Dumbbells and Drama

I can safely assume that Pune has a coffee shop at almost every corner. Seeing how much the city adores the beverage, the entry of gourmet coffee came as no surprise (at least not to me) What I was worried about was the reaction of this price sensitive market that has grown to love deals and budget entertainment options. So was I right? From the little bit of knowledge I’ve gathered after speaking with owners and managers of gourmet coffee stores, I realised people were not too comfortable shelling out those big bucks every now and then. They do have a set of loyalists, mostly the early adapters who’ve stuck around, and the market is definitely growing, albeit at a slow pace.

Why am I talking about coffee when my headline clearly says chocolate? I wanted to share with you the context of the conversation I had with Taha Khan, owner of Le Flamington, the newly opened chocolate store in the city. I discussed the Pune market with him as I sipped on my super thick hot chocolate made from Manjari, a single origin chocolate. I was glad to see how he came upon the idea to open a gourmet chocolate store in a city so used to the usual, with the intention of educating the people about chocolate. I guess we connected over the simple fact that we both wanted to do something new here (difference being he DID it while I’m still day-dreaming)

How has the response been? What’s the best selling product? What plans? Challenges? We discussed it all in the couple of hours we were there. I’m so glad to report that people love what Le Flamington has been up to, and that there is already a fan following of the Mocha, Modern Black Forest and Breads (heard there are people in NIBM who order their breads from here!) It’s been less than a month, and it’s great to see something new and unique making waves in the city.

What We Had

The Manjari Hot Chocolate, Masala Chai, Chocolate Mousse Pops, Bonbons (chilli, smoked chocolate and masala chai)

Verdict – Is it fair if I give it a 20/10? Each chocolate had a distinct flavour, the hot chocolate was like a warm hug on a rainy day and the mousse pop melted in my mouth.

Recommendations

  1. Taha loves the Lemon Basil Blueberry while the city is raving about the Modern Black Forest. My suggestion would be to give EVERYTHING a try 😀
  2. The bonbons are priced at only Rs. 40 and I think gifting a customized box of these chocolates would be a great gift!
  3. The Manjari hot chocolate is popular with the customers, so I’d definitely recommend you give this a try. This one’s priced at Rs.230 The single origin hot chocolate drinks have me extremely excited, so I know I’m going back for those.

Le Flamington is a one-of-a-kind experience in Pune, and is setting some serious goals for chocolate lovers. I’m sure you’re going to enjoy the experience. I’d love to know your thoughts too 🙂

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