Jean-Paul Hèvin Experience

[cabrales]

When loufood and I visited the J-P Hevin shop in question, it *only* had prepackaged items. There were individual bags with a single chocolate, but they were prepackaged too. Most of the selections in the individual bags were included in our box, upon a quick skim. Even the macarons were pre-packaged and not available individually at this particular store. Interestingly, J-P Hevin sells ice cream too (not sampled).

[Steve Klc]

Cab--do you get the sense that Hevin has felt pressure to expand outside of his perceived core of expertise--chocolate--and move more agressively into ice cream, pastry and food? Is anyone familiar with any links or articles which may have noted this timeline?

Usually, it seemed "chocolatiers" offerred a minimal, perfunctory selection of pastries--usually chocolate tarts, chocolate-glazed eclairs, a chocolate terrine, a few macarons. Call this the Maison du Chocolat model.

I'm wondering if there's a trend or a story here--not just additional locations to sell packaged goods regularly available--but chocolatiers expanding their product line, adding emphasis perhaps with more of a "Salon du the" concept, in order to compete for media or for market share?

Is Hevin trying to compete more on the terms of Herme and Peltier?

[cabrales]

Steve -- I can't address Hevin's motivations, but Christian Constant not only has sorbet/ice creams, but also has a relatively robust traiteur operation. Herme sells ice cream too (including in the Ishpahan, spelling, flavor), along with coffee beans, mini sandwiches and other items.

Edited January 7, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[Lesley C]

Wait a minute! Were you two at the new Terr store in his old store at the 16 avenue de la Motte Picquet? Accross the street is his new upscale store where all the chocolates are displayed and can be purchased individually. The Terr store is meant to be his second "bis" line of classics, especially truffles. The good stuff is at the new store accross the street up the block. Please don't tell me you missed it.

What I found interesting at the Terr store is the frozen macaron boxes. They claim these macarons can be kept fresh for up to a week.

[cabrales]

Lesley -- I think we were at the Terr store So, the old store moved to a new location right across the street, and the Terr store is now where the old store was?

Is the Ter store decorated with neon colors?

Edited January 8, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[Lesley C]

Yes, I'm afraid so. The Terr store is quite dark with neon lights and a black tile floor. The chocolates are pre-boxed by sort and the central tables sells chocolates in individual lime green and brown packages. Oh brother, no wonder you weren't impressed.

All these changes are quite recent. Hevin's website doesn't mention any of this, not even the new Terr store. You'll have to go back. I only came upon the glitzy upscale store because I walked there from the other direction, near Suffren, and passed the it by chance.

Bux, I know all about Espai Sucre and will be sampling Mr. Butron's desserts when he comes to Montreal for the Highlights Festival in March. When I worked at Thuriès in 1990 we often made dessert-only menus for visiting chefs. And one of the most popular menus included seven courses, four of them desserts.

[Louisa Chu]

Steve, yeah right. Just talk about chocolate and you start flopping out the Trimolene/inverted sugar. Good thing I just learned about that the other day so I know what you're talking about. I'll let you explain it to the rest of the class.

But viscerally, I really enjoyed what Hevin intended with Ter which was to have a childlike experience of buying a piece of chocolate, furiously tearing it open and taking a big mouthful of smooth and crunchy chocolate flavour and texture. That I got from the mendiant/chocolate bark. Our choice being with caramelised and then cocoa dusted hazelnuts.

Not so much so with the boxed chocolates. Too thick of a couverture and too similar of a slightly runny filling. And tastes did not differ enough. Subtle but too subtle. Very nice technically though with very clean feet.

And again it's important to note the difference of the French tastes. I was not consciously aware of their preference for pure chocolate as again I've not worked much with it yet and have not yet had chef feedback - their tastes are extremely traditional - so again it is important to have some knowlege in this area to even speak about one's subjective experience.

I have not tried Maison du Chocolat or Peltier's chocolates yet but that's on the agenda in the next few weeks - with the other great houses.

And Lesley I'll go by there again hopefully tomorrow though they're probably closed on Sunday. There was no shop across the street - I was told there's only the laboratoire. And no frozen macarons either. Though she said they should be getting more patisserie items in there soon.

And I was in fact impressed. I loved the interior design, packaging, concept, etc. Nice change from the Laduree-ness of Paris sometimes.

[Louisa Chu]

When I worked at Thuriès in 1990 we often made dessert-only menus for visiting chefs. And one of the most popular menus included seven courses, four of them desserts.

Lesley, could you please share the menus when you get a chance?

[Lesley C]

Trust me, there's a store accross the street. I wasn't dreaming

[Louisa Chu]

Lesley, you're right, I'm wrong, there is another store. But in my own defense, it's not quite exactly right across the street. It is in fact on the other side of the street, but La Motte Picquet is one of those really wide busy Parisian streets with those little parking lanes on the side and the shop's up a bit towards Ecole Militaire - right across from the end of Rue Cler actually.

I stopped in both shops with classmates yesterday - to try the cheese chocolates but sadly they were sold out. Camembert, chevre, roquefort and another with cumin. They're sold as aperitifs - a box of 16 for about 13 euros, about a centimeter square - they had a display box.

I don't know that I was more impressed with this shop - except that it had a larger selection as well as some patisserie items - nor with the chocolates there as most of the ones I would have selected personally would have been the same ones that cabrales and I tried together from their pre-boxed set.

I did try their macarons - chocolate orange and chocolate caramel - which were all quite perfect, beautiful cocoa colour, had a very nice toothsomeness, not too sweet, rich bitter chocolate flavour and the orange one a bit of candied orange in the center which was a nice surprise and taste and textural contrast.

The one patisserie item we tried - a pyramide of chocolate genoise and layered with chocolate buttercream - I thought was a bit less successful. I think the genoise could have benefitted from some liberal imbibing - liquored or not - and the buttercream not quite as supple as I think it could have been, a bit stiff actually.

But the chocolate flavours and technique all impeccable.

I still prefer the tactile experience of the Ter store. We went immediately after and it was just so much fun to freely pick up a macaron - cello bagged - and look at it. Same with the truffles and other assorted chocolates. And the quality was identical. Though now that I think about it I think the macaron I bought at Ter may have been about 20 centimes more. Passing on that packaging cost I guess.

They said that they will soon carry the regional patisseries there as promised but can't say when.

23 avenue de la Motte-Picquet

75007 Paris

01 45 51 77 48

[Lesley C]

I think Hevin is pretty hard to beat in the world of chocolate. Loufood, have you been to Chaudun?

[Louisa Chu]

Not yet.

Michel Chaudun

149 RUE DE L'UNIVERSITE

75007 PARIS

01 47 53 74 40

[Lesley C]

I was disappointed in the store but the chocolates are quite nice.

And I hated Constant. The place was dirty and the sales people were rude.

Oh and the chocolates sucked.

[Louisa Chu]

Yes, have not heard good things about Constant. Sucked? Oh I like that. I haven't used that since high school.

And to answer the inevitable eternal question, no it's not Violon d'Ingres chef/owner Christian Constant - it's another Christian Constant. Different guys, no relation.

[David Lebovitz]

I went into Jean-Paul Hèvin in Paris yesterday with a group of guests, shopping for chocolate. One asked me if she could take a photo, so I politely asked the salesclerk, who replied, "You can only take a photo after you buy something."

I couldn't believe that was their policy and she told me that was the policy "...at stores everywhere in the world."

Really? I'd never heard that one and I've been to a lot of places. I was rather stunned, since normally it's either "oui" or "non"...either of which is fine with me. I understand if they do or don't want photos taken in the store, but to make it conditional upon buying something is just so tacky.

I had my guest put down all the chocolates they were going to buy (which was a rather large quantity, btw) and we left.

It was pretty amazing and I will never go back.

Edited May 11, 2006 by David Lebovitz (log)

[Laidback]

David, perhaps you should consider sending a copy of this to their PR address: http://www.jphevin.com/contact.php?id=2

[John Talbott]

I had my guest put down all the chocolates they were going to buy (which was a rather large quantity, btw) and we left.

←

I have a hunch this is barely OT but four of us left most of our meal at Helene Darroze's downstairs place on the floor. We were cowardly, granted, but clear.

[Laidback]

I had my guest put down all the chocolates they were going to buy (which was a rather large quantity, btw) and we left.

←

I have a hunch this is barely OT but four of us left most of our meal at Helene Darroze's downstairs place on the floor. We were cowardly, granted, but clear.

←

John,

That is quite a tease...how about the whole story. Pat&I went to her downstairs place not too long after it opened and were underwhelmed to say the least, but discovered that subsequently most of the reviews were spectacular.

[docsconz]

I went into Jean-Paul Hèvin in Paris yesterday with a group of guests, shopping for chocolate. One asked me if she could take a photo, so I politely asked the salesclerk, who replied, "You can only take a photo after you buy something."

I couldn't believe that was their policy and she told me that was the policy "...at stores everywhere in the world."

Really? I'd never heard that one and I've been to a lot of places. I was rather stunned, since normally it's either "oui" or "non"...either of which is fine with me. I understand if they do or don't want photos taken in the store, but to make it conditional upon buying something is just so tacky.

I had my guest put down all the chocolates they were going to buy (which was a rather large quantity, btw) and we left.

It was pretty amazing and I will never go back.

←

It is a shame because their chocolate is pretty darn good. I think you did the right thing though. I would have done the same.

John, please do tell more either in this thread or somewhere else if it is OT.

[Daddy-A]

I went into Jean-Paul Hèvin in Paris yesterday with a group of guests, shopping for chocolate. One asked me if she could take a photo, so I politely asked the salesclerk, who replied, "You can only take a photo after you buy something."

<SNIP>

I had my guest put down all the chocolates they were going to buy (which was a rather large quantity, btw) and we left.

It was pretty amazing and I will never go back.

It is a shame because their chocolate is pretty darn good. I think you did the right thing though. I would have done the same.

That must have been a pretty important photo.

If your friend was going to buy the chocolates anyway, what was the big deal?

You could have left with the chocolates, your photo, and then shared the story here, and still had your sense of outrage noted. Instead, you left with your sense of outrage properly noted, but without really good chocolate or a photo.

I doubt the shop owner is losing any sleep.

A.

[docsconz]

I went into Jean-Paul Hèvin in Paris yesterday with a group of guests, shopping for chocolate. One asked me if she could take a photo, so I politely asked the salesclerk, who replied, "You can only take a photo after you buy something."

<SNIP>

I had my guest put down all the chocolates they were going to buy (which was a rather large quantity, btw) and we left.

It was pretty amazing and I will never go back.

It is a shame because their chocolate is pretty darn good. I think you did the right thing though. I would have done the same.

That must have been a pretty important photo.

If your friend was going to buy the chocolates anyway, what was the big deal?

You could have left with the chocolates, your photo, and then shared the story here, and still had your sense of outrage noted. Instead, you left with your sense of outrage properly noted, but without really good chocolate or a photo.

I doubt the shop owner is losing any sleep.

A.

←

Arne,

David runs some very highly regarded chocolate tours in Paris. The people who wanted to take photos are not just friends but clients. While they may have passed up buying some very good chocolate at Hevin, they were not going to pass up buying very good chocolate elsewhere as Paris is chock full of great chocolate and if anyone knows it it is David. I disagree, this is a policy that Hevin may very well end up regretting.

[Carlsbad]

I have a feeling that the sales clerk messed up big time. Obviously, she hasn't been to too many stores around the world. Let them know and give management a chance to make it right. If they don't, then please let us all know so we can avoid the place.

[David Lebovitz]

The kicker was we all just came from Michel Chaudun, who spent about 45 minutes with us, tasting, chatting, and being as kind as anyone could possibly be. My guests bought lots of chocolate (one spent over 400 euros!)

Everyone at Hèvin was planning to buy chocolate as well, and had chocolates picked out ready to buy. But after the salesperson (who I was later told was the manager) told me no pics w/out purchase, then started arguing with me and saying "it's the same everywhere in the world"... I advised everyone against buying and we split.

If there's a no-photo policy, fine.

If there's a yes-photo policy, fine.

I don't care either way, it's their perogative.

Why not just say, "We're sorry, but we don't allow photos."

(Like Ladurée, Le Grand Epicerie, Whole Foods, etc...)

But to make it conditional on a purchase is really a new one on me.

[John Talbott]

I had my guest put down all the chocolates they were going to buy (which was a rather large quantity, btw) and we left.

←

I have a hunch this is barely OT but four of us left most of our meal at Helene Darroze's downstairs place on the floor. We were cowardly, granted, but clear.

←

John,

That is quite a tease...how about the whole story. Pat&I went to her downstairs place not too long after it opened and were underwhelmed to say the least, but discovered that subsequently most of the reviews were spectacular.

←

I didn't mean to tease. I've been underwhelmed at both her places and truly stunned at her public relations' success (BTW, there was a photo spread of her in (ex-Paris) Match #2953 in various colored negligees and I can understand why some male critics might fall all over themselves for her - she's a stunner). But as a chef, nah.

Full story: I went once to the upstairs place shortly after it opened with my wife Colette and best French eating buddy, whom I've been eating with since 1957 (we usually agree). I found the food banal, he liked it but not enuf to rush back; Colette was in between. (Herself spent the lunchtime talking with a reporter/critic).

Then when the downstairs place opened with much fanfare as a lighter, more tapas-y, relaxed place, my buddy talked us into going back, this time with his wife as well. We ordered; the firsts arrived, inedible for all 4 of us; we sent at least one back for adjustment when the shocked waitperson saw us staring at our almost full plates with all our knife/forks fixed at 2 o'clock. The mains were no improvement and not wanting to go thru the whole explanation thing again (you know, it's probably us, Madam, it's just not to our taste, blah blah blah), we collected up the food and put it in plastic bags we all carry for various emergencies and left it were it couldn't be missed under our chairs. We could have carried it out and dumped it but we were so disappointed/angry/shocked we decided jointly to leave it as a message. I have subsequently found out that the reason she got/gets such good reviews/articles/photo-spreads/etc has more to do with her private life than cooking skills. And that's a story I don't intend to tell.

[artisanbaker]

i bet she detected "Ricans"

what is it... 10% of satisfied customers will tell the world about their positive experience while 90% of dissatisfied customers will tell the world...