Award Winning Hawaii Chocolatier adds Sweet Luxury to Maui

Award Winning Hawaii Chocolatier adds Sweet Luxury to Maui



Lahaina, Maui Oct 9th, 2010

Sweet Paradise Chocolatier, an artisan chocolate company owned by Melanie Boudar with a retail location in Kailua, Oahu is expanding its horizons to Maui.

The company has relocated its production kitchen from the Big Island of Hawaii to the Lahaina Design Center in West Maui due to open mid October. It will be an open concept kitchen where customers can order a handmade hot chocolate or 100% Hawaiian drip/French press coffee, and sit and watch the artisan chocolates being made. You may also purchase a guided tasting flight of world origin chocolates including Hawaii grown chocolate.

Customers can purchase fresh take home boxes of chocolates direct from the kitchen showcase which will tempt you with its myriad of colors ,textures and flavors such as Coconut Curry, Lilikoi Silk, Mango Mojito, Cappucino Tiramisu Lime in the Coconut, Lemon Basil with Pink Peppercorn or Wasbe Ginger Sesame. Melanie creates over 40 unique and tropical flavor truffles and confections, whose hand painted artistry looks like edible gems, and is made with premium dark , milk and white chocolates.

Melanie chose the Lahaina Design Center after meeting award- winning kitchen designer Rick Cowan of Archipelago Maui. Archipelago built out the unique commercial kitchen for Sweet Paradise Chocolatier which looks more like a TV set from the Food Network than an industrial kitchen. The Lahaina Design Center and Sweet Paradise Chocolatier plan to host various chocolate and cooking classes plus foodie events in the new space.

Sweet Paradise Chocolatier has also signed a lease with the new Wailea Gateway Center, Piilani Hwy at Wailea Ike Dr and will join other fine retailers and restaurants like Merrimans, Pita Paradise and Waterlily Boutique in that location. The store is scheduled to open in time for Xmas and will also feature Tropical Dreams Premium Ice Cream, Gelato and Sorbets, made on the Big Island . In her signature style Melanie has designed the store interior to showcase the world origins of fine chocolate from the colorful cocoa pods produced by the tree to finished bars and confections. The store will feature a life size replica of a cacao tree created by artist Elizabeth Miller of Volcano.

Melanie has won numerous awards for her chocolate artistry including the Coveted Judges Choice award 3 years running at the Kona Chocolate Festival, Kailua Chamber of Commerce’s best new Business in 2009 , 2010 Talk of the Town Customer Service award, and The Edible Hawaiian Islands Magazine Local Hero Food Artisan award in 2010.



More information contact: Melanie Boudar Hawaiichocolate@gmail.com

Or (808) 557-5358 www.sweetparadisechocolate.com



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Lahaina Maui Chocolate Kitchen

Our Lahaina, Maui Chocolate kitchen is under construction with a mid October target date to be up and running (which means a party!) The kitchen is located at 75 Kupuohi St, in the Lahaina Industrial area, Its inside the Lahaina Design Center, home of Archipelago Hawaii, kitchen designer Rick Cowan, Davis Tile and Marble and At Home Home Theatre.We can't wait to get some chocolate working in this beautiful kitchen. We will have a walk in retail showcase where you can purchase fresh chocolates.
Umm I'm already going thru my own chocolate withdrawal since I packed up the enrober and equipment to ship to Maui on the barge.

Sweet Paradise receives Award

Sweet Paradise was the recent recipient for the Local Hero 2010 Food Artisan Award given by the Edible Hawaiian Islands Magazine. Edible Hawaiian Islands is part of the Edible Communities-A magazine published bi-monthly in cities across the country.
We are honored to be recognized with this award and proud to be a member of such an exciting foodie community in Hawaii.

At 4 Pm today I received this picture. Its our Kailua store and its...SOLD OUT! A record day of chocolate for us. We had planned on being open Sunday, Valentines Day, but now we can't. Waikoloa is a similar story. At 2:30 I got a call that maybe we had 500 pieces of chocolate left. Tomorrow I am on my way to the Hilton Waikoloa for a benefit Valentines Brunch where I will be giving away over a $1000 of chocolate while my store sits almost empty. I thought of not going...but I promised I'd do the benefit and the show must go on. There is a Beach Boys concert in Waikoloa tomorrow, the resort will be jammed. I ran to the store tonight and bought about 100 strawberries. I will get up at 4Am and dip them because strawberries must be dipped and eaten the same day or they are gross. I am tempering a little chocolate tonight to dip a few apricots and raspberry truffles but I have no real equipment over here...its in the Tropical Dreams kitchen 100 miles away. What a predicament.
Thank you everyone for keeping us on your Valentine's Short list!

Pineapple Starfruit

I am so excited every time we find perfect starfruit in the farmers market. (which is not often). To be a chocolate decoration they have to be exactly the right size, and ripeness. We take them, slice them and dry them carefully in our Excaliber dehydrator and the little stars are adorable when finished.
When I've collected enough stars we produce a chocolate called Pineapple Starfruit. This confection is made with Waialua Hawaiian Milk Chocolate on the inside. It has a rich caramel raisiny flavor enhanced by pureed pineapple, fresh cream and a splash of starfruit juice. Its then enrobed in dark chocolate and decorated with the dried star.

Because its so scarce, Pineapple Starfruit is only offered in our pretty ocean blue 7 pc tropical box along with Lilikoi Silk, Mango Ginger, Kona Coffee, Macadamia Nut ,Coconut Creme Brulee and Island Spice ( Fresh young Ginger, Kona Vanilla,Kona Cinnamon and Puna Cloves, all spices sourced on the Big Island). This box makes a great gift to take home to friends in those cold climates who are dreaming about the tropics.