Most people have never heard of Pierre Marcolini, a Belgian chocolatier who has been my favorite for so many years. The reason people have never heard of him is that he does not have shops on every high street, airport, and shopping mall (unlike Leonidas and Godiva, two chocolate brands that I do NOT recommend — they are far too sweet and crude).

What makes Pierre Marcolini special is that he pays attention to every detail. The chocolates are still made by hand. His boutiques are temples of temptation with unusual pralines and truffles. Among the pralines, there is the Baies Roses, a bitter ganache flavored with Moroccan pink pepper berries; Thym et Orange, pure ganache flavored with fresh thyme flowers and a zest of orange, and many others. Marcolini’s pralines, truffles, and macaroons make perfect gifts, especially during the holiday season when people are looking for something unique.

Pierre Marcolini
Rue des Minimes, 1
Place du Grand Sablon
1000 Brussels
Belgium
www.marcolini.be

Marcolini has boutiques in Brussels, Antwerp and other cities in Belgium, and also abroad (Japan, France, New York City, etc.).

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Check out our sister site, Mapplr.com, for travel news and reviews of the coolest boutique hotels and restaurants around the world.

Pierre Marcolini: my favorite chocolatier is a post by Esme Vos on Shopplr - Fashion, beauty, style and shopping.

If you’ve been walking along Market Street in the Financial District of San Francisco, you might have noticed a small Japanese boutique that looks nothing like the pastry stores in the city. The shop is Minamoto Kitchoan, which sells wagashi, traditional pastries served at the tea ceremony. Everything is imported from Japan to guarantee the quality and authenticity of the pastries. The presentation is just as important as the taste. The pastries resemble large jewelry stones, and some of pieces are so beautiful you hesitate eating them. They come in beautiful boxes and wrapping.

The service is impeccable. The staff are Japanese and wear uniforms. They never rush you, but they are attentive to your needs. When you pay, they hand you the package with both hands and with a slight bow. I went to Japan last year and suddenly, after that one afternoon at Minamoto Kitchoan buying daifuku (mochi balls with bean paste), I found myself missing Japanese service (and daiufku) terribly. This is the place I would come to for a special gift (or to indulge in my favorite Japanese pastries).

Minamoto Kitchoan
648 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
www.kitchoan.com
(Note: They have stores in London, Singapore and New York.)

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Check out our sister site, Mapplr.com, for travel news and reviews of the coolest boutique hotels and restaurants around the world.

Minamoto Kitchoan: beautiful Japanese pastries in San Francisco is a post by Esme Vos on Shopplr - Fashion, beauty, style and shopping.

I can’t believe no one thought of this sooner. Mypressi TWIST is a portable espresso maker for people who want to have good coffee wherever they are, even in a location infested with Starbucks coffee outlets. According to the mypressi website, “the TWIST requires no external power to produce single or double shots from either fresh ground coffee or ESE pods. Just put in the ground coffee or pod, pour in some hot water and pull the trigger. Seconds later you can enjoy a perfect espresso extraction. Clean-up is just as easy: give the TWIST a quick rinse and you’re done.”

You can go online and order it now for $169 at http://shop.mypressi.com/.

Check out our sister site, Mapplr.com, for travel news and reviews of the coolest boutique hotels and restaurants around the world.

Mypressi Twist portable espresso maker is a post by Esme Vos on Shopplr - Fashion, beauty, style and shopping.