Juliette & Chocolat
525, Promenade du Centropolis
Laval (Québec)
H7T 0A3
Tel.: 450-934-9484
http://www.julietteetchocolat.com

The history of chocolate is a long one, but it can be said that it began as far back as 1900 B.C.with the Aztecs Indians. As Aztecs folklore has it they believed that cocoa seeds were the gift from the Gods of wisdom. They believed the seeds to have special aphrodisiac powers and we can surmise that this is somewhat true. We fast forward to present day, when chocolate in all its glorious forms, shapes and sizes is sold across this vast world of ours in many countries and to every walk of life big or small. It is gifted for special occasions to our dearly beloved, it is used to comfort and soothe the soul on a cold day and mainly used when anything is ailing you as a simple pick me upper. It gives us energy or a quick boost. It has indeed become an aphrodisiac and is loved by so many.

This maybe one of the reasons Chocolaterie Juliette & Chocolat has become a true chocolate lover’s paradise. Now in six locations in and around Montreal, it has come a long way since its inception eleven years ago with one little shop on St Denis Street in the Latin Quarters. Opened by Juliette, a French Ex-pat who was born in Brazil, Juliette’s journey started with a passion and a frustration for finding the perfect hot chocolate that reminded her of the one her grandmother use to make; a thick, creamy velvety brew. (Sounds familiar, yes there is a movie about it with the same name). After travelling the world Juliette settled in Montreal, studied management, then chocolate and crepe making in France, only to return to Montreal to open her first chocolaterie.

 

I had the pleasure of first discovering Juliette & Chocolat four years ago when Frenchie took me to the Laurier Street location one evening to have dessert. I automatically fell in love with the place and with him. I returned a few weeks later with Brains who is a chocoholic; she dreams, eats and breathes chocolate. We came to try their chocolate fondues, which we thought were just purely decadent. In the following years we tried various locations in and around Montreal when we felt that strong wind blowing.

 

Last Friday on October 10th, I had the pleasure of being invited to the inauguration and opening of the new Juliette & Chocolat at the Centropolis in Laval. How could I refuse! I am addicted to the place. Nestled among an impressive list of restaurants that make up the Centropolis, Juliette & Chocolat is the temple of chocolate in all its forms and the Go TO place for anything chocolate in any area of Montreal.

 

While talking with the Marketing coordinator, Frenchie and I learned that they have revamped their menu to include more meal like items on their menu and not just chocolate or desserts. This location of Juliette & Chocolat is also different from the rest in terms of decor and seating capacity, it will set the pretense for the others to follow when it comes to redecorating the other stores.

Sampled that evening were mini buckwheat waffles. These were a perfect mix of sucré et salé with hint heavenly butter and onions. The mini waffles just melted in your mouth and dipped in chocolate fondue made them even more irresistible. I am already craving to return to Juliette & Chocolat to have a full portion of the waffles and their sweet and salty deliciousness.

Also sampled that evening was the tuna salad on endive leaves, ham and cheese puffs, fruit and brownies squares dipped in fondue chocolate fountain. All items can all be found on their menu in various forms. To wash this all down, we were given a cider raspberry drink cocktail. To boot we received a gift bag to take home that contained their heavenly hot chocolate which we had the following night, it was indeed thick and creamy, and better than any generic brand by a long shot, a little box containing a peanut butter chocolate square that Brains swallowed whole by popping it in her mouth with a quick flick of her wrist and a jar of caramel au chocolat noir from their boutique, which I used a few tablespoons of in my sautéed wild mushrooms platter for our Thanksgiving day lunch.

MIAM MIAM MIAM…my sister the funghi specialist wanted to know what magic potion I had concocted for the wild mushroom mix….it’s my secret…and Juliette’s of course!

The new Juliette & Chocolat location in the Centropolis is very impressive with their wall to wall windows, their slick modern urban decor of crisp white walls and leather banquettes; their long counters that house not only chocolates but fine desserts and pastries for any palate. Their boutique of speciality products is neatly organized on shelves in a minimalistic sort of way. The big plus is its large space and the late hours. Open from Monday to Thursday and Sundays till 11 pm, midnight on the weekends. They even serve breakfast or brunch as they are open as early as 7: 00 a.m. Juliette & Chocolat is a great the place to just hang out with friends, on a lazy Sunday afternoon sipping heavenly creamy sultry hot chocolate or munching on their delectable desserts for two with that special someone on any given night. A guaranteed fix to satisfy all your chocolate cravings., mine too as I am definitely coming back to Juliette & Chocolat over and over again, but my next thing is to try their brunch and those waffles.