Melbourne really has Sydney beat when it comes to chocolate cafes. Our choices were limited to the Lindt Cafe, Max Brenner and Oliver Brown. Independent chocolate cafes (like the Chocolate Room) open for a short period before closing down. Koko Black, one of the mainstays of the Melbourne chocolate scene, however, opened up salons at two locations in Sydney in 2015.
So one Saturday morning, just before heading to the State Library for a long day of research, I met up with C for cake at the Koko Black Salon at The Strand.
I originally had my mind set on the Apple Crumble Pannacotta, but it wasn’t available that morning. So I ‘settled’ for the Chocolate Alchemy Gateau ($10.50), described as their ‘signature chocolate cake layered with 70% chocolate creme, dark chocolate mousse and a chewy chocolate caramel’.
As expected, this was one very good chocolate cake. It’s got a beautiful mirror glaze with gold leaf sitting atop thin and distinctive layers of decadent chocolate. I particularly enjoyed the ‘chewy chocolate caramel’, which stood out pleasantly against the dark chocolate. Overall, it’s unbelievably rich, making it the perfect cake for savouring slowly over a long catch up with a friend.
Koko Back Salon is located at the corner of Pitt Street Mall and Strand Arcade, or 412-414 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000.