There's deceit and deception in the new chapter of the Chocolatier saga. A mole is controlling Baumeister Confections and it's up to you, along with the granddaughter of Evangeline, to build a new empire from the ground up and take over Baumeister Confections. Rise up in this industrial age of innovation and seek out secret ingredients to create rich new recipes!

Game Features :

• 2 exciting game play modes: story and freeplay
• 20 cities to travel to, and 72 recipes to acquire and create
• 6 chocolate factories, 4 shops and 1 tasting laboratory all available for purchasing
• Secret ingredients and hidden ports

System Requirements :

• Windows Vista, XP, 2000
• Pentium III 700 MHz minimum
• 128 MB RAM
• 800 x 600 minimum screen resolution
• Sound card recommended
• DirectX 7.0 or later
• 25 MB hard drive space

Screenshots : #1 #2

Size : 20.38 MB

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Zeeby Award Winner!

Oh the gloriously rich and delectable life of a chocolatier! Constantly surrounded by mounds of chocolate bars and boxes of mouth-watering truffles! Become a master chocolatier one ingredient at a time as you travel the world to find the best prices and maximize production...but don't forget about those conniving competitors who wish you poorly! Do you have what it takes to conquer the world through chocolate?

Game Features :

• 2 modes: Story, Freeplay
• 130+ quests through 14 cities
• 64 recipes to acquire

System Requirements :

• Windows Vista, XP, 2000
  (Chocolatier does not officially support Windows NT)
• Pentium III 700 MHz or faster processor
• 128 MB RAM
• 800 x 600 minimum screen resolution
• Sound Card recommended
• DirectX 7.0 or later
• Hard Drive Space: 30MB available disk space

Screenshots : #1 #2

Size : 18.83 MB

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You can never have too much chocolate, right? We don't think so, so here's a treat: indulge in a whole new twist on Chocolatier! Join Evangeline Baumeister and your favorite Chocolatier characters, making and serving chocolate treats. With the help of Klaus Werner's creative inventions, you'll face challenges at every turn to get new chocolates into the eager hands of hungry customers. Savor this all-new assembly management/adventure game!

Game Features :

• Enjoy two fast-paced gameplay modes: story and endless sweets
• 60 all-new levels in story mode
• Explore exotic locations

System Requirements :

• Windows Vista, XP SP1 & 2
• Pentium IV 1.2 Ghz processor or faster
• 256 MB RAM
• 800 x 600 minimum screen resolution
• Sound card recommended
• 24 MB available hard drive space

Screenshots : #1 #2

Size : 20.22 MB

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Finnland: Büro- und Geschäftshaus in bester Innenstadtlage von Helsinki erworben

Mit dem Erwerb des Büro- und Geschäftsobjekts "Kluuvikatu 3, K3" in Helsinki hat die Deka Immobilien in diesem Jahr ihr drittes Investment in Finnland getätigt. Das Investitionsvolumen für das siebengeschossige Gebäude in zentraler Innenstadtlage umfasst rund 50 Mio. Euro. Verkäufer ist eine Tochtergesellschaft des britischen Immobilienfonds Crownstone European Properties Ltd. Das Gebäude wird von Cambridge Place Investment verwaltet.

Das gut vermietete Objekt wurde für den WestInvest ImmoValue erworben.

Die Deka Immobilien kaufte bereits im Januar zwei Einzelhandelsobjekte in Turku, im Juni investierte sie in Helsinki in eine an Stora Enso vermietete Büroimmobilie des Stararchitekten Alvar Aalto.

Das am Markt unter dem Namen "K3" bekannte Gebäude verfügt über 8.300 qm Nutzfläche. Davon sind rund 2.000 qm im Erdgeschoss und im ersten Obergeschoss hochwertige Einzelhandelsflächen. Mieter sind hier unter anderem das Modehaus Max Mara und der Chocolatier und Feinkosthändler Fazer, dessen Gründungssitz sich hier befindet. Fazer ist über die nordischen Länder hinaus als ein wichtiger Anziehungspunkt für Touristen bekannt. In den weiteren Obergeschossen verfügt das Gebäude über Büroflächen, die im vergangenen Jahr vom Verkäufer aufwendig saniert und neu vermietet wurden.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself and if you have any questions, just email me and I will be glad to answer them for you! I have been a Registered Nurse since 1994 and still currently practice at an administrative level! I love to take care of people and make sure their needs are met! Because of my strong desire to pamper and treat people holistically, that means as a whole person, it has made me a better all around consultant to your needs as an individual. You will see this in my personal service to you and the attentiveness to your personal needs in each and every part of your life. You may contact me for say Mary Kay services but since I also am a nurse find that I can help you with skin care issues more effectively or since I am also a Romance consultant I can help you in those areas of your love or love less life! And if it happens to be the latter we can get you into a FULL love life! I also can help you with your image needs and all those chocolate cravings we all have! So, that is what it means to treat you holistically!

I am an Independent Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay Cosmetics and since that is a widely known company and it is the number one brand in the country I will just direct you to please look over my website at http://www.maryanntyler.com and at www.marykay.com/maryanntyler.
I love my career as a beauty and skincare consultant and have enriched so many women's lives through the Mary Kay way of life. I am always looking for ways to enrich and lift up other women with this amazing company's philosophy of God/Faith first, Family second and Career third way of life. When you put your life in that order your life will fall into place on it's own.

I am also a Romance Consultant. This has many avenues of service and I will leave you to read my service/blog section to elaborate on the different services offered! Intrigued? Good! Romance is a must for every soul. I believe that I have centered in on the 3 main necessity needs of individuals.

 When you look good, you will feel good on the inside, you can't help but feel confident and your self esteem goes through the roof! A lot of us just need a consultant to show them the right colors to wear and skin care to help them bring out their best! It is all about bringing out the best in you and together we can do that...it is a lot easier than you think! I can show you the products to get rid of any flaws you have and keep you looking your best for years to come! Romance Confidence when you feel sexy and are educated properly on the subject of attraction and bedroom 101 through bedroom Lion/seductress, there is nothing stopping you from living to your fullest potential. Whether you are Female, Male, single, married, or attached and if you are looking than we can take that to looking and finding~!

Chocolate...everybody loves chocolate~ Why? Because it makes us feel good and it releases serotonin in our brains and it has flavenoids...read the blog! I can teach you how to cook, bake and entertain with the most loved aphrodisiac/craving induced substance ever created by heaven....CHOCOLATE! When you have mastered your looks, your sex appeal and the art of Chocolate inducing comas.....you have the power to rule the world!!!!!

Ok so, I am also an Independent Chocolatier for Dove Chocolate. This is a brand new venture by Dove/Mars Corporation. So below, I will tell you about this exciting idea and oh so delicious one at that!  http://dovechocolateathome.com/maryann

DOVE® Chocolate at Home is the Newest, TASTIEST and best idea in home gourmet food party planning. We offer an exclusive line of fine quality chocolate that is delicious, perfect for elegant and easy entertaining, and fun for friends and family. DOVE® Chocolate at Home products are sold exclusively through in-home tasting parties by independent distributors called ?Chocolatiers?.This business opportunity is centered around chocolate and fun! I have not had this much fun working, if you can call it that, as I have since I became an Independent Chocolatier. A DOVE® Chocolate at Home Tasting Party gives the hostess and his/her guest?s permission to melt into the moment and make their own DOVE® Chocolate memories!

http://dovechocolateathome.com/maryann

We start off by dipping chocolate ? that is where the FUN starts ? strawberries, pretzels, cookies, marshmallows you name it! We then sample some of our decadent line of products ? DOVE® Chocolate Martinis, Chocolate Chai Tea, and Chocolate Mousse, just to name a few.Our hostesses are our Partners in Chocolate Indulgence and we want them to have just as much fun as their guests? so as the Chocolatier, I make it very easy for the hostess. All the hostess has to do is relax, enjoy delicious chocolates, the company of her guests, and the wonderful rewards she can earn simply by opening her home to DOVE® Chocolate at Home! While sharing this experience, the hostess earns rewards based on total party sales that can be redeemed for free products or used toward special half-price offers. As the DOVE® Chocolate at Home Chocolatier, I help make sure the hostess? chocolate tasting party is a success. And another idea that is great and be sure to check this out on maryanntyler.com is all the theme parties that you can have?.DOVE® Chocolate at Home has parties/tastings for kids and adults! I love the ideas and together we can personalize your very own tasting to fit your needs. The only thing stopping your cravings for fun and excitement is your imagination, so send your sweet tooth into overdrive and unleash your passion for what we all know you crave and desire?..Mmmmmm the heavenly decadence of smooth, creamy Chocolate! The best party of all is my triple package pampering party.....check it out on my website http://www.maryanntyler.com and go to Hostess packages!

Check out the Blog section on my website  http://www.maryanntyler.com  for a detailed account and description of my Romance services and parties!!!!
And you can check out that section as well for detailed description of my Mary Kay services. Check out the Hostess Package section of the website for all the great Host/Hostess packages available!

A little more about me.....I am very accomodating and friendly, never pushy and always warm to be around! I strive to make sure our time together is as comfortable for you as it is for you to be around your best friend if not better! I am a consultant to men and women. And certain parties we can have children involved (Mary Kay and Dove only). I have two children, boys. And I will say that just yesterday it seemed like they were never going to sleep through the night and I thought that was the worst of my problems. Boy was I ever wrong, I would take sleep deprivation now over the pre-teen dilemmas and the social pressures that parents have nowadays raising our children to be adults. Now that is a hard job with a ton of responsibility. Oh I love them so much that some days it just kills me to watch them growing up. Can anybody else relate to that? Oh but I do have my faith and look for the positive in every situation.

I really hope you will take the time to browse my site, check out all the fun things to do, check out the specials, read the blogs, do a virtual makeover at the Mary kay site www.marykay.com/maryanntyler , read the yummy recipes, go check out the cool links, watch some of the funny videos or just sit back and read some of the educational resources on any of the numerous topics I provided. And please I love to hear from you....so write me and give me some feedback please!

God bless you all and I hope to get to know you personally real soon!
I can promise you that you will not be disappointed and it will definitely be worth your time for a free consultation!

My very warmest regards to you and yours,
Mary Ann

 http://www.maryanntyler.com/

 www.dovechocolateathome.com/maryann

 www.marykay.com/maryanntyler

 http://inhomedemos.com/MaryAnnTyler.aspx

 For your entertainment purposes I found some videos that are so great involving CHOCOLATE!

Check them out ! And I hope you found a few of them as hilarious as I did? let me know!

 Videos:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/18342/how-i-met-your-mother-only-chocolate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E07yvDlpmzA

 http://www.fanpop.com/spots/chocolate/videos/1299294

 http://www.fanpop.com/spots/chocolate/videos/225238

於雜誌社上班做work experience,辦公室距離我工作的cafe僅一個站,所以我亦不會勉強自己扮型一個人吃午餐,幾乎每天我都會回cafe,和cafe的同事們一起吃午飯談個地老天荒後再回去上班.

一來有人跟我聊天,二來我可以放lunch break時給他們搖個電話,我的午飯就會在我到cafe時端上來給我,三來(我起初完全沒有預料過的)他們不收分毫給我弄食物,又可以自己自由配搭..所以我有時見到他們太忙碌的話我也不介意客串一下幫他們一把來報答他們.

被人再意圖入屋行劫後,情緒就變得不甚穩定,再加上找房子,做work experience,以及跟愛爾蘭人鬧得不甚愉快,太多太多事情同一時間發生,於是,我想到的,就只有逃避到吃喝玩樂的事情上,不去想現實生活的事.
每個週末,你一定會在夜店中找到我,而跟我一起泡夜店的,都是cafe裡的同事.

有一個週末,幾位同事比我早一點下班,於是他們就在雜誌社樓下接我.
雖然我累得不似人型,但都即時被他們遞過來的'手信'喚醒了我的靈魂...

...是thorntons的chocolate truffle mix耶!
(圖片擷取自thorntons)
原來都因為他們覺得我最近真的需要一點treat..對於他們的心意,我真的好感動好感動啊!

然後,我要走到godiva買生日禮物,用了£9買了幾顆我也不捨得吃的朱古力,同事們也在一旁指指點點試吃,我理不得那麼多,自顧自做自己的事然後等他們玩完了就離開godiva.
怎料一踏出店外,他們就給我一小袋東東 - 是godiva的white chocolate truffle!

我吃到的,就是圖中左上角的那款了:]
接到手時的感動真的難以言喻,每一啖都是一小口一小口的吃,生怕吃不真它的味道..

那種甜,真的很甜.
除了朱古力本身的甜味以外,還有那種人情味,以及被人關懷的感覺..在這個城市,我以為自己一早就忘了人情味為何物,想不到又在需要有人在身邊支持時再次感受到.
他們令我重新去學習怎樣去表達對身邊的人的關心 - 有多愛也好,收藏在心而不表達出來的不算數.
雖然,有時候我都會相信,懂得表達與否,有70%是與生俱來的,其餘30%來自家裡怎樣教,以及其他後天的培養.
很老套的說,有時真的不用以物質去表達:一通電話,一個email,又或是一句說話,也足夠令被關心的人快樂上半天.
有誰人不想做被人關注的一位?

Beverly Hills also offers The Chocolatier located across the street from Sprinkles. I didn't buy anything there, because Sprinkles and that place that makes there own tortilla chips stole all of my money, but I sure as heck got a free sample. It was delicious. The lady behind the counter was a bit on the eccentric side, claiming her husband invented the chocolate dipped strawberry. Which just made me wonder "Can someone really claim that they invented something like that?" But she did. If you get a chance read the History tab on her website. I don't mean to be rude, but it's sort of silly. (And I took the picture below, but not the cupcake one)

Chocolatier™

Oh the gloriously rich and delectable life of a chocolatier! Constantly surrounded by mounds of chocolate bars and boxes of mouth-watering truffles! Become a master chocolatier one ingredient at a time as you travel the world to find the best prices and maximize production...

Chocolatier™ 2: Secret Ingredients

There's deceit and deception in the new chapter of the Chocolatier saga.

These two games are very addictive, much like the chocolate it's based on, the games both work on the premise that you build up the chocolate empire collecting recipes from around the whole, while buying ingredients and selling the finished product.
I do enjoy these kinds of games, I'm a sucker for the thinking games, and those that involve time and careful planning. I also love it because I can pick up where I left off and not have to worry about starting over again if I get killed.
Could be a reason why I love the Sims so much as well.

Both Games are fairly small downloads and that's another thing I liked about them, they wont take up too much space on my Hdd and if I get bored I can delete them and stick the EXE files on a CD for later.

--
Technorati Tags: computers, games, reviews, fun, entertainment
chocolatier
chocolatier 2

Everyone knows that chocolate is the classic Valentine's gift, but this year don't stop with the classic heart-shaped box. Treat the love of your life to the best chocolate Paris has to offer and indulge your sweet tooth at these top Parisian chocolatiers:

1. La Maison du Chocolate

The original shop is located near the Madeleine, but this Paris classic, known or its signature packaging and exceptional creations has expanded to seven boutiques throughout the city and seven more around the globe. With an incredible amount of chocolate to chose from, it's hard to know where to start. We suggest the mont blanc, a kirsch ganache dipped in dark chocolate. The rue Francois Premier boutique is just around the corner from the Hotel Lancaster.
LA MAISON DU CHOCOLAT
52 RUE FRANCOIS PREMIER, 75008
Metro: Franklin D. Roosevelt

2. Ladurée

This elegant tea salon founded in 1862, is famous for its chocolate macaroons filled with a rich and moist ganache. Located between Place de la Concorde and La Madeleine. Laduré is the ideal setting for a chic treat.
LADUREE
16 rue Royale, 75008
Metro: Concorde

3. La Charlotte de l'Ile
If you're looking to unleash your inner Bohemian, this cooky tea salon on the Ile Saint Louis is the place to go. Filled to bursting with bizaare knickknacks and antique toys, this charming little shop sells what the New York Times described as the "absinthe of hot chocolate." Visit on a Wednesday and you'll get the extra treat of a marionette show.

LA CHARLOTTE DE L'ILE
24, rue St.-Louis en L'Ile, 75004

Metro: Pont Marie, Cité

4. Jean Paul Hévin
Former pastry chef to Joel Robuchon, Jean Paul Hévin is considered one of te greatest chocolatiers in the world. He's even been awarded five bars by the prestegious Club des Croquers de Chocolat, the co-called "illiminati" of chocolate. Visit the Hévin salon du thé and boutique to see some of his most famous creations, including a chocolate stiletto.
JEAN-PAUL HEVIN
231, rue St. Honoré, 75001
Metro: Concorde, Opera, Tuileries

As published in Art du Voyage's Travel Notes, Winter 2007 (Special Edition: Valentine's Day Escape to Paris)

My chocolate came today! (clap, clap)

My chocolate came today! (clap)

My chocolate came today! (clap, clap)

I know it's silly but that's what was running through my head when I opened my box and found it was the Amano Chocolate from Blake Makes! If you've never heard of Blake Makes _{(where have you been hiding)}, it's a wonderful blog that periodically has give-aways of new products. He (Blake) sends them out to fellow bloggers and we all use the item and blog about it. And this time it is Amano Chocolate.

The very generous folks at Amano sent three bars of chocolate.

1) Cuyagua - Premium Dark Chocolate with a minimum of 70% Cocao with rich chocolate overtones and notes of spice.

2) Ocumare - Grand Cru Dark Chocolate with a minimum of 70% Cocao with rich chocolate overtones and and a well balanced fruity component with hints of plums and other red fruit.

3) Madagascar - Premium Dark Chocolate with a minimum of 70% Cocao with strong fruity flavors that include hints of citrus and berry.

About Amano: In 1996, Art Polard decided that there had to be better chocolate than what was available int the U.S. So began his quest for the "ultimate chocolate." After much research and experimentation, Art developed a process that incorporated both modern and ancient chocolate-making techniques. When the chocolate began getting rave reviews from local chefs, Art's business partner, Clark Goble, suggested that Art make his chocolate available commercially. Art continued to hone his skills by studying chocolate manufacturing in Europe and traveling throughout Mexico. Then, in 2006, when Art felt his chocolate was comparable to the very best European chocolate, he started Amano Artisan Chocolate.

Over the next week or so you will see some experiments with this fabulous chocolate! Stay tuned!

There's de Spa in the Old Bank Arcade, Butler's Chocolates on Willis St, and Schoc on Tory St.

De Spa's home base is Christchurch and they've been making chocolates in NZ for about 16 years. They produce what I'd call a traditional range of luxury chocolates. They're beautifully presented with care and attention. The shop in Wellington is small and hidden in the basement of an arcade. They sell through a couple of other outlets in Wellington too but when I go into their own store in Wellington I always wish it were bigger.

Butlers are one of the new kids in town.  They're not new to chocolates, just new to Wellington and have opened a chocolate cafe on Willis St. The shop is light and bright and lures you in off the street.  As you sip your latte with a chocolate on the side you can't help but contemplate the other varieties on offer. Chances are you'll have been back to the counter before you leave.

And then there's Schoc.  They have to be my faves no competition.  Before I get lost in the deliciousness that is their chocolate I have to say that their website sucks.  It has been slowly improving but I'd put my money on it being done by a well-meaning amateur.  Still, better than no site at all but I long for the day they lose all that centering - centering is not stylish, it is usually the sign od a DIY designer. Back to the chocolates... They have the most amazing array and again the photos don't do them justice. The flavours are mindblowing and you should try them all - just not in one visit. You must have the Ginger and wasabi truffle though. Don't be afraid, it won't burn your mouth - the delicacy of the flavours will surprise you. High on my list are the Pomegrante truffle, the William Ross fortified cabernet sauvignon truffle and the Boysenberry and Whisky chocolate.

Schoc also have a cafe and their hot chocolates are something special. I just have to have a Lavender hot choc each time I visit. So much real chocolate in the bottom of each cup, you can stir it in or eat it up with the straw spoon in each cup. If the cup were bigger you'd want to dive right in.  I'm pleased the cup isn't bigger - its a treat, a very rich treat and a bigger portion would ruin the magic of it. Savour the drink and start looking forward to your next visit already.

+ For comparison I'd rate Roses chocolates less that 1/5 

*Chocolates are sold by weight so this is an approximation of cost only.

Alors pour rompre un peu avec la traditionnelle cocotte, le lapin ou encore l'agneau, et tout spécialement pour nous, les amoureux du siamois, voici une création (malheureusement) canadienne... Et oui, dur dur à importer chez nous surtout à J-2.

Création des Bonbons St-Gérard Inc. Bravo encore !

About Us
Since 1998, Belgian chocolatier Johan Devries has made lush sweets, handcrafting bonbons of every flavor, and in shapes from chocolate horses to chocolate shrimp. He also makes a chocolate statue reminiscent of the "Oscar" statuettes at the Academy Awards. Castle Rock-based Belvedere Belgian Chocolate Shop's creations sold in shops from Denver to Glenwood Springs — are known strictly as "statues,"

e-mail at Info@BelvedereChocolates.com
Phone: 303-663-2364.
Belvedere Belgium Style Chocolates Website

Naomi Mizuno of Japan is crowned World Chocolate Master of 2007

From World Chocolate Master

After three days of fierce competition the results of the World Chocolate Masters Final have been announced.

The second World Chocolate Masters took place at the first Salon du Chocolat Professionnel held in Paris from October 20 – 22, 2007. Twenty of the world’s greatest chocolate craftsmen took part in this year’s international final, which had the theme of ‘National Myths and Legends.’

The road to victory was long, with the competitors first having to win their national heats earlier in the year to gain a place in this year’s grand final.

Throughout the competition the competitors thoroughly demonstrated the mastery of their art in front of a jury of experts headed by Francisco Torreblanca, the master Spanish chocolatier. The tension increased throughout the three days of intense competition as spectators watched awestruck from the public galleries at the amazing technical skills and dexterity of the competitors who created some real works of art.

In addition to the first, second and third place awards the jury gave special awards for Best Chocolate Praline, Best Chocolate Dessert, Best Chocolate Pastry and Best Chocolate Showpiece.

The results of the 2007 World Chocolate Masters were announced in Paris on October 22nd. The overall winner was awarded the World Chocolate Masters trophy specially created by leading Dutch Designer Rob Verhoeven. The finalists shared a prize package of 100 000€.

Results
- Naomi Mizuno (Japan), Winner of the World Chocolate Masters 2007
- Yvonnick Le Maux (France), second place finisher
- Carmelo Sciampagna (Italy), third place finisher

These candidates were highly commended:
§ Yvonnick Le Maux (France) received an award for his pralines
§ Carmelo Sciampagna (Italy) received an award for his gastronomic chocolate dessert
§ Naomi Mizuno (Japan) received an award for his chocolate pastry
§ Naomi Mizuno (Japan) received an award for his creative chocolate showpiece

***

Mr. Naomi Mizuno: Japanese Chocolate Master!

Friday 30th of March : Japanese pre-selection for World Chocolate Master.
Jusuke Tsukahara, BC Japan Sales Manager, Jean-Marc Bernelin, President of Jury, Eizo Ohyama, Senior Representative of Jury proclaimed Mr. Naomi Mizuno as a winner of “Japanese Chocolate Master”.
Mr. Naomi Mizuno will represent Japan in Paris for the final in October 2007.

Mr. Naomi Mizuno, 28 year-old, the youngest contestant in Japan pre-selection, is working for Futaba Pastry School as a teacher. After participating in many events, he was elated to learn of his success, as this is the first time for him to win a competition. He received the highest scores for most of the evaluation attributes, especially for his high technical skills and his delicious creations. He was filled with emotion during the speech, and said, “this award was the result of the constant challenge every day. I will do my best at the final.”

Mr. Tetsuji Okada, 31-year-old, working for Marriott Nagoya Hotel, won the taste award with his excellent taste presentation, especially for his dipped praline and chocolate cake.The “World Chocolate Masters pre-selection Japan took place at Ecole de Patisserie de Tokyo in Tokyo, co-organized by Japan Confectionery Association and Barry Callebaut Japan Ltd.

 

In Asia, a total of 5 countries will be represented in the 2007 finals : China, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, and Korea.

This competition in Japan is becoming very famous amongst the elite chocolatiers and pastry chefs. Japan. The representative from Japan in WCM 2005, Mr. Koichi Izumi, became very popular within the gastronomic society after he won the desert category and came 3rd overall winner at the final. Now he is in very high demand from TV programs and famous magazines.

This years, 5 competitors challenged about the theme ‘National Myths and Legends’. All the contestants created a showpiece, produced dipped and moulded pralines, made pastries and produced a dessert form a mystery box.

President of Jury from Barry Callebaut, Jean-Marc Bernelin said, “The level of the competition was extremely high and amongst the best in Asia so far. The artistic part was very good and the taste was excellent.” We are sure that the winner, Mr. Mizuno, will be one of the strongest competitors at the final!

The jury was composed of 5 central confectionery figures: Mr. Eizo Ohyama (Senior representative of the Jury, President of technical guidance committee in JCA), Mr. Susumu Shimada (Vice-president of technical guidance committee in JCA), and 3 of technical guidance committee members in JCA (Mr. Tadashi Yanagi, Mr. Shuichi Sakurai, and Mr. Koichi Izumi).

Let's start with my local cake shop (well, local to where I work, not where I live), La Boulange cinquieme. After trying most of the pâtisseries near where I work, this one won out for me, for their fantastic tarte aux framboises. If you happen to find yourself in the latin quarter of Paris (the 5th arondissement), I can recommend a visit (although there's somewhere else you should go too - more on that below). You'll find it near the southern end of rue Gay-Lussac (but watch it, it's not open at the weekend). Here are a couple of pics of some the large cakes I bought for my dad's birthday party, although I'm afraid the picture quality is not very good because they were taken on my phone, first the tarte aux framboises (they do little individual ones too):

And the Opéra (a sort of chocolatey coffee wafery affair):

I bought four cakes from this shop for my dad's party, including a clafoutis (a sort of baked custard and fruit tart) and a tarte aux noix (walnut and caramel tart). I was actually quite lucky to get them, because normally for the large tarts you need to order in advance (something I didn't know at the time). It was quite fun going into the shop and saying "Bonsoir, je voudrai quelques tartes entiers, s'il vous plait", "Oui Monsieur, lesquelles?", "Er... les toutes", "Les toutes?!", "Oui, les toutes", "Tres bien Monsieur". It's not often you get to go into a shop and buy up their whole stock of something. And I've had very friendly service there ever since then. (Please excuse my almost certainly wrong French above.)

The other cake shop you should visit if you are south of the river in Paris is Pierre Hermé about half way up rue Bonaparte north of the Jardin du Luxembourg. The French take their pastry very seriously, and this is reflected in the fact that Hermé was awarded the Legion d'honneur in 2007. I went for his most famous cake, the Ispahan. The photo below is from his website because my camera phone photo doesn't do it justice. I had the small, individual version of this tart, which consists of a rose macaron like biscuit, with raspberries, lychee and a rose petal cream. Wow! If you love cake and you don't mind the expense (it was about €6-7 for an individual portion), it's definitely worth the trip.

While I was there, I also couldn't resist getting one of the famous macarons (a tiny little sandwich of two almond meringues with various different fillings). His flavours are very unusual. Normally you get things like raspberry, chocolate, coffee and so forth. I went for his olive oil and vanilla macaron and I can tell you it was amazing. I shall be back to try some of the others, although I'm not sure about the foie gras and chocolate one.

Next stop, chocolate. A friend advised me about a chocolatier called Patrick Roger which he claimed was the best in France. So, while I was doing christmas shopping, I thought I'd pop in and get some presents there. He wasn't wrong, eating chocolate from this place is a seriously different experience to eating chocolate from anywhere else I've been been. Or in the words of my mum after she'd eaten some - what is the point of eating ordinary chocolate ever again after something like that?

While I was there, I noticed that the shop sign had something which seemed rather boastful. It said Meilleur Ouvrier de France (best [chocolate] maker in France). Well, it turns out that this is an award given every three years to the best places in various categories (food ones are the ones I'm interested in, but they also do many other things). So now I'm on the lookout for more MOF shops (the MOF website is unfortunately totally hopeless and can't be used to find out where they are). I found the MOF fromagerie at the north end of the rue Monge near where I work, and bought some cheese there, but to be honest I'm not a huge fan of smelly, mouldy French cheese so this wasn't such a revelatory experience as the chocolate.

Last but not least, restaurants. I haven't had such good luck in restaurants in Paris as I had hoped, so nowhere stands out particularly. If you want an excellent and inexpensive place in the 13th arondissement (where I live), I can highly recommend l'Ourcine on rue Broca. They do a set three course meal for €30, which was fantastic both times I went. If you want something a bit posher than that, but you don't want to go to the sky high trois étoiles places, you might like Au Trou Gascon in the 12th arondissement (just north of the river to the east). I had the five course dîner Gourmand which is very good value at €50, and consisted of:

• Gambas, royale de foie gras, émulsion de chataîgnes (prawns, foie gras mousse, chestnuts)
• Noix de St Jacques, endives fondantes (scallops with endives)
• Filet de biche, semoule de brocoli, fumet cacao (fillet of venison, some sort of brocoli thing, smoked in cocoa?)
• Faisselle pastorale, miel citronné, huile d’olive et pignons (faisselle is a soft white cheese, here served with honey, olive oil and pine kernels)
• Glace chocolat noir « minute » servie devant vous, éclats de marron, meringue vanillée (very dark chocolate ice cream with chestnuts and vanilla meringue)

Other than the cheese, which as I've said I'm not a big fan of, it was all delicious. I wouldn't have minded a more interesting pudding that chocolate ice cream and meringue, but it was a good one.

OK, that's all for now. Expect a report if I get round to visiting somewhere like the restaurant Hélène Darroze (the only Michelin three star restaurant in Paris run by a female chef). The lunch menu seems just about possible for a special occasion, at €70.

.....se videoen: Jaques Torres chocolatier