Indian-inspired chocolates for Valentine's Day

When Co Co. Sala first opened, a couple of years ago, I could not get a date (read hubby) to go with me to opening night. Why? Well, it is not because he doesn’t love chocolate but because, as he kept repeating, “How much chocolate can we eat there? Won’t it be too much?”

Fast-forward two years and now every time we have a yearning for something sweet and delicious, guess which place he picks?

Co Co. Sala is one of my most favorite restaurants in Washington D.C. It is the brain child of two dynamic young Indian entrepreneurs Nisha Sidhu, a former bio-medical engineer and professional trained pasty chef and chocolatier , and Bharet Malhotra, a vice president of sales at Cvent Inc.

Dressed in shades of deep red, dark chocolate and warm caramel, the restaurant succeeds in portraying the lively lounge image and does justice to its name – Co C.o Sala – Coffee, Chocolate, & Cocktails Sala (“sala” is lounge in Italian). An open kitchen allows guests to view not just the preparations of the savory dishes on the menu but also the creation of the real piece-de-resistance of this lounge – the desserts.  Artwork showcased on glass cases on the walls of the restaurant turns out to be Sidhu’s spectacular sugar sculptures. Sidhu and Malhotra also  brought on Santosh Tiptur as executive chef. Together they created a unique menu for the restaurant consisting of small savory bites and fairly lavish chocolate experiences bringing in tastes of India, Mexico, Italy and the US. The real differentiator in this menu is that everything has an element of chocolate in it including the cocktails (Chocotini, anyone?) and in the hot and frozen chocolate collection found on the menu (like their the hot candy bar flight with coconut, peanut butter and mint flavors.).

The chocolate used in the restaurant is classified as couvertures.  “Couvertures are the highest quality of chocolate.  Most of our chocolate comes from France.  French chocolate is known for its more intense flavor and impeccably smooth mouth feel.  We prefer to use dark chocolate since it is less sweet for our savory dishes and really lets the spices come through.  Selecting the correct chocolate for each individual recipe is both scientific and an art form.  Each type of chocolate depending on its origin has different flavor characteristics and much like selecting wine, we analyze the various flavor profiles (fruity notes, nuttiness, earth tones, acidity, bitterness, finish on the palate, etc) before determining how to apply it to a recipe,” explains Pastry Chef and co-owner Sidhu.

And how can I not mention their chocolate covered bacon??? That is used as a garnish for their ‘Bacon Mac ’n Cheese and has become so popular that customers even buy just the chocolate-covered bacon to take home!

And today, they are offering Indian-inspired chocolates to readers of LIFE OF SPICE.

The winner can pick red or brown box and they will include a mixed assortment of flavors including the Indian-inspired such as Mango Lassi, Banana Ginger, Coconut Curry, & Pistachio Kulfi amongst others.

You must check out their chocolate boutique here. You can order the chocolates on-line as well.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment here AND tweet about this giveaway (or add it to your FB page). Have your friends leave comments!  The contest ends on Feb 4^th and a winner will be announced at 4:00 pm. You will have to get me your address by Feb 5^th so that they can ship this to you asap. Contest open to US residents only.