If you are a chocolate lover, chances are you would have come across a piece of mouth-watering chocolate and thought – “it is a sin to eat such a beautiful piece.” At Switzco, the parent company of Designer Chocolates and its retail channel, ChocolateArt, promises chocolates that taste as good as they look. Established in 1998, Switzco are the pioneers of creating embossed chocolates in Singapore . Now years down the road, Switzco has four chocolates boutiques and has expanded its business in 2006 to include cakes and beverages under the banner of ChocolateArt.

• Designer Chocolates
  Looking for something personalized to commemorate your wedding gift for your guests? How about having your names customized artistically in two-tones chocolates alongside a chocolate silhouette of a bride and groom? Or if you want to show off your cherubic newborn, choose a coloured photo-transfer on a chocolate base as a unique baby's first-month gift. Whatever the occasion, Designer Chocolates adds a touch of creative flair and caters to your specific needs. Coupled with a winning combination of an attractive variety of customized packaging to suit individual taste and budget, it is no wonder that this Singapore born and bred chocolatier has garnered an international clientele.

• ChocolateArt
  ChocolateArt newest boutique is located at VivoCity. Strategically located at the entrance of Vivomart, it is definitely difficult to walk past without taking a backward glance, make it two fleeting looks at the delectable array of chocolates displayed in the glass counter. Made of fine quality chocolates imported from Switzerland and Belgium , ChocolateArt boast an assortment of over twenty varieties with the highest cocoa content being 70%.

  If you made it past the mouth-watering glass display, then your attention will definitely be riveted on to the eye-catching displays that sit on the counter. Your eyes are not playing tricks on you because the mahjong set you are looking at is indeed edible. The mahjong tiles made up of 24 to 48 characters ($48 - $88) are layered in white and dark chocolates. Making use of the state of art colour transfer technique, this chocolatier is able to delicately reproduce the characters on the mahjong tiles in sharp detail, so realistic in its quest that it could have passed off as the real thing! Another attractive display is the chess set. A wonderful gift to chess lovers out there, the 12-piece set is made of delicious dark ganache ($26.90)

  The assorted chocolate collection at ChocolateArt is priced at $13 per 100 grams. You can choose to have it placed in a pretty 2-piece gift box ($2.90) or beribboned gift boxes of various sizes. A must try from this range is the crispy “Rocher” and the “Dark Truffle” which is truly mesmerizing. Otherwise, be daring and opt for local flavours like “Chilli Padi”, “Green Tea truffle”, “Tangerine”, “Mango” and “Coil Fish”. To appreciate the uniquely Asian flavours, place a piece of chocolate in your mouth. Then, let it melt for a few seconds to release the base and primary flavours of the couverture. Chew on the chocolate for three to five times to blend the filling and the chocolate coating. You should be able to “taste” new flavours as the two blend in you mouth. Sit back, relax and savour the taste that lingers on the tongue.

  For those who need a quick energy-booster to spur you on your next round of shopping spree in VivoCity, grab a milkshake ($3.50). Concocted from the sinfully delicious Danish Anderson ice-cream flavour of your choice, this milkshake served in a tall glass flute rocks! If you need something more substantial, then give the Chocolate Brownie ($3.50), nice and warm, out of the microwave a go. Or savour the scrumptious American Cheesecake ($3.50), guaranteed to leave you licking the last bit out of your spoon!

The SD Advisor's take on ChocolateArt.
The strength of ChocolateArt lies in its presentation, creativity and ability to produce chocolates that are very pretty. The company's foray into the café style is indeed commendable. The café invites patrons to savour these delectable pieces at leisure and to take a breather after a hard day of shopping. Notably, however, the space constraint meant that it can only house no more than two tables and additional seating capacity is not available. The café service is also limited to the outlets at VivoCity and United Square while the other at Great World City serves cakes and chocolates and the one in Suntec having only chocolates. Service at the VivoCity outlet is praiseworthy with the sales staff being efficient, dishing out good suggestions and serving with a smile.