Los Angeles is far from frigid, but occasionally, when the days are short and a chill hits, a steaming mug of hot chocolate is ready for soothing. You just need to know where to look. Be prepared with 10 Top Los Angeles Hot Chocolates.
Bobak Roshan is a bit of a maverick, and his Lavender Liquid Hot Chocolate ($5) comes with two drops of floral lavender extract and a “giant flame kissed marshmallow” which requires the attention of a kitchen torch. The sweet, dark brown magma involves molten Guittard chocolate blended with vanilla bean and sugar to taste. During my visit, Roshan was getting ready to roll out a lemongrass version.
At the Lopez family’s colorful ode to Oaxaca, they offer Oaxacan Hot Chocolate ($4.50) with Oaxacan cocoa powder de primera calidad (of the finest quality) blended with crushed almonds and cinnamon and a choice of milk or water, depending on how diluted or rich you want the cocoa.
At their Sunset Junction location, talented Intelli baristas prepare rich Hot Chocolate ($4) with ganache of 60% Tcho dark chocolate, heavy cream, and a waterfall of decorative steamed milk.
Kristy Choo’s bamboo-lined patio cafe has been a mainstay along Abbot Kinney since 2004. Since a chocolatier’s in charge, of course Jin has Hot Chocolate ($5.50). Her approach is simple but effective, combining 72% bittersweet chocolate with steamed milk. She serves plentiful hot chocolate in a pitcher with two unfilled floral Earl Grey macaron cookies.
This “social coffee house” from former entertainment industry executive Sonny Mediana offers Cocoa Chaud ($3.75) as a decaffeinated alternative. A Belgian chocolate bar – either dark, milk or hazelnut – joins steamed milk, yielding frothy results.
DK, thanks for the tip. Funny, when I was doing my hot chocolate research, I was writing across the street at Literati Cafe and wondered about Lady Chocolatt, but they were already closed for the night.
Blog Comments
LA CANVAS :: THE SCOOP: GREEDY FOR CHOCOLATE
July 9, 2013 at 4:27 PM
[…] Creek Rd, Malibu, (310) 456-7977, chocolateboxcafe.com Photo credits: Let Them Eat Cake, HuffPo, FoodGPS, Grub […]
tazacoffeehouse
March 8, 2013 at 5:20 PM
We’re super excited to be with such great company! Thanks FoodGPS!!
Btw, we use Straus Barista milk for all our cocoa’s too.
thx
Joshua Lurie
March 8, 2013 at 5:32 PM
tazacoffeehouse, your place on this list was well deserved. That’s cool to know that you use Straus. See you soon.
Andrew P
March 8, 2013 at 4:06 PM
Awesome list! We desperate need this for LA’s northerly cousin, San Francisco, where it IS cold enough to consider this as an option every day.
Joshua Lurie
March 8, 2013 at 4:48 PM
Andrew, glad you like the hot chocolate round-up. Thanks. If you were going to create a version for San Francisco, which spots would you include?
Josh
March 8, 2013 at 2:18 PM
Tiago coffee bar makes a delicious burnt caramel ganache hot chocolate in Hollywood. Thanks for the list.
Joshua Lurie
March 8, 2013 at 2:38 PM
Josh, thanks for the suggestion. You’re actually the second person today to mention Tiago’s hot chocolate. Burnt caramel ganache sounds awesome.
DK
March 8, 2013 at 12:02 PM
Lady chocolatt on wilshire and bundy makes amazing creamy thick hot chocolate that will make you blissfully high with chocolate rush to the head
Joshua Lurie
March 8, 2013 at 12:53 PM
DK, thanks for the tip. Funny, when I was doing my hot chocolate research, I was writing across the street at Literati Cafe and wondered about Lady Chocolatt, but they were already closed for the night.