There’s a big possibility you have overlooked this little piece of chocolate heaven, as “Voila” is tucked away on the second floor of the Millennium Center in Jeddah’s Tahliah Street. For the time being, this is Voila’s main branch, which apart from being a chocolate shop, also houses a French bakery, chocolate academy, lounge, and restaurant. Voila plans to open more outlets and expand to Riyadh. Their chocolate can also be found at various cafes, restaurants, hotels, and at Jeddah’s international airport.
When you enter Voila, the presence of chocolate is overwhelming. Each piece of chocolate art like the enormous wedding cake at the entrance, the stiletto heels, the chocolate-shaped sushi, or even the Oscar statuette, is almost a shame to eat. Here, you will find delights for practically all occasions and budget, from presents for baby showers and birthdays to little proposal ring boxes, all made of chocolate – no woman would be able to resist such a temptation! But the chocolate artwork on display not only looks irresistible, it tastes irresistible too, as only the finest cocoa is used in the process. Although Voila is a Saudi brand made in Jeddah, most of their raw materials are imported from Venezuela, Switzerland, France, and England to ensure the authenticity of their chocolate and their bread. However, the restaurant buys as much as possible from local suppliers, both for cost reasons and to support the local economy.
Descending the stairs, you feel like you are Charlie in the Chocolate Factory. This is where the magic happens, and where Voila offers its chocolate academy for kids and adults alike. For the former, Voila organizes three-hour birthday parties including a clown and party snacks as well as school trips during which students learn about the history of chocolate and the art of chocolate making. Naturally, adult “chocophiles” are welcome to attend these educational programs, and not surprisingly, the chocolate academy is frequented by groups of women wishing to indulge their chocolate fantasies.
Voila’s upper floor is home to a lounge and restaurant. Unfortunately, the alluring chocolate aroma is overshadowed by the lingering smell of shisha, as people come to enjoy tea and fruit-flavored shisha rather than the exquisite chocolate and pastries Voila offers. A separate non-smoking section would suffice to satisfy those who come to smoke and those who would like to enjoy their chocolate delights without the smoke.
Despite this, the cozy, chocolaty décor in various shades of brown draws you into a different world. A mix of American and French music plays in the background, while candle-shaped lights illuminate the venue. The restaurant may be a bit dark and the music somewhat loud, but at the same time it gives you a relaxed, out-of-town feeling, making it the ideal place to disconnect and enjoy delectable pastries and chocolate treats with family or friends, or even alone. Voila offers six chocolate lines catering to all tastes: Fusion, Spice, Flower Essence, Saveur, Diet, and World. For pure chocolate lovers, the World line is indisputably a must. As the name reveals, it consists of different types of chocolate – 18 dark and two milk – from all over the world. This is how chocolate is supposed to smell, taste, and feel, without a bitter aftertaste. Those who prefer sweeter, milkier types of chocolate, the new Praline line consisting of seven flavors are a must-try. The soft texture and sweeter taste is more adapted to Saudi taste buds. The line includes filling like dates, waivers, cornflakes, and chocolate blended with almond paste.
Voila’s macaroons are also famed. They are served in a colorful palate with flavors like mango, strawberry, chocolate, blueberry, hazelnut and even dates. The blueberry macaroon is not only a visual delight but also a melt-in-the-mouth electric blue blueberry explosion.
Chocoholics should not leave the lounge without trying one of the magnificent, creamy hot chocolates, named after various countries like the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Peru. The amount of cocoa in the hot chocolate, which contains only chocolate and milk, ranges from 33 percent for those who like it sweet and mild to 70 percent for those who like the intense taste of pure chocolate. It is served in a generous bowl with an exquisite design on the foam top.
If you think accompanying chocolate treats with a chocolate drink is an overdose of chocolate, Voila offers a variety of excellent coffees and Tchaba teas – here again, the chef shows he has an eye for detail and quality. Hot water is served in an elegant teapot over a candle-warmer and accompanied by three miniature hourglasses to make sure customers time their tea as they like it, whether light, medium or strong. The teabags come without the staple, to ensure the tea has no metal taste.
After all these treats, you might feel like eating something savory. No worries, Voila serves a generous amount of mouthwatering – though not very original – dishes throughout the day to sate small and big appetites. The sandwiches, crafted in the in-house bakery, are generous in size and served with fresh salad and crispy French fries. The Club Sandwich contains crispy bacon and extremely tender chicken breast, besides the regular fried egg, tomatoes, lettuce and mayonnaise.
The trio of Vietnamese rolls – spring rolls with vegetable, chicken, and prawn filling – are soft and creamy and not at all greasy. They are served with three Thai sauces: spicy banana ketchup, sweet and spicy sweet chili sauce and a rich, garlicky oyster sauce.
Perhaps the menu does not complement the chocolate shop, bakery and overall atmosphere very well and looks quite random with Italian, Thai and Vietnamese dishes, among others; however, credit must be given for food presentation. The specially imported Korean dishware illustrates no effort was spared to create a unique ambience. The chocolate treats are a testament to the fact that Voila cares about quality and uses only the best ingredients.
All in all, Voila is absolutely a place you would want to visit if you have a palate for first-class chocolate as well as authentic French bread and patisseries. It is also the perfect spot to buy chocolaty presents for quite reasonable prices. Lounging here gives you the feeling of a sweet escape from the city and is the perfect opportunity to indulge with your loved ones with some sumptuous delicacies. If only the shisha ban would come into force soon…
-
Email: selma.roth@arabnews.com
