Friday 4 July 2014

Ganache Chocolate Lounges - the best chocolate experience!

Entrance to Ganache Chocolate Lounge
Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria, is famous for its coffee shops. In recent years chocolate shops have come on the scene. This suits me as I am a chocoholic.

On a bleak winters day I took part of my family to the Ganache Chocolate Lounge in the heart of Melbourne at 245 Collins Street, which is between Swanston and Elizabeth Streets.

This is an inviting European style Chocolate Lounge with a rich brown decor complementing the wonderful range of chocolate treats on display.

They offer a tempting array of individually decorated chocolate bars, figures, delectable delights, patisserie items, macarons, and individual pralines & truffles. There are all types of chocolate – milk, dark, white, sugar free and flavour infused. As well as individual chocolate treats, whole chocolate cakes and delights are available that would make brilliant special occasion cakes for that special person.

 Delicious pralines
(Note bite already taken out of one!)
From the many varied pralines on display we chose the salt caramel dome, strawberry, honey almond, and Mozart. All were absolutely delicious. My wife particularly liked the Mozart. She is a musician and adored the intricate music notes decorating the top of the praline. In the centre of each of pralines was a delicate ganache.

My knowledge of chocolate is rather limited (apart from the fact that I like eating it) so I had to ask what the word ganache actually meant. I was informed that it refers to a mixture of cream and chocolate. This was the smooth mixture inside the pralines. This word also inspired the name of the chocolate lounge.

Yummy hot chocolate!
The Ganache Chocolate Lounge offers many types of milk, dark, and white couverture chocolate drinks. We chose a chilli, mint and salt caramel hot chocolate to warm us from the speciality hot chocolate range. They were smooth, rich tasty drinks made from real chocolate. Just what was needed on a winter’s day to warm us up! Each had the decorative letter G drizzled on top, and came with a meringue biscuit with two hazelnuts. Other hot chocolates we could have chosen include cinnamon, orange, caramel, hazelnut, white, milk or expresso. They also offer at the South Yarra Lounge a selection of liqueur hot chocolates which have shots of Frangelico, Cointreau, Kahlua or Bailey’s.

The winter window display
Note the tram reflection!

The first Gânache Chocolate shop was opened by Arno Backes in South Yarra in April 2008. Arno is passionate about chocolate, having being captivated by it in Europe and Australia and his travels around the world. In 2010 the second Ganache Chocolate lounge was opened in Collins Street, and in 2011 the South Yarra premises were expanded to cater for the increased demand. Initially there was just one Pastry Chef working with Arno. Now there 15 highly trained and devoted team members creating the wonderful award winning delectable chocolate creations that stock the two Ganache Chocolate Lounges.

For those who would like to make the perfect hot chocolate at home, take-home packs are available which include shards of their finest couverture chocolate and a mini whisk. Gift boxes and gift vouchers are available in store and online. Orders can be posted to anywhere in Australia, with no added delivery fee for orders over $50.

The chocolate lovers!
The Ganache Chocolate School runs various classes led by Master Chocolatier Arno Backes. The classes offered are “The Taste of Chocolate’, “How to Make Truffles”, “Secrets of the Perfect Macaron”, “Chocolate Mousse and Garnishes”, “Chocolate Tempering and Garnishes”, and “Create Unique Chocolate Bars”. These are beaut ways to have fun learning about chocolate and to pick up some tips about making yummy chocolates at home... and to sample along the way. The classes can be booked online at http://www.ganache.com.au/chocolate-school.html.

Ganache Chocolate Lounges

Melbourne City Chocolate Lounge 

245 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9650 8388
Fax: (03) 9650 8388
Email: enquiries@ganache.com.au
Store Trading Hours
Monday – Thursday 8am - 8pm, Friday 8am - 10pm, Saturday 9am - 10pm, Sunday 9am - 6pm

South Yarra Chocolate Lounge 

Ganache Chocolate Lounge
250 Toorak Rd, South Yarra, VIC 3141
Phone: (03) 9804 7485
Fax: (03) 9827 9281
Email: sales@ganache.com.au
Store Trading Hours
Monday – Thursday 9am - 8pm, Friday 9am - 10pm, Saturday 9am - 10pm, Sunday 10am - 8pm

Website: http://www.ganache.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GanacheChocolate
Instagram: #ganachehotchoc
Ganache Chocolate on Urbanspoon

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