MY FAVORITE CHOCOLATE SHOP!

Last week i was reading the Amateur Gourmet and what did I find, but an entry about Kee's Chocolates. Now, the writer had just been wandering around SOHO and had stumbled upon Kee's while walking down Thompson Street. Unbeknowest to him, he had found one of the best chocolate stores in New York, and in my opinion, the U.S.

I've been going to Kee's for a couple of years now. And I always identify her shop by the green awning outside. Here's a pic for you. So here's the story. Like many chocolatiers, Kee stared off working in the corporate world. But she quit the life and decided to attend FCI so she could pursue her passion. At FCI, she trained under Jacques Torres and after graduation, she opened, her tiny little chocolate shop, Kee's Chocolates (which was originally called the Chocolate Garden, but had to be changed due to some trademark infringement).
And this is what I love about Kee's. It's a tiny little place, but she makes everything right there by hand. With a little refrigerator, marble table and induction burner. And Kee is always there. In the nearly three years that I've been going, there's never been any time when she isn't in the store (minus the times that they're closed for holidays and such). Her ganaches are super smooth and lovel, the enrobing chocolates super thin and she has innovative flavors, but nothing too wild. My favorites include the Thompson, Cappuccino, Passion Fruit and Toasted Sesame. My designer, who works near by, loves the Thai Chili. Since everything's made fresh, the flavors change fairly often. So you might not find your favorite flavor every time you go. That's ok, though, cause it forces you to try something new.
Here's a pic of the box I brought back from NY. There are two sesame, two lemon basil, an earl grey and some flavor I've never tried and don't remember. So the lesson is, if you're ever in NY, stop by Kee's on 80 Thompson Street for some exquisite made chocolates that are lovingly made. Tell her that the girl who owns a chocolate shop in Boston sent you.