Dulcinea Chocolate Cafe

To complete a food bloggers' meet, a couple of us headed out for some dessert. Kim suggested we go to Dulcinea, which is incidentally right next to his "favourite" froyo spot (ya right...). After we did a bit of chatting outside the Irish Heather, we disbanded and went our merry way. I gave a Kim and Anita a lift while Danny (Five Loaves) left to meet us at Dulcinea. Anita is someone I've had the pleasure to meet on 2 occasions now and she will be launching her very own blog soon. I spotted a rare spot almost in front (on the other side of the street) and turned into a side street with the intention of getting back onto Denman facing the right way. I did that and... argh! Danny had taken my spot! I turned into another side street and while heading back onto Denman, it seemed that Danny had vacated that space. I eventually got my space. Danny said he left the spot because his car was past the no parking post. Well, I was able to squeeze my SUV into the spot and took my chances with part of the tail sticking out.

While inside Dulcinea, we began to take pictures incessantly while Kim decided what to order. He remarked to the person at the counter, "don't mind them, they're crazy". LOL... We'll see who is crazy once he finishes ordering! Besides, we're all crazy! What he did order was the Churros con Chocolate. Presented on a large wood block, 4 crispy while soft churros were dusted with cocoa and powdered sugar. Served on the side was the rich chocolate dip which only had a hint of sugar. You know it's quality chocolate when they do not add a whole lot of sugar to mask or hide the natural flavour. This dessert, in my opinion, was a winner.

The same could not be said about my dessert - the Xango. It consisted of cheesecake wrapped in a tortilla and deep fried. The cheesecake itself had a nice light texture to it (probably because of the deep frying); but it was a bit weak in flavour. Furthermore, the tortilla was devoid of much texture, other than being a bit gummy and only crispy in spots. In my mind, I was envisioning a crunchy coating encapsulating a very cheesy cake. That didn't happen. Anita ordered the Lava Blanca which is essentially a cream custard filling encapsulated by chocolate mousse. The dessert was pleasant enough to eat; yet curiously did not trigger any emotional response from any of us. It looked chocolaty, it sounds chocolaty; but it wasn't that rich. Once again, it wasn't very sweet, which is good since sugar is usually a cheap replacement for flavour.

I guess I couldn't visit this place without trying one of their chocolate drinks. I didn't go for their signature drink - the 1528; rather I opted for the Dominicano. In addition to the thick chocolate that is kept liquefied behind the counter, the drink consists of vanilla and amaretto essence. It was thick, chocolaty and only slightly sweet. A very aromatic beverage for sure. I enjoyed my visit to Dulcinea despite my disappointing dessert. I wasn't blown away in any way; but the ambiance, choice of drinks and desserts, make Dulcinea a place out of the ordinary. However, whenever dining out (unless alone), the company is the best part. Great to be with like-minded individuals. Crazy picture taking, talking about food and just talking nonsense, it was a great way to end the evening.

The Good:
- It's unique
- Great if you love chocolate
- Nice ambiance with the Spanish music

The Bad:
- Not cheap
- Desserts are good, but not outstanding