Leonidas

One thing that I do when I am bored is to browse for some good food deals on sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. When Milk Tea told me about a deal for this new Belgian chocolates dessert place near Waterfront station, I was eager to try it out!

Leonidas, situated right beside the Vancouver Convention Centre with a great view of the water, is a small shop that specializes in Belgian chocolates. Leonidas chocolates have been around since 1913, and there are stores all around the world (from Paris to Hong Kong).

When Mochi and I entered the little dessert shop, the first thing we noticed was the large selection of chocolates on display. The store itself was not too big, with only five tables inside (outdoor seating will probably be available when the weather is a bit warmer). They also had a variety of other desserts such as macarons, gelato, and boxed chocolates.

Chocolate boxes

Cakes

Macarons

An assortment of Belgian chocolates on display

More Belgian chocolates - Chocolate cups

With the SocialShopper coupon, we were entitled to two cups of hot chocolate, two chocolate-covered strawberries, two liege waffles, and six Belgian chocolates. Mochi and I decided to have the six chocolates to-go. As for hot chocolate, we had the choice of either white, milk, or dark chocolate hot chocolate. I opted for the dark since I like my chocolates to be less sweet and more bitter, and Mochi chose the milk.

Hot chocolate - dark 4/5

Hot chocolate - milk 3/5

The hot chocolates were served in cups that had an insulating layer so that our hands were not burned. It was a cold and windy day. I warmed my freezing cold hands on the warm cup and took sips of my favourite hot drink. I liked my dark hot chocolate a lot; it tasted very chocolatey, and yet was not too sweet. The milk hot chocolate had a distinct milky flavour, and was sweeter than the dark, but tasted very good as well. According to a friend, the white hot chocolate is very sweet so unless you like your drinks super sweet, the milk or dark would probably be the better options.

While drinking the hot beverages and listening to calm music, the waffles and strawberries arrived:

Liege waffles 4/5 and chocolate-covered strawberries 3/5

The waffles had been warmed in an oven, and sprinkled with some icing sugar. Beside the waffles were two strawberries that had been dipped in milk chocolate, then drizzled with white chocolate. Sweetened whipped cream garnished one corner of the plate, and the plating was complete with drops of caramel and chocolate sauce that had been drawn into the shape of Leonidas’s signature L.

The liege waffle tasted soft and warm, and had bits of sugar in the corners. It was my first time having a Belgian waffle, and in my opinion it tasted really good, especially with some whipped cream. Mochi enjoyed his waffle too.

The strawberries were good, but my favourite chocolate-covered strawberries are still the ones from Wicked Spoon (Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas).

Before leaving, Mochi and I selected six different chocolates. It was hard to make a choice since there were so many different kinds. In the end we chose a dark chocolate ganache, dark hazelnut ganache, “I Love You” lemon cream filled chocolate, tiramisu cup, dark chocolate truffle, and a white chocolate marzipan cup. Their chocolates are smooth and at original price, cost a lot less than Godiva, yet is still good quality chocolates. It is made with 100% cocoa butter and pure chocolate.

For the quality that you get for the reasonable price, I would pay Leonidas another visit the next time I pass by Vancouver Convention Centre.

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