Karat is a unit used to measure the purity of gold. In sa国际传媒, itsa国际传媒 the name of the very fine Karat Chocolate + Pastry Boutique. The contemporary chic 20-seat caf茅 is a place I always make a pilgrimage to, for an opportunity to feast my eyes and treat my palate to an elegant dessert reminiscent of fine Parisian pastry shops. Founded in 2015 by pastry chef and chocolatier Julian Helman, Helman fell in love with pastry while studying to earn his Red Seal at Holland College in Charlottetown, followed by studies in Chicago at The French Pastry School.
鈥淟ooking to learn,鈥 he dedicated himself to hard work and many stages, including with the culinary olympics (Team Canada and Team Manitoba), and at Michelin-starred Aqua in Wolfsburg, Germany, to see the perfection related to a Michelin establishment. 鈥淚 knew it was going to be long hours and I knew what I was in for,鈥 Helman admits. His dedicated work ethic comes from his father, also a chef and entrepreneur.
While working full-time as a pastry chef at the Old Vines Restaurant at Quails' Gate Winery, he began his dream of elevating the chocolate and pastry arts in the basement kitchen at nearby Mission Hill Family Estate. Surviving on oatmeal, and cycling to work and with a few 3 Kg bags of Valrhona chocolate, his dream slowly started to become a reality.
Going door-to-door with a few chocolate bars, it was Tourism sa国际传媒 who stepped up by ordering 1000 bars, giving him the seed money to continue.
With a family friend, he began production in a shared facility, tempering chocolate by hand.
It is still home to his production, although expanded, with seven employees assisting with pastries, macarons, cakes, entremets (dessert), chocolates and bars. Employing 19 people company-wide, he credits his staff for sticking by him, and his wife, Amanda 鈥 who handles 80 wholesale accounts across Canada 鈥 and many friends, family and his community for Karatsa国际传媒 success. But he is still 鈥渢he first one in and the last one to leave, everyday.鈥 Helman is a certified Valhrona expert and has garnered over 60 international chocolate awards, mentoring many young chefs and chocolatiers along the way. On settling on the Valhrona company, 鈥淚t's one of the better chocolate companies,鈥 he notes, 鈥渁s it's not involved in the commodities market. It's expensive because they're sustainable, there's education and sponsorship, and they install wells 鈥 these factors are very important to us.鈥
Currently Karat uses one-and-a-half metric tons of chocolate a year, producing 300 bars a month, with a seasonal focus using many local ingredients and an attempt to always trying something new. For example: in winter, apples, caramel and cinnamon can dictate creativity, and for Spring, Karat is heralding the return of 鈥楽trawberry Fields鈥, a cult classic bar of white chocolate infused with basil and strawberries.
The entremets are architectural wonders. Not just a pretty face, they hold within them a multi-faceted universe of textures, colours and flavours. One of my favourites is the apple 鈥榯art鈥. It appears as an apple, glazed and sprayed with coloured cocoa butter.
It stands on a cornmeal-lemon shortbread cookie but breaking into its chocolate shell, you find yuzu mousse, Granny Smith apple compote and a layer of creme brulee. If you鈥檙e going to have dessert, do it right! Pumpkin cheesecake shaped like a pumpkin, mini edible agaves in a chocolate pot, Black Forest tart shaped like a cherry, there is no end to the creativity and elegant simplicity. And if there was any time to eat cake for breakfast, this is it.
There are 17 flavours of macarons at Karat, and 100 different filled chocolates, each handpainted in coloured cocoa butter using vegetable or mineral-based colours, many with a pearlescent lustre. Helman takes influences and inspiration from natural forms, art and architecture. And lately, his six-year-old daughter Hazel has become a muse with all her gadgets and toys. 鈥淓verythingsa国际传媒 cute,鈥 says Helman. Itsa国际传媒 inspired him to create a bar called the Pink Pony Club of white chocolate with a cotton candy interior that will sport 3D packaging.
Holidays bring limited edition treats and amped up creativity and Easter is no different. Find chocolate bunnies and squirrels, and chocolate eggs in three sizes, filled with 鈥 are you ready? 鈥 homemade hazelnut rocher, salted caramel truffles, strawberry cocoa beans and Jelly Belly, a collab with the actual company. Each egg is exquisitely decorated and packaged. There is also an Easter collection of chocolate bon bons in a beautiful box. Find 12 semi-sphere chocolates 鈥 like a dozen eggs 鈥 each with a different filling ranging from pistachio orange blossom, brown butter hazelnut, mango coriander and cherry blossom, to name a few.
To quote the celebrated chef Marco Pierre White, 鈥淚f you work with your hands you鈥檙e a labourer, if you work with your head and your hands, you鈥檙e a craftsman, if you work with your heart, your head and your hands, you鈥檙e an artist.鈥
All is at play with Julian Helman, and Karat is a place to discover his pastry and chocolate art, a place to experience what culinary excellence is, and to revel in knowing that dreams really do come true. 1526 Ellis Street.
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