Best hot chocolates in KL

The hot chocolate made at this pop-up store in Bangsar uses a blend of chocolates from Seniman Kakao, an artisanal brand of chocolates founded by the same people behind Artisan Roast Coffee. The blends are regularly updated, and when we visited it was made with a blend of single-origin cocoa from Papua New Guinea and Pahang, resulting in a distinctly light and earthy flavour, with a teh tarik-like finish. For another RM2, you can top it up with a square of homemade marshmallow that is denser than store-bought brands, so it doesn’t completely dissolve into the drink.

RM10

An often-overlooked item on the dessert-filled menu, the Belgian hot chocolate here is notably smooth, rich and well-balanced. The secret in making such a great cup lies in the technique: the chocolate and milk mixture is heated using an espresso machine frother, resulting in a drink that has the same rich and velvety consistency from the first sip till the last. Go for the Aztec version, which includes a sprinkle of chilli flakes for a spicy finish.

RM15

This bean-to-bar chocolate shop in Isetan The Japan Store was created in consultation with chocolatier Shunsuke Saegusa, who has won numerous awards for the chocolates made in his Tokyo-based Palet D’Or. Under his direction, the chocolates here are made to suit the Asian palate, which he says tends to favour the sweeter and milky varieties. It’s no surprise then that the hot chocolate here is made using milk chocolate bars containing 51 percent cacao – which is still fine for sweet tooths, but maybe not so for those who like their chocolates dark and bitter.

RM17

This Bukit Bintang brasserie has a variety of hot chocolates using single-origin chocolates, including the spicy and smoky 75 percent Tanzanian cocoa, the fruity tasting 70 percent Ecuadorian cocoa and the creamy 66.8 percent Brazilian cocoa. The pick of the bunch, however, is the 70 percent cocoa drink (RM28) made from Pahang-sourced beans that have been fermented in ex-Glenfiddich barrels that give the drink its smoky, fruity and well-rounded flavours.

From RM18

Though known for producing great cups of coffee, Yellow Brick Road also serves up a fine cup of hot chocolate. But don’t just order the hot chocolate off the regular menu; ask instead for the weekly special, which uses chocolate made by Cocoa Culture, a venture started by Chocolate Concierge founder Ong Ning Geng that sources cacao pods from Orang Asli families in Pahang. The hot chocolate served here has hints of citrus fruit, and finishes with light notes of Earl Grey tea.

RM15

This cosmopolitan brasserie takes pride in their Valrhona-based hot chocolates that range from the intense Honduran Noir Guanaja 70 percent dark chocolate to the lighter Dulcey blonde and Ivoire white chocolates from France. When calories permit, go for the Uncle Sam’s (RM22), where dark hot chocolate is topped with mini marshmallows and popcorn. It’s not as tooth-achingly sweet as it sounds, as the sweetness of the marshmallows are balanced out by the bitterness of the dark chocolate. Alternatively, you can opt for the Japanese Chocolate (RM22), where white chocolate is mixed with matcha and kaffir lime.

From RM18