I asked some good friends what they wanted from Switzerland. Guess what the number one answer was. Yep, that's right. Rolex.
Uhm yeah. Nice try.
So, I asked them what else. They said Tag Heuer.
Did I say "good friends?" I meant former friends.
Well, since I'm not Jeff Bezos, I decided to get them some nice chocolate. Let's face it, Switzerland makes some of the best chocolate around. I don't know if they have special beans or magical cows that produce special milk, but damn, it's like euphoria when eating a piece of Swiss chocolate. Ok, maybe I take my chocolate a little too serious, but most Swiss chocolate is really THAT good.
Laderach is one of those places that really elevates it. While I have tried a few of their chocolate pieces, the real star is the FrischSchoggi. While in Bahnhofstrasse last year, I wasn't able to go to their main store (I went to Sprungli instead). However, I did go to this location in the airport. We loved it so much (we finished whatever we bought on the plane), we had to get more of the FrischSchoggi. This is high-quality chocolate, so you will pay good money for it. But, it's nothing different than some of the high end chocolatiers that you find in the US. The sheer selection of FrischSchoggi will blow your mind. I would say that they have 25+ varieties here. Don't afraid to ask for a sample or two (or 6 in my case). My favorite is the hazelnut (like a candied hazelnut), but I also like the Rocher (almonds) and also Raspberry-Blackberry, for a little bit of fruity contrast. It's also made with white chocolate.
The service here is super-friendly. They speak English just fine, so they could help me with all the questions I had. Aside from the individual pieces they have and the big display case of FrischSchoggi, they do have pre-packaged gifts that you can quickly pick out and buy, if you are in a hurry. Even a sampler pack of the FrischSchoggi.
Just the tip: This shop is before security. Make sure to plan it out. Last year, I almost went thru security first thinking that I could get that out of the way first. Good think I didn't. read more