ch.c.late reseach facility

I finally found the courage to enter this shop which just opened in Millenia Walk about two weeks ago. It's called 'Chocolate Research Facility'. It's a local company which produces really interesting kinds of chocolate of different flavours and they come in all sorts of packaging!! Their flavors range from local flavor (heard of erm Pandan with Coconut flakes - this happens to be their best seller), nutty types, alcoholic (irish cream, champange etc), tea (earl grey which is their best seller) and spice (sichuan pepper?!?). they of coz have the normal dark chocolate, white chocolates and milk chocolate. But why would one choose normal over all these different types of flavour. They also have two types of fruitty chocs. One is choc flavoured with fruits and another is chocs with fruit bits. Their best seller is the mango by the way.


i bought 3 types today and i am going back for the lychee martini flavor. it was already SOLD OUT! Darn, i should have gone into the shop earlier.

This is the Yam and Almond flavor. I like the pretty japanese inspired design box of which the chocolate is being packed into. It's supposed to be chocolate with yam flavoring and bits of almond nuts. I like nutty stuff but would prefer the nuts to be in big chunky pieces, but in CRF nutty chocs nuts come in small bits. Nevertheless, i'm eager to try it coz i love yam as well!!


This is the cover for the chocolate with a layer of parmasean cheese inbetween. Interesting isn't it. Also very excited to try!!!


What looks like snake skin is actually black sesame paste chocolate. I love black sesame too!! Can't imagine how chocolate and black sesame can blend together!!



The chocolate is not cheap, their prices range from $8 to $12 depending on what you buy. The staff (2 people when i went in) are very friendly, patient and pretty knowledgeable. The shop also sells coffee and hot chocolate with a small sitting space which can probably accomodate 8 to 10 people.


The exterior of the shop has these LCD cubes which displays all sorts of numbers like some sort of code. I forgot to ask what the numbers represent, but it's a very unique window display.


The interior of the shop is pretty impressive. In fact, if you didn't read the signboard properly, you'd prolly think what's this ch.c late research facility and then wonder WTF is that!? It's ingenious how they use a dot in place of an 'o'! i like the simplicity of the whole packaging concept. it does look like a research facility if you didn't take another look at the shop and one would prolly wonder why they set up shop at Millenia Walk.


At first, the shop actually reminds me of PRINTS (the shop which sells paper related stuff and notebooks?) smells a tad of fresh timbre (probably coz it's new) and it has high (from floor to ceiling) white shelves where the chocolates are stored (i presume? coz didnt' take a good look behind me. i was too engrossed with the different types of chocs in front of me!!) and the chocolates are being displayed on a long white table which makes the pretty chocolates in their brightly packaged colours stand out!


in short, the place looks very ahem gastronomical haha.. reminds me el bulli's research facility.


i told the staff that it was too intimidating to check it out initially, but i decided to go in. i kinda have pretty high expectation with my purchases, so i hope i am not disappointed. nevertheless, i'd still go get the lychee martini flavour. it simply sounds too irresistable!


now.. hmm, i just need to decide erm, which one to eat first??!!!