Winter is coming (pun intended) or do we say, it’s already here? Because clearly, it is chilly outside nowadays in Karachi, ‘tis the official season for hot chocolate! I, being a huge fan of hot chocolate have tried it from multiple places that were rated well (above average). Though after the lockdown, I’m avoiding dining-out (literally), but almost all of these places have an outdoor seating arrangement, if you wanna go out and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate in cold breeze. Now let’s jump onto the reviews. Psst! I’ve shared my secret recipe in the end too. 😉
I still remember the first time I had hot chocolate from Bingsu, it was at KEF 2020. I was freezing and legit enjoying it, hoping they add this to their menu permanently cause why not? Who would not want to have a good treat throughout the year? Anyway, they added to their menu right after KEF and I was a happy girl. Fast forward to this year, they have recently launched a couple of new flavors of hot chocolate. As soon as I got to know about mint hot chocolate, I wanted to try it just because I LOVEE the combination and not many people understand or love the combo. Their mint variation didn’t have marshmallow fluff, which is good; otherwise it would’ve killed the essence of mint there. It was plain, simple, and great! Not too sweet. Not too thin. Not too thick. Just the perfect cup of mint hot chocolate.
Bingsu’s regular hot chocolate was topped with toasted marshmallow fluff and chocolate shavings, what a true delight! It was nice presentation wise. The consistency was thick and heavy, it wasn’t too sweet either, and they added just the right amount of marshmallow fluff. It felt like I’m having a melted chocolate bar, yep, it was as good as that. I would say, it’s the comfy cup of hot chocolate that you crave for at night, during the winter season.
This place gets an extra +1 for presentation, the marshmallow topping and messy cup is quite Instagramable, we all drool over such pictures, don’t we? I tried their popular Devil’s Dark Hot Chocolate, it was a good consistency wise, not too thick or watery, just somewhere in between, but it was a bit sweet for my liking. When we talk about dark chocolate, the bitterness comes along, which wasn’t present, maybe the marshmallows killed the essence of dark chocolate and typical bitter flavor. However, it wasn’t bad overall, we liked it. They also have some variants available, like the trending Lotus flavor in hot chocolate, isn’t that cool? So if you’re looking forward to try different flavors of hot chocolate, check out FLOC.
Just like FLOC, they also have a variety of flavors, before any other place began to make hot chocolate, this used to be my top favorite. I don’t hate it now, it’s just that we have better and more options available plus do we not get bored from the same flavor and place? That’s the case for me. However, if you’ve never had it, pls try it. It tastes PURE like dark melted chocolate with a bit of milk; it’s not thick or sweet, doesn’t have marshmallows too. It’s similar to the one from Pesto. Simple and fab! No drama, haha.
Their hot chocolate was simple and good. If you notice the presentation, they did not add marshmallow, like other places. They believe, marshmallow kills the essence of hot chocolate. Furthermore, they don’t add sugar in their hot chocolate; it’s basically just dark Belgium chocolate and milk. The consistency was watery (like typical American hot chocolate), but if you want to enjoy hot chocolate without feeling guilty, they’ve got you covered because they also have a KETO variant, so you know what they means, you can enjoy a cup of hot chocolate without any guilt. Surprisingly, their hot chocolate had balanced amount of sweetness, also the bitter taste of dark chocolate was present and I loved that.
Eh, their hot chocolate was wayyy below average (sorry), it is what it is, I’m still thinking why on Earth did I decide to try it out *cries a river*. According to them it’s 100% Belgian Hot Chocolate, but honestly, if you mix any local cocoa power, milk, and sugar, I bet it’ll taste the same. I think they accidently added 1 to 100% because it was definitely 0% (00%, if you emphasize) Belgian. I have no words to describe it further. I’m not being a brown mom, but I can make better hot chocolate at home, haha.
Cookie Krumble – DIY Hot Chocolate Kit
During the lockdown, there was a phase when every other place launched their DIY kit, right? Cookie Krumble made a hot chocolate DIY kit, especially for this season, it includes a powder mix, milk, chocolate, and marshmallows along with a step by step recipe card. I genuinely enjoyed making it, the process was smooth and the end result? Oh boyyy, I’m a fan of their hot chocolate now. It had the right amount of sugar and consistency; it wasn’t extra thick, but not too watery either. I initially planned to order a kit on my cheat day, but they sent me on themselves, hehe. Hence, I couldn’t resist anymore and had it anyway. Do I regret? NOPE!
In the end, I’d like to share my own recipe.
I’ve made hot chocolate uncountable times by now, every single time; I alter my recipe to create an improved version. The recipe I’m sharing here is the one I love the most! You can change it a bit according to your liking.
Ingredients:
- Milk 250ml (if you wanna make it double chocolate, use chocolate flavored milk instead of regular milk. I generally use Olper’s flavored milk, but you can use any)
- Chocolate 100grams (dark or milk, according to your liking. I use dark chocolate)
- Cocoa Power 2 tablespoons
- Sugar 1 tablespoon (optional)
- Cream 2 tablespoons (optional)
- Cornflour 1 tablespoon (Add it if you like thick hot chocolate. If you don’t like thick, skip this ingredient)
Method:
- In a saucepan, boil milk over medium heat. Wait for a boil.
- If you are adding cornflour, mix sugar, cornflour and cocoa power in a separate bowl to avoid lumps. Mix it well, make a paste with no lumps. If you’re skipping onto cornflour, then just mix the other ingredients. Now, add this mix into the saucepan and stir once. Leave it to boil, at least two boils are important; otherwise cornflour won’t do its job.
- Last step, add chocolate. Remember to cut it into pieces or else it’ll take a lot of time to melt. When you add chocolate, stir until dissolved. Then let it boil for the next 2-3 minutes, do not stir in between.
- Hot chocolate is ready! You can top it with marshmallows, cream, chocolate chips, or whatever you like.
So, which place do you think makes the BEST hot chocolate in Karachi? Tell me in the comments section below!
Alina Maniar 