“Magnifique” is the only way to describe the chocolates from Parisian chocolatiers Deborah and Yoann Andreu at their new  factory store BON Chocolatier. It’s in Bay Harbor, minutes from  Bal Harbour Shops.  I was in chocolate heaven. The quality, perfect calibration of ingredients that make the flavors and intensity of the chocolates pop, and artistry of everything in the shop is exceptional in Miami. 

The Process:

The Parisian Deborah trained under a renowned Master Pastry Chef in Belgium for many years. There she learned the ins and outs of the science of chocolate making. She and Yoann have been relentless in pursuing the very best. They’ve gone so far as to test everything from the flavors of truffles that appeal here in chocolate Miami (cinnamon was thumbs down) to seeing what percentage of cacao most appealed (the winner was 56%). Yoann is in charge of the design part. He has designed the architectural concept store. He  is also in charge of the design of the products and  packaging.

All chocolates are made on the premises with imported chocolate and fresh fruits.

Chocolate products are all 100% vegan and kosher. They’re also  free of dairy, preservatives, palm oil and hydrogenated oils.

Their specialties are truffles in over a dozen flavors, chocolate covered marshmallows and real fruit pastes (like jellies). Then there are chocolate pretzels, almond marzipan,  the very French mendiant – thin chocolate disc with assorted nuts on top and orange peel; and what they call “irresistibles”. Made with hazelnut praline coated with dark chocolate and chopped caramelized almonds, they’re indeed worthy of the name. For children, there are fun lollipops.  I don’t usually like truffles. Theirs aren’t made with butter or cream so they’re lighter and totally delicious. The marshmallows aren’t chewy, but fluffy as they should be. Fruit pastes are made of non GMO fresh fruit without gelatin but with pure cane sugar. Very rich in flavor.

The main stars are the bestselling truffle boxes which come in an assortment of unexpected and creative flavors Also see vibrant colors, a homage to Miami (in fact, some clients don’t remember the name of the truffle but will say, I want the blue one, the pink one, etc). These flavors include Caramelized Almonds Hazelnut Praline, Raspberry Ginger, Strawberry Thyme, Organic Jasmine Rose, Fluffy Marshmallow Vanilla, Organic Puff Quinoa Praline, Pistachio Praline, Crunchy Salted Peanut Butter, Organic Basil Lemon, and the newly introduced Blackcurrant French Lavender.

Customers can customize the chocolate truffle boxes with sweet sayings like “I Love You” and “I Miss You,” as well as with names and logos. BON Chocolatier also sells custom gift baskets, which include a personalized selection of chocolate products paired with a bottle of wine and a greeting card. You can even personalize the ribbon.  They offer same day delivery service in Miami  from $12.50 with FedEx and the same price for two day delivery to New York.

Prices range from $2 for a mini irresistible or truffle, from $4.50 for a gift to $234 for the Supreme Gift selection that even includes a bottle of wine.

The 2000 square foot retail and factory store is located at 1001 Kane Concourse, Bay Harbor Islands, Florida and is open Monday-Friday and on Sundays. For more information, visit www.bonchocolatier.com, call 305.397.8159 .