If you consider one of the markers of a great city a critical number of great chocolate shops, then Ottawa, particularly with the arrival of this latest one, must surely now be counted.
Cylie is new. The shop has patisserie in its title, but for now sells only chocolates and a line of teas, and is an amalgam of the names of its owners.
Cyril Nebout and Leslie Yang are life partners and partners in chocolates. They met at the Ottawa campus of Cordon Bleu — he an instructor, she a student — and Cylie is the result of that meeting.
The chocolates are exquisite, worthy of unabashed indulgence, beautiful to look at, gorgeous in the mouth. The coloured designs for each bonbon are hand-painted, the coating is well temperred, shiny, glossy, cracking good stuff. The infused ganaches (dark chocolate and cream with flavouring) are rich and luscious, clean and pure tasting.
I bought a box of truffles of every flavour but hazelnut. I’m not a hazelnut girl. And some chocolate coated orange peel. And one robot for the kid. My favourite: the framboise. Or perhaps the caramel beurre salé. Though the piment d’espelette is a kicker.
Check them out. The bonbons cost $2.25 each.
Open: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Cylie Artisans Chocolatiers, 204 Dalhousie Street, 613-695-8887
First published for Ottawa Magazine, October 21, 2013
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