Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie, on Alberni Street, is a recent arrival to Vancouver. I've visited before and love the European atmosphere - dark wood panelling, delicate french baked goods, and really, really, really good coffee. I was excited to see what Thierry would do for City Food Magazine's Hot Chocolate Festival and made a date with my friend Sarah, who lives just down the street from Thierry, to visit.

It's been interesting to see how much, or how little, effort some of the participating businesses have put into this festival. At places like Bella Gelateria, Juice Truck, Bel Cafe and Schokolade, you feel like it's kind of a big deal, that thought has been put into what to offer, and that you are participating in something special. Other places, not so much. I was disappointed that Thierry fell into that "not so much" category. Exhibit A:

Meh. This looks like your ordinary everyday hot chocolate offering at Thierry. This is the Gianduja Dark Hot Chocolate, as it was served to me. It was rich, it tasted of Gianduja - but that was about it. The staff did not offer any explanation of what Gianduja was - luckily I've spent a fair amount of time in Italy and was familiar with its rich, hazelnut infused flavour - nor was there any special effort made in presenting the hot chocolate. It was a weekday afternoon, and not that busy, but I didn't get the sense that the Hot Chocolate Festival was that big a deal to Thierry. Fair enough - they do well enough on their own without having to do anything special. Still - I was disappointed. Thierry is the master of chocolate - why not go all out and really show it?