Daily dispatches on the Washington, DC area's food, restaurant and dining scene.
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An Early Look at Co Co. Sala (With Menus)
By
Sara Levine
On March 14, 2006, Nisha Sidhu made her pitch to longtime friend Bharet Malhotra. She wanted to open a chocolate lounge—and wanted him to sign on as her business partner. Sidhu would bring the dessert skills—she had completed L’Academie de Cuisine’s pastry-arts program and worked as special-events pastry chef and chocolatier at 2941 in Falls Church—and Malhotra, a vice president of sales at a software company who has lived all over the world, would provide the business savvy.
More than two years later, their chocolate-focused lounge and restaurant, Co Co. Sala, opened last Friday in DC’s Penn Quarter. How does Malhotra remember the exact date when the chocolatey plan was hatched? He laughs: “It happened at my birthday brunch.”
While dessert lounges have sprung up in New York and Las Vegas, Co Co. Sala will be DC’s first foray into the world of dessert tasting menus complete with wine and cocktail pairings. To run the kitchen, the owners recruited pastry chef Santosh Tiptur, whom Sidhu had met at a pastry conference, from the Ritz-Carlton in Puerto Rico.
There are a choice of five $30 five-course tasting dessert menus to choose from, all of which riff on a different theme. The Italian voyage menu includes an amuse bouche of vanilla panna cotta with chocolate-praline soup, followed by three flavors of tiramisu, an intermezzo of lemon sorbet, parmigiano reggiano three ways, and a petit four plate of Tuscan ricotta bites. Tiptur’s menu at Co Co. also has a savory side, with snacky foods like variations on sliders and mac and cheese. “We realized that after work, some people wouldn’t be craving something like tiramisu,” Malhotra says. “We wanted to incorporate some salty, savory foods.” Still, Co Co.’s namesake ingredient sneaks its way into dishes such as crab cakes with chipotle-chocolate-tomato glaze, and bleu-cheese beef sliders with Mexican-chocolate sauce.
Coffee is also a focal point of the space, which hopes to draw morning business crowds with its breakfast pastries and local brews from Caffe Pronto in Annapolis. There’s also a wide selection of tea from the Tea Source in Seattle and, naturally, a dozen different hot chocolates.
A glass-enclosed “chocolate room” is like a grown-up version of that ride at Hershey Park where you get to peek into the magical chocolate factory. Watch the chocolatiers create chocolate sculptures and coat bonbons—perhaps filled with peanut butter and jelly or Linzer jam—in the “enrobing machine.” Malhotra says they hope to offer chocolate-making classes in the future.
In addition to jewelry-store-like cases filled with pastries and chocolates, decorative accents around the sleek lounge include colorful sugar sculptures created by Sidhu and two flat-screen TVs displaying artsy photos of some of Co Co.’s confections. The screens will also serve as Co Co’s high-tech chalkboards, announcing each day’s specials.
Co Co. Sala, 929 F St., NW; 202-347-4265; cocosala.com.
Monde du Chocolat Chocolate Maya
A Passage to India $30 AMUSE
Chocolate jelebi with badaam milk foam MAIN DESSERT
White chocolate ras
malai cube with carrot halwa INTERMEZZO
Frozen mango lassi on mint mango salad CHEESE COURSE
Pannir three ways, raita and mini papadums PETIT FOURS
Milk and dark chocolate kulfi bon bons COCKTAIL
"Disia lychee rose $12 WINE
Groove Mill Riesling $10 TEA
Chai $4
Ciocco
Italian Voyage $30 AMUSE
Vanilla panna cotta and chocolate praline soup MAIN DESSERT
Flavors of tiramisu: fraise de bois, classic, and chocolate INTERMEZZO
Lemon sorbet with chocolate nest CHEESE COURSE
Parmigiano reggiano three ways, fig and pesto toast PETIT FOURS
Tuscan ricotta bites and chocolate dipped ameretti COCKTAIL
"C3fix" coffee, chocolate $12 WINE
Fumello Prosecco $12 COFFEE
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe $4 Xocolatyl
Aztec Experience $30 AMUSE
Churros with cinnamon cream and dulce de leche dip MAIN DESSERT
Hot chocolate souffle with fiery chocolate center and kahlua soother INTERMEZZO
Papaya and lime margarita sorbet with chocolate sticks CHEESE COURSE
Pepper cheese enchilada with guava sauce PETIT FOURS
Chocolate-infused horchata and Mexican wedding cookies COCKTAIL
"Melangeur" cantaloupe $12 WINE
Taylor Fladgate 10 yrs. $10 COFFEE
Guatemala Huehuetenango $4 Co Co. Grown Up
Childhood Favorites $30 AMUSE
Mini Boston creme doughnut with espresso jigglers MAIN DESSERT
Milk chocolate, pb & banana foster split, mini co co. cupcake, and malted shooter INTERMEZZO
Orangesicle and chocolate caviar CHEESE COURSE
Mini grilled cheese and tomato soup PETIT FOURS
Mint chocolate chip cone, strawberry cheesecake lolly COCKTAIL
"Pomme a la mode" $12 CHAMPAGNE
Yellowglen pink $10 COFFEE/TEA
Mocha java $4
Co Co Bites Mac & Cheese $6 BACON
Orechiette/four cheeses/crispy bacon/creole spices SHRIMP
Mini penne/jack & cheddar/garlic shrimp/jalapenos CLASSIC
Elbow mac/cheddar & parmesan/fresh sage/cream cheese crust Crab Cakes $6 CRISPY LOUISIANA
Mango salsa/chipotle chocolate tomato glaze/avocado cilantro emulsion CHESAPEAKE JUMBO LUMP
Coffee mustard/creme fraiche/micro greens blend COCONUT CRAB CAKE
Basil and chocolate mayo/baby greens Sliders $6 SPICY MOROCCAN SWORDFISH
Fennel salad/aged pecorino/hazelnut coffee dressing/parmesan roll BLUE CHEESE BEEF BURGER
Chocolate Mexican sauce/sauteed spinach/wild mushrooms TANDOORI CHICKEN PATTIES
Cocoa spiced celeriac/cardamom carrots and greens Salads $6 MANCHEGO & BABY ARUGULA
Caramelized walnuts/dates/pears and oranges/coffee-balsamic vinaigrette GOAT CHEESE & BEETS
Yellow & red beets/greens/apples/maracaibo nibs/cranberry vinaigrette MAINE LOBSTER SALAD
Lemon aioli/cucumber/crushed avocado/greens/cornbread/passion-chocolate vinaigrette
Hot and Frozen Chocolate Collection THE HOT CO CO. FLIGHTS $8 Trio Dark Chocolate with 65 percent Cocoa
Milk Chocolate with 38 percent Cocoa
White Chocolate with 33 percent Cocoa THE HOT CANDY BAR FLIGHT $8 Trio Coconut Co Co.
Peanut Butter Co Co.
Mint Co Co. CO CO. COLLECTION $6 Each Salted caramel
Earl Gray
White berry
Java
Chipotle
Chai white CHEF'S SELECTION OF PETIT FOURS $18 ASSORTMENT OF DRESSED SEASONAL FRUIT AND SORBET $9 CHEF'S SELECTION OF HOUSEMADE GELATO $9 SHARING CHEESE PRESENTATION $18
(Please pick two selections from the dessert menu) CHOCOLATE TASTING $15
Experience different types of chocolate in three states: solid, semi-solid, and liquid SUGAR-FREE DESSERT OF THE DAY $8 More>> Best Bites Blog | Food & Dining | Restaurant Finder
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Category Tags: New Restaurants
Comments
Hello,
M
How are you doing? Hope you are alright.
Last week, I bought Many items.
it is very cheap and I get it in 5 days. The quality is very good.
The site also sell Sneakers, handbag, purse, jeans, sunglass, hat and so on.
I never forget to share good things with friends.
So,if you are interested in it, you can have a look.
I think you will get some surprise.
This is their links:www.ongoin.com
Posted by: fe, Oct 07, 2010 05:42:24 AM
I was disappointed. I’m a severe chocaholic, so this place sounded like heaven. I went with my girlfriend and parents and ordered the Italian and Aztec assortments. Sadly, through 6 courses between the two "dessert experiences" I never got an intense "chocolate moment" (if you’re obsessed with chocolate, you’ll know what I’m talking about). The drinks and decor were much more notable than the desserts themselves (which were also TINY, with the exception of the Italian tiramisu course). I’d come back here for drinks, but it’s not on my list of places to get a chocolate fix.
Posted by: Aman, Oct 18, 2008 07:35:33 AM
The food is good. It is well priced and overall I give it two thumbs up.
Posted by: Brian Ludwig, Sep 20, 2008 02:39:15 PM
The food is good. It is well priced and overall I give it two thumbs up.
Posted by: Brian Ludwig, Sep 20, 2008 02:39:05 PM
The food is good. It is well priced and overall I give it two thumbs up.
Posted by: Brian Ludwig, Sep 20, 2008 02:38:44 PM
There is more evidence to suggest that some of the reviews of Co Co Sala are fake users potentially created in order to hype Co Co Sala!
Posted by: DCNightlifeRaw.com, May 27, 2008 02:39:49 PM
Portions very small and very expensive. Cocktails 15-18 dollars for premium licquor.
Posted by: John Ashford, May 19, 2008 09:42:47 PM
Could the comments here be more planted? Visited a few weeks ago (when it was not open)? The owner Bharet? All on the same dame in a matter of minutes?
Looks like they tried to pull the same thing on the WaPo website!
Classic!
Posted by: Suspicious?, May 17, 2008 05:57:17 PM
I went to Co co Salas a few weeks ago and the food was excellent. I assumed it was going to be just lounge food, but their selection was wide enough for my wife and i to have a nice dinner. The highlight was the assortment of exotic and unique drinks on their menu. Great place and I agree with your review.
Posted by: Reggie Aggarwal, May 14, 2008 08:35:23 PM
Three friends and I dined here this evening and had a wonderful experience. We were approached by management and the owner multiple times throughout our meal and even got some helpful menu suggestions from the owner, Bharet, all of which were right on the money! With it’s chic ambiance, attentive service, and delectable menu, I definitely plan to return!
Posted by: Ayesha, May 14, 2008 08:10:04 PM
An amazing ambiance, presentation and most importantly exquisite TASTE! Will be making multiple trips to try every experience on the menu...and it truly is an experience.
Posted by: N. Shah, May 14, 2008 08:16:27 AM
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