to check it out.
i did and it felt like chinatown but in claremont! haha
99% of ppl there were asians and i think mostly uni students.
we had a selection of different things and it was lovely
finally got thru to them and koko black emailed to say they’ve had some problems with their phone line during the week – hence it seemed like no one picked up the phone.
but they don’t take bookings ! haha so we rocked up at 7:30 and it was good. got a lot busier after 8pm.