The wonderful world of... Jean-Paul Hévin
Every morning is sweet for Jean-Paul Hévin. He begins each day in his native Paris with the taste of chocolate on his tongue as he tests it for quality control. And he ends every night with another mouthful, just for ‘blood circulation and sweet dreams’. In fact, practically the entire life of Hévin (who looks a bit like a French Bill Murray) is made of the sweet stuff. “I think and breathe chocolate,” he says.
His new two-level Boutique et Bar à Chocolat on Lyndhurst Terrace serves 30 different tablets of the best global chocolate. Selections from Madagascar, Caracas, Piura and Peru range from smooth to tangy, and taste of apricots, oak and sea salt. In the course of his searches for the finest cocoa, Hévin has made some unusual discoveries. One was plopping oysters atop his hot chocolate. Another was matcha green tea. But his favourite discovery of the year was Greek ouzo, and he’s excited about starting to experiment with it.
“Where people are asking for quality chocolate, I will go there. That’s why I came to Hong Kong,” says Hévin. “I create all of my products for myself, in a very personal process that is all about the pleasure of eating. It’s my own passion that I want to translate. There are some differences but what I really want to do is to transmit my own tastes, so people come to me to buy what I like.”
And Hévin’s taste is impeccable. An especially delicious concoction at his Lyndhurst Terrace boutique is the rich chocolat chaud, served in a small porcelain cup and topped with a thick swirl of ginger. But what would Hévin eat if it were his last day on Earth? “Chocolate cake,” he says. “Of course.”
Boutique et Bar à Chocolat 13 Lyndhurst Tce, Central, 2851 0633.
Maddie Gressel
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