Tis Me Michelle

A visit to this chocolatier in the East End Market was a recommendation by my most loyal reader. So of course, I had to go give it a try! And you don’t have to pull my leg to try some new desserts.

The Parking: You can see my rant on the East End Market parking from my Domu post. I’ve gotten lucky plenty, but luck must be on your side on a weekend visit.

Atmosphere: Ô Bon is located all the way up front of the East End Market. It’s a rather beautiful storefront. A lux little area with such great attention to detail, with the marble countertops and wood shelving accents, with the menu. As with most spots in East End, it’s a tiny spot where you order to go. There are spots around the market to sit if you want to stay, or you could take your box of chocolates home, as I did.

The Chocolates: I opted for the box of 6, which is the small box set, coming in at $23. Definitely some expensive bonbons. I’m sure you could buy less than that, it just doesn’t come in the lovely packaging. On top of the lovely packaging, the chocolates have absolutely gorgeous colors and designs. There were 24 flavors to choose from, and a few were sold out, but still plenty of options. Here are the flavors I chose and my ranking:

Tiramisu: I figured this was going to be a classic, solid option. And you know what it was. Just a bit on the underwhelming side. I felt like it had more of that marscarpone flavor over an espresso/coffee flavor, which is what I would have enjoyed more.

Dubai: This flavor has been so viral for quite some time now… And I will admit every variation I’ve had is not the classic chocolate bar, rather a play to the flavors. So it is on me for not getting the real thing. The flavors and textures were good. Really great pistachio flavor, with what I’m sure was pistachio cream or ground pistachio. Plus a nice crunch from the ketaifi. But somehow, for a spot known for its chocolate, I felt like the chocolate was lacking. It was an extremely thin layer of chocolate in comparison to the filling.

Matcha Yuzu: This one was a fun flavor. Sometimes I get nervous when I get matcha because it can be too earthy. But even though it had that earthier matcha flavor, it was smooth, and the sweetness of the chocolate balanced it out. The yuzu added a nice brightness. I would have liked it to be a bit more tart, with a little bit more contrast. Yet I thought these flavors were a great combination.

Cookies & Cream: When I was getting to my last couple, I asked for some recs. The server said her favorites were the cookies & cream and s’mores. I prefer cookies & cream, so I naturally went with that. At initial bite, it has that familiar flavor pretty much all of us are familiar with. A nice gooey filling on top, which encompasses the Oreo cream flavor. And a nice decadent dark chocolate to balance the sweetness of that creamy layer. A solid rec.

Mango Jasmine Tea: This was my last pick of the 6 flavors. I wasn’t too sure about it, but a lot of the other flavors sounded more basic or not totally up my alley. And I was curious about how this would go. I was most nervous that this was going to be a miss, and ended up so pleasantly surprised. It was all one filling, whereas a lot of the others had a couple of layers. And it was a very light, faint jasmine and mango flavor. I am not a huge fan of floral flavors, but I do like a nice tea. And this totally tasted like a freshly brewed iced tea with just a hint of sweetness. Ended up being one of my favorites.

Black Sesame Raspberry: The one I was most excited and nervous about. Nervous only because I feel like, similar to pistachio, some people can skimp on the sesame, and the flavor can be almost non-existent. Excited because I love sesame. And I actually think they ground up sesame, so the bottom layer of the bonbon had a nice crunch along with the great nuttiness of the black sesame, which went lovely with the dark chocolate. And the raspberry, a great pairing with chocolate, just the tart brightness needed for this combo. Definitely the winner of the pack for me.

Overall: I just realized that Ô Bon was started by the folks behind Light on the Sugar. That review is to come. There are some other items on the menu here at Ô Bon, from coffee options to chocolate-covered strawberries that all sound great. I am glad I stopped by this spot. I don’t know that I would have if I didn’t receive it as a rec. To be honest, I enjoyed my box of chocolates… But I don’t know that I would go out of my way to get them for myself again. I would, however, definitely get them as a gift for someone. It’s a specialty treat. For a special occasion I have no problem spending that dough, but for little old me, one time to give it a try was more than enough.

Address: 3201 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL 32803