Just like the fascination Charlie had in Willy Wonka's chocolate, chocolate has always held a special place in our hearts, as it has never failed to warm them. The Esplanade, Singapore 's most famous performing arts venue, houses Max Brenner's Chocolate Bar, the ultimate haven for all chocolate lovers. One can enjoy an indulgence of chocolate treats, whether light or dark, as a sensual prelude to the chocolate city the Max Brenner franchise wants to create.

• The Vibe
  In Max Brenner, everywhere you see evokes chocolate. From the bar counter where packets of chocolate are neatly stacked up, to the tall shelves where row upon rows of chocolate products are arranged, it is indicative of a specialized chocolate retail store. With dark wooden furniture and muted mellow lighting, the subtleties at Max Brenner are like that of love, soft, sensual and romantic.
• The Food
  Max Brenner offers a whole range of chocolate beverages and food. There are also non-chocolate food stuffs such as sandwiches, but let's dive into what makes the place tick.

  The Chocolat ($5.90) is the Cappuccino of Chocolate. Simply, it is hot chocolate served in a specially designed “hug mug”, apparently to be cupped with both hands almost as if you are hugging it. Try the Java Dark Chocolate with Orange Peel, as the tinge of tangy orange complements the intensity of the melted dark chocolate perfectly. The Chocolat, although gimmicky, with its cuteness will certainly roused one's interest in chocolate especially when this hot chocolate certainly packs a punch on the palate. The only misgiving is that the hug mug is too hot to cup with both hands.

  The Suckao ($6.90), a concentrate chocolate shot, is Max Brenner's interesting invention of melting chocolate chips in milk over a tea light candle in a potpourri-like apparatus. When the chips melt and combine with the milk to form a piping hot rich chocolate drink, you suck it up with a metal straw. The name suckao is derived from “suck” and “kakao” , the Spanish word for cocoa beans. Do remember to lift the apparatus from the tea light candle and rest it somewhere else every now and then to prevent the chocolate drink from being overly heated.

  No chocolate rendezvous is complete without the Warm Chocolate Fondue ($20.00, small). Fill your skewers with an array of seasonal fruits, strawberry, banana slices, marshmallows and the soon to be added apricot, and dip them into your choices of dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate. A little regret to the strawberries, which were not fat and juicy, one can hardly have any other complaints.

• The Service
  There is certainly room for improvement in this aspect. For a few times, service staff failed to approach the incoming guests to offer their help. This is despite the fact that it was in the mid afternoon and human traffic was light.

SD Food Advisor's Take on Max Brenner
Max Brenner's opening in Singapore caused a rising fad of chocolate cafés. Not long after, places like “Chocz” and “The Chocolate Factory” sprung up in various parts of Singapore. Max Brenner must certainly have felt the effects of the intense competition. The quality of chocolate remains premium, quality chocolate treats continue to be served. However, with the novelty wearing off, the sincerity fading and the flow of new ideas dried up, purely the love for chocolate will still draw you to Max Brenner.