Fabelle, Reverie en Chocolat @ ITC Gardenia, Bangalore.

As I walked through the inviting entrance of the ITC Gardenia to the doors of their latest addition –Fabelle, a Luxury Chocolate Lounge I was awestruck and immersed in its serene interiors in shades of Chocolate and Gold. Not only are they the only Luxury Chocolate Lounge in the city which makes their own chocolates, but they also excel in signature dessert creations centring on chocolate as the base ingredient. I was fortunate enough to experience it first hand in the presence of Ruby Islam, the Head Chef and Chocolatier and Vinita Bartlett, the Public Relations Manager, ITC Gardenia. Before I start with my personal experience of this unique Chocolate Voyage, let me throw some light into the history behind its inception.

Fabelle has been in the making for almost a decade now, and has undergone many a trial before the final nod was received. The team consisted of National and International Chefs and Chocolatiers collaborated to create the finest the world has ever seen. This is a first in India, unparalleled by any other hospitality partner and is the product of many a trial before the final approval was received from the top management of ITC. Bangalore is the first city in India to open its first Chocolate lounge at the Gardenia and showcase this unique creation.

In order to shape this creation aptly, ITC sources single origin cocoas from the best growing regions in Africa and South America namely Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Venezuela, Saint Dominque and Sao Tome. The in-house Master Chocolatiers have skilfully combined the tastes & textures of the highest quality single origin cocoas with the rarest of ingredients such as Acacia Nectar, Madagascar Vanilla, French Sea Salt, Lankan Cinnamon, Ancho Chill to name a few to deliver an immersive experience never witnessed earlier. What makes Fabelle stand out and excel from others, is its eye to detail and unique mix of ingredients aptly presented to achieve new heights. Every creation is a masterpiece in itself and bears unique and exclusive identity of its own.

Fabelle offers a myriad range of exquisite chocolate creations such as Fabelle Elements - intricately crafted pralines inspired by the elements of nature, Fabelle Ganache - velvety soft cubes of exotic cocoas delicately churned with Butter & fresh Cream and Fabelle As You like It – personalized Chocolate Cup creations offering a huge range of possibilities of Fillings and Toppings. In addition, the Chocolate Boutiques also provide a range of exquisitely crafted Desserts and Cocoa Beverages, created live by Fabelle Master Chocolatiers.

I started my immersive experience with the Twin Ganache-a Milk chocolate with about 30% and a dark comprising of about 66% cocoa content. The Dark has always been my sin of choice and I enjoyed the rich smoothness with which it simply melt in my mouth.

In the As you Like It section, I chose a Dark Chocolate Cup with a Berry Preserve Filling of Blueberry and topped it up with French Sea Salt to add that extra boldness to its taste. The crunchiness of the cup infused with the bitter sweetness of the berry and the saltiness of the topping not only rendered a challenging and controversial dish, but was unlike anything I have ever tried earlier.

In the Entrements section, I chose the Ghana Milk Chocolate Mousse with Caramel and Banana Crème. This was another dish that pushed the envelope a bit further with the various notes that I could taste within. The overpowering taste of caramel and the equally enduring flavour of Banana complimented each other and created an out of the world surrealistic experience.

The best was yet to come in the form of the Dreams section’s 84% Signature Dark Chocolate Petit Cake with Fleur De Sel. This is a signature creation from the house of Fabelle handcrafted by Ruby and is 84% dark infused with sea salt as a topping. Its bitter and salty assimilation of flavours takes a bit getting used to. This is not a dish that everyone can handle. A special dish only for the select few aficionados and a definite winner amongst the dishes tried.

I ended my unique journey in Chocolate with a cold Frappe of Madagascar Chocolate which is 67% dark and formed the perfect end to my blissful evening. This was indeed an eye opener in the genre of Luxury Chocolates and how Fabelle under the apt leadership of the ITC team has succeeded in pushing the bar high and mighty. So much so, that I have decided to visit the venue every week until each one of the creations on the menu is tasted and tried. The prices are extremely competitive and is a real steal for the quality and class it brings forth. Fabelle has not only put India on the map of the World’s Finest Luxury Chocolates, but has also created a unique benchmark in the segment for the ITC group itself.