Items Selected:
Olive Oil, Salted Caramel, Aged Balsamic…read moreTruffles
Chocolate Pumpkin Tart
Fig Brownie
Pear, Pinenut, Chocolate Ganache Tart
An artisan Chocolatier and Bakery located at Via Augusto Anfossi 10, current sidewalk repairs and subdued signage making the space difficult to identify during a Friday morning visit in September, Ernst Knam is considered the "King of Chocolate" in Milan and operating his shop near Piazza Cinque Giornate since1992 a brief look spoke of a man not only passionate about what he does but also one still learning, the flavors of his confections often as challenging as they are delicious.
Apparently a popular face on Food Television overseas, the store itself tight yet clean with a substantial variety of choices available, it was after perusing several Cakes, Tarts, Caramels and Chocolates as oddly shaped as the Kama Sutra that selections were made to take elsewhere for consumption, a trio of chocolates showing a thin shell that breaks cleanly and dissolves smooth around a number of unique fillings from which Olive Oil and Balsamic were chosen, though "Wood," "Speck and Pepper," and Pomodoro were oddly enticing.
Unable to resist the elegant array of Tarts, a cost of €5,25 each actually a bargain all things considered, it was with the Chocolate Pumpkin Pie that first bites were enjoyed in a somewhat savage way without utensils, the Pepitas and Salt Crystals adding crunch to an otherwise creamy base while the Pear, Pinenut, and Chocolate Ganache version played off a similar ideas with the fruit's sweetness helping to mellow the rich Chocolate center.
Taking a very different approach with item three, a little bit of flour folded in to 72% Cocoa beneath a thinly sliced layer of Figs, suffice it to say that there may be no better "Brownie" anywhere than the one Ernst Knam is selling, the base achieving a rare balance of light texture with intense flavor and little more than the glazed fruit adding sweetness.
