The Lobby Lounge: Play Chess With These Valrhona Chocolate Pieces At InterContinental Singapore

Sweet tooths will love InterContinental Singapore‘s yuletide rendition of the classic board game, chess, because these chess pieces can actually be eaten. Located in Bugis, the Classic Afternoon Tea: Checkmate consists of six chocolatey delights inspired by chess pieces.

These sweet treats were created by InterContinental Singapore’s pastry chef Ben Goh, in collaboration with Valrhona’s master pastry chef Brice Konan-Ferrand, and will be available at The Lobby Lounge from 2pm to 5pm, from now till 31 January 2019.

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Having a leisurely afternoon tea at The Lobby Lounge is certainly an exquisite affair. After its multi-million dollar renovation in 2016, the spacious area is super luxe, with sparkling chandeliers, a high ceiling, plush carpeting, velvet high-backed chairs, and soloists playing the guitar or piano in a corner.

During the day, the bright light shines in from the ceiling, resulting in a posh and comfy environment. Best accompanied by pastries, sweet treats, and a cup of hot coffee or tea, which is exactly what we had.

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Presented on a black and white chessboard, these colourful chocolate pieces come in sets of two, perfect for sharing with a friend.

The set includes a three-tier tray of savoury bites and is priced at S$88 for two persons, including two drinks and unlimited crepes and ice cream. For those feeling a little fancier, top up an additional S$50 for a 375ml bottle of Taittinger Brut Champagne.

The chess pieces were almost too pretty to eat, but knowing that they were made with Valrhona chocolate, we just couldn’t resist.

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We started off with The Rook, a Valrhona strawberry invention that consisted of meringue mousse, crushed lemon confit and lemon streusel. This was crafted by Valrhona master pastry chef Brice Konan-Ferrand.

The Valrhona strawberry layer on the outside was frozen, which sat on top of a crispy biscuit, and topped off with a Valrhona strawberry piece modelled to look like a rook. When I bit into it, the tartness of the strawberry and lemon hit me immediately. It felt like I had just had a piece of sour candy.

However, the fluffy creaminess of the meringue mousse quickly took over, and the sweet richness of the grand Valrhona settled in and melted in my mouth slowly.

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The Bishop was my favourite out of the entire set. Made with Valrhona Kidavoa chocolate mousse, lime cremeux and pistachio glaze, this innovative and gorgeous little dessert was crafted by InterContinental Singapore’s pastry chef, Ben Goh.

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Cut the dessert into half and you’ll see its two distinct layers clearly: on top was the Valrhona Kidavoa chocolate mousse, and below was the lime cremeux.

The Valrhona Kidavoa chocolate is a rich milk chocolate that has hints of dried banana, while the lime cremeux was custardy and slightly sour, making The Bishop was incredibly creamy and smooth without being too cloying.

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The chocolate delights didn’t end with the chess pieces, but were also woven into the three-tiered savoury bites.

The savouries consisted of seven different items, ranging from Salmon gravlax with white chocolate Chantilly, pink peppercorn and dillWholemeal sandwich with pimento, chive cream cheese and Xocopili 72% dark chocolate shavings, and lemon raisin and chocolate scones with strawberry jam.

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The Salmon gravlax with white chocolate Chantilly, pink peppercorn and dill was a simple and classic appetiser, but it was one of my favourites because of how fresh, sweet and appetising it was.

Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish of raw salmon cured with dill, salt and sugar, and served with dill sauce and peppercorns. Though it had been cured, the cool salmon was incredibly soft and moist and simply melted in my mouth.

The white chocolate Chantilly was light and fluffy, and almost tasted like softly whipped cream. Together with the bread underneath, this made for an incredibly yummy savoury dish.

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The Foie gras magnum coated with chocolate and almond was really puzzling. When I first bit into it, I thought it was a light chocolate mousse. To my surprise, I realised that the filling of the thin chocolate magnum bar was foie gras.

The foie gras was buttery, rich and smooth, with a light smoky taste. Coated with bitter dark chocolate and sprinkled with almonds, the foie gras magnum was incredibly savoury with every bite.

The pairing of foie gras with dark chocolate is definitely ingenious and something not commonly seen, and the creativity shone through its flavours, while the contrast of textures was thoroughly enjoyable with every bite.

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The Mushroom and duck confit vol-au-vent was another classic savoury dish that I really enjoyed.

The small hollow case of puff pastry was fluffy and buttery, and I was delighted to find a generous filling of mushroom and duck in the centre, which did not turn the pastry soggy at all.

Each bite of the mushroom and duck was filled with earthy and sweet flavours. The mushroom had been reduced over heat while the duck was cooked slowly, resulting in a really soft and delectable filling. The added greens left a fresh aftertaste, which was refreshing and cut through the other flavours.


I’ve got to admit, I’m not that crazy of a chocolate fan, but InterContinental Singapore’s classic afternoon tea was simply delightful. I loved that they incorporated other ingredients, such as pistachio and raspberry with the chocolatey chess pieces.

The savouries were delicious and a good respite from the richness of the chocolate, though I wished they could’ve included more refreshing ingredients like cucumbers and tomatoes and fewer pastries, which filled me up really easily.

Expected Damage: S$88 – S$138 per pax

Price: $ $ $

Our Rating: 3 / 5

The Lobby Lounge

InterContinental Singapore, 80 Middle Road, Singapore 188966

Price
Our Rating 3/5

The Lobby Lounge

InterContinental Singapore, 80 Middle Road, Singapore 188966

Telephone: +65 6338 7600
Operating Hours: (Breakfast) 10am - 12noon, (All day dining) 11am - 10pm, (Afternoon tea) 2pm - 5pm, (Cocktails) 5pm - 1am
Telephone: +65 6338 7600

Operating Hours: (Breakfast) 10am - 12noon, (All day dining) 11am - 10pm, (Afternoon tea) 2pm - 5pm, (Cocktails) 5pm - 1am
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