Sugared & Spiced

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Hof

Address: 30 Sinan Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu / 思南路30号, 近淮海中路
Tel: 6093 2058 / 6093 2052
Hours: [Tue-Thu] 11:00am – midnight, [Fri]-[Sun] 11:00am-1:00am
Price: [Cakes] 30~42 RMB, [Truffles] 10-13 RMB, [Wine] 38-55 RMB/glass

Hof is old news, but its selection of chocolate desserts never fails to draw a steady crowd.
Why? Scroll down to find out.

Hof

Here’s Hof on a Sunday afternoon, packed as always.

Busy busy busy

Dessert showcase

I arrived at 2:00pm sharp to claim my reservation, and was luckily given the innermost sofa seats. Thank you lord.

My favorite seats

The two of us went a little crazy and ordered 4 cakes and 3 chocolate truffles…but you can’t blame us, everything looked too alluring. And yes, we finished ‘em all. Mmhmm.

Cake galore

We started with Walnut Fudge Brownie (40 RMB) with Vanilla Bean Gelato (add 16 RMB), and I must say that this is a serious competition against my old favorite orange chocolate mud (details below). The classic combination of brownie with vanilla ice-cream never fails to satisfy, but the version at Hof is something on another level. Try it and taste for yourself.

Walnut Fudge Brownie (40 RMB), Vanilla Bean Gelato (16 RMB)

Walnut Fudge Brownie with Vanilla Bean Gelato

Here’s Hof’s popular Moist Orange Chocolate Mud with Caramel and Sea Salt (36 RMB), rated as the number 1 Western dessert in Shanghai by CNNGo. Dense chocolate cake, buttery caramel glaze, orange confit, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Each element is a little bit of joy on its own, and together they make an absolutely irresistible combination. The cake is so rich that it actually does have a mud-like texture, while the sliced orange confit and sea salt gave extra depth to the flavors (excerpt from my previous post).

Moist Orange Chocolate Mud with Caramel and Sea Salt (36 RMB)

Moist Orange Chocolate Mud with Caramel and Sea Salt

Moist Orange Chocolate Mud with Caramel and Sea Salt

I remember liking Death by Chocolate Cake (42 RMB) on my previous visit, but though the recipe hasn’t changed, somehow it tasted a bit too strongly of alcohol this time.

Death by Chocolate Cake (42 RMB)

Death by Chocolate Cake

I was already on a sugar high by the time I reached Signature Marble Cheese Cake (40 RMB), but managed to taste a few bites of this. A great choice for those who want a break from chocolates (but why come to Hof if not for its chocolate desserts?)

Signature Marble Cheese Cake (40 RMB)

Out of curiosity, we each ordered a Iced Lychee Martini White Chocolate Truffle (10 RMB). Pop it in the mouth and out bursts a shot of lychee martini, followed by the creaminess of white chocolate. A fun and exciting bite, though I still prefer Hof’s dark chocolate truffles – both 72% Venezuela (13 RMB) and Osmanthus Flower Truffle (13 RMB) are excellent choices.

Iced Lychee Martini White Chocolate Truffle (10 RMB)

We finished with a glass of Tokaji, my new found love. I later learned that this Hungarian dessert wine, with its notes of apricot and caramel, goes really well with dark chocolates.

Tokaji

Hof is delightful as usual. The down side is that it’s always crowded on weekends, so you might want to try their more spacious Lujiazui location (open Monday to Saturday, closed on Sunday). If you still prefer the original Sinan Lu location (like I do), be sure to make a reservation and arrive on time!

Hof