Payard
Impact
The rich person’s Jacques Torres. Payard was once a trifling matter. He’s gradually turning into a serious truffling one.
Presentation 4.1 / 5
classic, graceful, & simple defined in metallic brown; uniform-sized, thin square truffles
Aromas 4.3 / 5
potent chocolate earth
Textures/Melt 9.3 / 10
| Shells: | super-refined |
| Centers: | fine spun silk melts gloriously & quicker than butter in hot skillet |
Flavor 42.1 / 50
sharp fruits balanced sweet ‘n tart & spiked infusions of alcoholic abundance w/o staggering
Quality 26 / 30
Just a couple years ago, walking into Payard’s café on Madison Ave in NYC, chocolate pieces that looked fine enough, turned out to be ghosts to their pastry mates sitting right across the counter. They were DOA: medium-bodied, buried & missing dimension with flavors veering off course.
Times change... even in the casinos of Vegas where there are no clocks.
Times change... even in the casinos of Vegas where there are no clocks.
Selections
| Couverture: | Valrhona |
Caramel – berry-flush secant; dark & smoky interior taste; decidedly de Sade
Jasmine Tea - tender muscle, balanced injection
Cinnamon Mystique – back-drawer fromage, fronted by perfumed & herbilicious bouquet fortified into French spice
Raspberry – rare miss; putty over plastic
Café – light frappé
Cupidon – White Chocolate (the sweet...) scented w/ passion fruit (...tart)
Palet D’Or – giant coffee rum ganache
Truffle – classic shape; clean bite & snap; mysteriously silent on the pal – almost vacant
Chagall – added bonus to the collection; chocolate-coated praline wafer; light, airy yet crunchy w/o any hard-edge cut, just hazelnut crème; an intermixture delight
Jasmine Tea - tender muscle, balanced injection
Cinnamon Mystique – back-drawer fromage, fronted by perfumed & herbilicious bouquet fortified into French spice
Raspberry – rare miss; putty over plastic
Café – light frappé
Cupidon – White Chocolate (the sweet...) scented w/ passion fruit (...tart)
Palet D’Or – giant coffee rum ganache
Truffle – classic shape; clean bite & snap; mysteriously silent on the pal – almost vacant
Chagall – added bonus to the collection; chocolate-coated praline wafer; light, airy yet crunchy w/o any hard-edge cut, just hazelnut crème; an intermixture delight