Soft serve filled cakes at Eva's Original Chimneys, Toronto

Jess, aged 15, writes: During our short stay in Toronto, our family had an amazing time visiting Eva's Original Chimneys. This shop makes chimney cakes, rolls them in various toppings, and then fills them with different treats. The result was a massive and incredibly delicious snack which I would love to have again!

I had found Eva's Original Chimneys from a video online, and subsequently begged my parents to let us go. Luckily they agreed, and while the shop is not in the centre of the city, it was very easy to get there. Though we had no idea how to navigate the subway system, we easily found the neccessary stop and walked to the shop.

[caption id="attachment_4188" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] There was such a wide variety of choices![/caption]

Once entering the shop, we were greeted by chimney cakes of all shapes and sizes. Chimney cakes are Hungarian cake treats, which are generally rolled into a cylindrical shape. The chimney cakes had been rolled in different toppings, such as cinnamon sugar, coconut, and graham crackers. There was an option to buy the chimney cakes by themselves, but we opted for the more calorific versions...

I chose the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, which consisted of: a cone shaped chimney cake rolled in graham crackers, a chocolate to stop the toppings falling out, vanilla soft serve, berry coulis, cheesecake pieces, more soft serve, and strawberry sauce. Dad opted for a coconut themed option, mum tried a chocolate themed chimney cake, and Robert "made his own", choosing cheesecake, nutella, and pretzels.

[caption id="attachment_4189" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] With our treats![/caption]

When our chimney cakes arrived, we were astounded by their size. My one was taller than my head! The treat was scrumptious - especially the cheesecake and the cone. It was a really unique place to eat, tasted really good, and was generally really exciting. Our portion was so big that we had no reason to eat lunch, and were sated until supper.

Overall, we all had a really great time at Eva's Original Chimneys. It was a very special place with fantastic food, and I recommend it to anyone visiting Toronto.

You can find Eva's Original at 454 Bloor Street West, Toronto. The cones cost around 6-10 CAD each (that's around £3 to £6). Do note that it is a cashless shop, so bring a credit card!

Read about our trip to Toronto in more detail - and find out our tips for what to do!

Chocolate Galore at the Hotel Chocolat Restaurant

Jess writes: It's no secret that mum and I both love chocolate, so I was really looking forward to our visit to Hotel Chocolat's Rabot 1745 Restaurant in Central London. Mum had decided to treat us, and I was really excited to see how Hotel Chocolat would incorporate chocolate into their food. This is what we thought:

[caption id="attachment_3741" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Rabot 1745 from the outside[/caption]

As soon as we sat at our table, mum and I were given a small dish of cacao nibs to try, which were rich and delicious. This was an unusual touch, and meant that I was looking forward to what happened next. I was also thrilled when our server asked us for a refill (we obviously said yes).

[caption id="attachment_3742" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] We loved the cacao beans![/caption]

Mum and I shared a starter: "Sourdough with three cacao accompaniments: chocolate balsamic, cacao pesto, nib butter - £6". We were interested to see how these tasted, and they were all delicious. We unfortunately didn't have enough bread to lap up all of the sauce, but I was very impressed by how clearly you could taste the cacao, and how well it worked with everything.

[caption id="attachment_3743" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] There were cacao nibs in all three of these dips: pesto, butter, and balsamic vinegar![/caption]

Next came the main courses: I picked "Mac and cheese in cacao nib pastry, smoky cacao nib and almond roast cauliflower - £14". This looked very small on the plate, and I was surprised by how rich it was. I enjoyed the mac and cheese, although it wasn't particularly special. For such a fancy restaurant, it could have been more interesting. Mum tried the "Baked sweet potato gratin with cacao buttered black beans, poached eggs and melting cheese - £15", and she enjoyed it, though she was confused why the cacao was added. I agreed with her - it didn't stand out in either of the dishes, and didn't add anything to the experience.

[caption id="attachment_3744" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Our mains were nice, but not amazingly special[/caption]

We were both too stuffed for a rich, chocolatey dessert, so instead chose "Three home-made sorbets - cacao pulp-soursop, guava, pineapple-lime - £7". These were lovely - the cacao one was unlike anything I'd tried before, and the pineapple-lime was mouth-watering. Had we been in the mood for chocolate, I'm sure they would have been even better.

[caption id="attachment_3745" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The ice cream was delicious - a perfect way to round off our meal![/caption]

Overall, our trip to Rabot 1745 was very nice, but not super special. We both liked the novelty of the chocolate, the atmosphere was lovely, and the servers were great. The restaurant was pricier than usual, but the starter and main were definitely worth it, it was an exciting experience, and also a good conversation starter! We also thought the starter and desserts were amazing and reasonably priced, but we probably could have got a nicer main course somewhere else. I would love to return, but this time just for another plate of the sourdough with dips, a dessert, and a hot chocolate.

More chocolate!

A chocolate walking tour in London

My Dream - A Chocolate Walking Tour in London

Jess writes: Our family loves chocolate, and we could all happily eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Naturally, when mum and I were given the option to go on a Chocolate Ecstasy Tour around Mayfair, we immediately said yes.

The three hour long tour started at 10am, when we all met at Sketch. This was possibly one of the coolest and strangest restaurants I've ever been to, as it consists of many different parts. There is a tea room, an enchanted forest, a large diner-style room and award winning toilets! These toilets were like little pods, and the ceiling had colourful glass. It certainly wasn't something you see every day...

[caption id="attachment_1061" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The weird but brilliant toilets[/caption]

Our small group (only eleven people) sat at the back of the tea room, where our tour guide Lindsay taught us all about chocolate.

We learnt that the Mayans were the first group of people to use cocoa beans, but they made it into a drink which translates into "bitter water". The drink was cold, and does not sound nice at all...

I was particularly interested that the Aztec Emperor Montezuma used to drink over 50 goblets of a hot chocolate drink every day. He mixed red berries into his drink to turn it into "blood" and told his subjects that he would drink them if they misbehaved - this was an unconventional but effective way to get them to do what he wanted!

We gradually went forward in time, to learn about the development of the first chocolate bar, and how milk chocolate was created. Next, we were told how chocolate is made, and how to tell if it is good quality or not.

We all got to touch cocoa beans, which have nibs inside once the outer shell is removed. These nibs have over 50,000 antioxidants - who knew eating chocolate was so healthy?

[caption id="attachment_1060" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The delicious hot chocolate[/caption]

We were given a hot chocolate and a delicious apple pastry, and Mum and I agreed that the hot chocolate was the best we have ever tasted - it was even better than the ones in Vienna!

After sampling some Valrhona dark chocolate, it was time to leave. Our first stop on the tour was London's oldest chocolate shop: Charbonnel et Walker. The company has been at this site since the 1970s but have been on Bond Street since the company was established in 1875.

[caption id="attachment_1062" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Truffles![/caption]

Charbonnel et Walker provides chocolates to the Royal Family, and has some fascinating and very intimate pictures up on the walls - given to them by the Royal family. I particularly liked one of Princess Anne and Prince Charles, where Princess Anne is halfway out of the window!

[caption id="attachment_1063" align="aligncenter" width="940"] A rose cream - the Queen's favourite[/caption]

We got to try the Queen's favourite chocolates - rose and violet creams. I thought that these were utterly delicious, and could have happily eaten more. Next were Marc de Champagne truffles, the shop's best-seller. Mum and I adored these, and they were not too alcoholic.  As we were on the tour, we had a 10 per cent discount on the shop's chocolates. Consequently, we bought some, and mum was even offered another free chocolate.

Next came Prestat, favourite of the Queen Mother and Roald Dahl alike. The shop was tiny, but it was full of loads and loads of chocolates. We were given a choice of four cocoa-dusted Napoleon truffles, which were fabulous. I chose the plain chocolate one as the others were alcoholic, and absolutely loved it. We were also allowed to choose any chocolate of our choice, which was a very hard decision indeed! I eventually decided on a honey nougat chocolate and was not disappointed.

[caption id="attachment_1064" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Me with a knickerbocker glory bar we purchased[/caption]

Our third stop Carpo was definitely my favourite. It is a mixture of scrumptious chocolate, amazing nuts and dried fruit, which was amazing. We were given chocolate covered almonds, which were so good mum and I had to buy some to take home. We also bought salty macadamias, which we finished instantly when we got home as they were just too good...

[caption id="attachment_1066" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The huge slabs of chocolate at Carpo. We would have loved to buy one![/caption]

The last shop we visited on our tour was Paul A Young, home of the best salted caramel chocolate in the world. We were allowed to choose any chocolate we wanted, which was a very difficult choice. Mum tried the salted caramel which she absolutely raved about afterwards (and then bought one for dad to try), whereas I braved the Marmite. It was mouth-watering, and I liked it more than I thought I would.

[caption id="attachment_1068" align="aligncenter" width="940"] From left to right: award-winning salted caramels, the display table, marmite truffles[/caption]

We left the store with a stick of marzipan, and a small bag of chocolates including salted caramels, peanut butter and raspberry truffles and banoffee pie truffles.

By the end of our tour, we were all thoroughly chocolated-out. Lindsay thanked us, gave us leaflets and even gave us chocolate hearts as a late Valentine's day gift.

[caption id="attachment_1069" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Mum and me in Paul A Young[/caption]

Mum and I had such a brilliant time, and learnt a lot. The small group size meant we all felt included, and Lindsay was really lovely and knowledgeable. All of the chocolate was delicious, and I liked how there wasn't too much walking. I had a fantastic time, and would be more than happy to try another chocolate walking tour in the future!

Disclosure: The Mayfair Chocolate Ecstacy tour costs £40 per person, and includes the tastings (and hot chocolate!). The company also runs tours elsewhere in London and in Brighton. Check out their website for more. We took part in the tour on a complimentary basis, but all our views are our own.