Kee's Chocolates

"Life is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get"

If my life was a box of chocolates, I'd like it to be Kee's, with a few macarons thrown in. I've tried neighboring Vosges and Marie Belle, and I'm sorry to say that they, as well as Mr. Brenner and Mr. Torres, have nothing on Ms. Kee. Intensely chocolate-y and tasting intensely of whatever flavor it's supposed to be, Kee's chocolates (and macarons) are just a more intense experience all around. I never thought passionfruit could taste so good, and mango green tea? Wish I could bottle it and eat it with a spoon.

Ms. Kee makes her chocolates on-premises fresh, daily. And you can taste the freshness. It's in the richness of the chocolate, in the brightness and intensity of flavors. Alas, there's a catch... you have to make sure to go to Kee's early because popular flavors like Mango Green Tea always sell out early in the day. Sadly, that's what happened when I went just before closing yesterday. My two favorites Mango Green Tea and Passionfruit were sold out, but I did not leave empty-handed!

Of the selection below, B's favorite was Tiramisu, he said it's "meltingly good". I prefered the Green Tea because I like a more flavorful truffle (the tiramisu was too subtle for me). I used to love Thai Chili for the punch of heat that complemented so well with cool, rich dark chocolate, but I'm not sure if it's just my imagination or it really is less spicy now, I found the Thai Chili to be less exciting this time around. I tried Lavender for the first time yesterday, and although I can't say I loved the combination of lavender with chocolate, its fragrance was distinctively there.


Ms. Kee only makes macarons once or twice a week, and lucky me bagged four flavors! Raspberry - pink, Key Lime - yellow, Sesame - white, Kaffir Lime (?) - green. I literally swooned over the yellow and pink macarons. I really enjoyed the balance of fruity tartness with the smooth chocolate ganache filling, and both flavors were outrageously vibrant. However, I was confused by the green one and it was my least favorite. I forgot what flavor the green one was supposed to be and had to looked it up on the online menu. It was supposed to be Kaffir Lime but I didn't taste any kaffir lime! Despite the unremarkable flavor, the macaron itself was PERFECTLY made. Ah, a perfectly proportioned macaron is a beautiful thing. Thin delicate crusts enveloping a luscious filling provides a textual experience like nothing else.



Unlike many other chocolatiers, Ms. Kee doesn't employ fanciful packaging or marketing gimmicks to attract customers. She lets the product and quality of the product speak out for itself, as evident in the nondescript shopfront and unpretentious packaging.



Kee's Chocolates
80 Thompson St
New York, NY, 10012
http://www.keeschocolates.com/