Whisk vs. HoF: Chocolate Cafe Cage Match Saturday, 09 January 2010 14:40 Written by Hilary

Two cafes, both conveniently located in the French Concession, both promising nirvana for the Shanghai chocoholic looking for something a bit more nuanced than Kedi Dove bars.  But which one follows through?

Whisk: I know Death by Chocolate sounds hackneyed, but I still think Whisk should rename their Chocolate Therapy, because I pretty much keeled over halfway through.  It's the frosting that does it - imagine super-rich semi-mousse-textured candy bars sandwiched between layers of cake.  I've heard good things about the other desserts as well (if orgasmic sighs=good).  That said, this is dessert by blunt instrument: nothing wrong with the ingredients, but nothing particularly inspired in how they're combined.  Brownie, chocolate cake, tiramisu....you've had all this before.  Which is not to say you won't have it again.

Just a block from the Changshu Lu metro stop, Whisk serves up a light Italian menu (paninis, pastas, risotto) to help you justify the heavy dessert action.  The spacious-if-windowless interior sticks with the light theme, with sleek white chairs and some subdued Chinoiserie in the carved white screens dividing the space.  

HoF: Oh, now we're talking.  The menu is full of crazy and complex things, like chocolate cake with osmanthus, chocolate-avocado lollipops, orange chocolate mud - but everything I've had has been delicious, even the truffles filled with Pop Rocks.  If you're not into chocolate, you're not left out - the homemade yogurt is great and arguably healthy (well, the topper of yuzu honey maybe not so much).  And there are more traditional options, like the chocolate caramel mousse cake, for those nights when you're not feeling the nouvelle. I saw one blog describe the Singaporean owner as a chocolate otaku, which was borne out when he came over to our table to explain why the mud cake required single-origin Madagascar cacao beans to balance the citrus notes.  Nerdiness never tasted so good.

Inside, it's leather, dark wood, and dim lighting - a lounge rather than a restaurant.  The short savory menu feels a little like an afterthought, but that's more than made up for by the cocktail list, which follows the theme of tasty novelty - e.g., the waxberry juice, rose syrup + vodka Shanghai Mei Mei - but also includes the best sidecar I've had in months. If you insist on eating something before dessert, Ginger Indochine and Cha's are both right next door.

Verdict: Night and day. HoF is sensuous, sophisticated, creative, decadent, and, if you ask me, a lot more fun. Whisk is a better spot for lunch, with at least four times the non-dessert options, and probably better if you've got kids (no personal experience - just judging from the rugrats running around our table at a recent brunch).  

Madagascar mud cake FTW, but there's room enough in Shanghai for both.

Comments 

 

#3 Whisk & HoF are closed on Mondays! — elena 2010-01-25 22:07

@loulou which cakes do you recommend for birthday? How much they cost?

Everyone, please notices that these two cafes are closed on Mondays. I went to taste their cakes today before ordering one for birthday, but they were closed.

Quote

 

 

#2 cakes made to order also.. — loulou 2010-01-14 13:43

HOF is just awesome... the desserts there are sensational... great location to sit for a while whith a bottle of wine and a yummy creme brulee!! The owner is a Chinese Aussie.. Brian.. he is lovely and they also make cakes for special occasions... I have ordered 2 cakes for brithdays and farewells.. and neither disappointed.. very decadent inddeed and very reasonably priced...

Quote

 

 

#1 So yammy!!! — elena 2010-01-11 13:36

Thanks for the awesome review. I'm ready to kill for a chocolate cake now, since I'm already 1 week on a no-sugar-at-all diet. Once I'm done I will definetely go and indulge myself at both places and post my own verdict.

Quote

 

Refresh comments list

Add comment

JComments