Pascal le Gac
Impact
Well, well, well. NYC’s Rev. Ron DMC (she the one-person multi-faith center conducting ‘meltdown-prayers’, hence Doctor of Meditational Chocolate) done good today, kiddos. And this despite worries about having enough space in her choco-bag, running out of room in that chic quilted sac that she carries with pride around Paris. What will she do? Abandon the mission?
No way.
But how will she possibly bring any more cargo back home?
Can't throw those babies in checked luggage. Nah.
Now, with the clock winding down on her Paris sojourn, how to beat it out to Pascal le Gac in St. Germain en Laye (about a half hour out of town), then back to the city hotel, before heading to the airport?
Ahhh... concierge svp...next to the bidet, France’s great contribution to human affairs.
Pascal himself is only too sweet to oblige, sending for a midnight courier to her hotel suite.
Business, pleasure & choc ‘n roll.
And some kind of business too (emphasis on ‘kind’)... a few hugs plus a couple other distractions & everyone forgets about the money. (Bet the Paris Metro pickpockets could work both of ‘em good.)
No way.
But how will she possibly bring any more cargo back home?
Can't throw those babies in checked luggage. Nah.
Now, with the clock winding down on her Paris sojourn, how to beat it out to Pascal le Gac in St. Germain en Laye (about a half hour out of town), then back to the city hotel, before heading to the airport?
Ahhh... concierge svp...next to the bidet, France’s great contribution to human affairs.
Pascal himself is only too sweet to oblige, sending for a midnight courier to her hotel suite.
Business, pleasure & choc ‘n roll.
And some kind of business too (emphasis on ‘kind’)... a few hugs plus a couple other distractions & everyone forgets about the money. (Bet the Paris Metro pickpockets could work both of ‘em good.)
Presentation 5 / 5
chocolate the new black: a jewel or a pen box, but instead of the world’s finest rocks & writing instruments, inside can be found enrobed nuggets of tight fit & finish, meticulously signed with flecks or lines of precise placement; very serious tone
Aromas 4.1 / 5
butter, cream, cocoa (in sequence)
Textures/Melt 8.4 / 10
| Shells: | slightly thicker than French traditional paper-thin; yields easily to pressure |
| Centers: | generally low-cream fill, just enough to provide padding |
Flavor 46.6 / 50
prodigious equilibrium & so true to ingredients even miscues are too close to call out completely, & almost self-correct & resolve by the finish of their flavor evolution
Quality 29 / 30
C-L-A-S-S... & classic. Carrying on the legacy infused from greatness, Pascal le Gac stepped out after 25 years at
LMDC, taking with him some HUGE savoir-faire. Naturally similar, this pod fell near the mother tree, but with generally more presence in the flavoring.
In a word, ‘intimidating’.
In a word, ‘intimidating’.
Selections
| Couverture: | various |
Nature Amère - bears an insignia of a transected cacáo pod; this the pure interpretation; very dark / very tannic / very dry / very cocoa with a red centerpoint must (cream simply a conveyance / barely an influence); supremely Venezuelan; elemental in an essential, primary, vital way
à la Pulpe de Framboise - phenomenal chocolate-raspberry equilibrium, both sharing top billing together; fresh-picked right off the bushes yet never rots / always ripens; embarrasses the competition, doubly & triply so when finish incorporates hazelnut-inflected chocolate; stupendous
Le Caramel au Buerre Salé - salted caramel butter, a classic French sauce (butter, cream, salt & sugar) which all boils down to butterscotch really (French has a way of making everything sound important); this, a Milk-on-Milk presentation & wee sweet, could stand a little less sugar ‘n butter & a little more scotch ‘n salt; formidable nonetheless as it grabs some air to boot & just whips T-buds (T for Taste) into a swarm of tiny caramelized tornadoes
Ginger - fairly hot spice licking off chocolate’s walls & yet magically contained within its confines when others would’ve burnt the roof of the mouth down; not great, just special
Orange - pronounced front lip (orangade-strength) until Dark ganache enraptures it at the back
Feuilleté Lait - puff-pastry MC (Milk Choc) featuring layers of micro-crunch & macro-savor at the top of the flavor scale; le Gac playing to his patisserie shop; simple as the Eiffel Tower (just base material & structure)
Reviewed May 2011
à la Pulpe de Framboise - phenomenal chocolate-raspberry equilibrium, both sharing top billing together; fresh-picked right off the bushes yet never rots / always ripens; embarrasses the competition, doubly & triply so when finish incorporates hazelnut-inflected chocolate; stupendous
Le Caramel au Buerre Salé - salted caramel butter, a classic French sauce (butter, cream, salt & sugar) which all boils down to butterscotch really (French has a way of making everything sound important); this, a Milk-on-Milk presentation & wee sweet, could stand a little less sugar ‘n butter & a little more scotch ‘n salt; formidable nonetheless as it grabs some air to boot & just whips T-buds (T for Taste) into a swarm of tiny caramelized tornadoes
Ginger - fairly hot spice licking off chocolate’s walls & yet magically contained within its confines when others would’ve burnt the roof of the mouth down; not great, just special
Orange - pronounced front lip (orangade-strength) until Dark ganache enraptures it at the back
Feuilleté Lait - puff-pastry MC (Milk Choc) featuring layers of micro-crunch & macro-savor at the top of the flavor scale; le Gac playing to his patisserie shop; simple as the Eiffel Tower (just base material & structure)
Reviewed May 2011