Trump Toronto owner Inna Levitan has had a longtime love affair appreciation of chocolate and innovation. And so, when her first hotel, Trump Toronto and its accompanying STOCK restaurant opened earlier this year, she knew that nothing less than the best could do for her desserts, and The Chocolate Lab at STOCK was born.
We’ve heard of hotels that make their own desserts or even their own candy, but the sweets and treats created at The Chocolate Lab inside STOCK are innovative creations that rival the industry’s finest pastry shops.
The desserts are in the hands of Canadian David Chow, a former engineer (turned pastry chef) who meticulously marries art and science in a temperature controlled space. In many ways, Chow’s love of dessert and pastry concoction and computer programming makes perfect sense; both require a strict adhesion to details, precise instructions, and flair for creative problem solving.
When Chow first took on his position with STOCK Restaurant, he and his staff received a unique hands-on training seminar with a French chocolatier representative from Valrhona Chocolate, one of the world’s leading producers of high-grade luxury chocolate. As evident from Chow’s own personal Twitter feed, it’s clear he’s begun to take what he’s already learned and is elevating the craft to an entirely new level.
Some of the signature specialities the lab produces includes sea salt and caramel chocolate toffee, 66% dark chocolate and spring jasmine tea, and famous homemade artisanal scones with pure Valhrona chocolate hazelnut confiture.
On a recent visit, we sampled handmade caramels as well as a chocolate “guillotine,” a creative presentation for serving dark chocolate bark for a group. Guests at the restaurant can choose from a selection of treats at the end of each meal as part of the dessert offering. The large cart offers a daily rotating selection ranging from truffles and caramels to candy bark and sugared nuts.
We can’t possibly think of a “sweeter” end to the evening, except, perhaps, a night spent in one of the hotel’s oversized suites.
