Cacao & Cardamom [Photo: Facebook]
When Annie Rupani isn't busy handcrafting delicate chocolates covered in bold, vivid colors—confections that look more like jewelry than anything edible— she's busy building out her retail shop for Cacao & Cardamom, a soon-to-open Galleria-area chocolate boutique that specializes in high-end treats. If the name sounds familiar, it's because the chocolate company is already popular around Houston, with boxes frequently spotted at special events and local shops. But now the young entrepreneur will soon have a chocolate hub at 5000 Westheimer where she will offer locally made treats that showcase an unexpected, exotic slant. Rupani's curious flavor combinations—think lychee-basil and cardamom-rose and masala-pistachio—are in inspired by the chocolatier's travels and cultural background. Having been raised by parents of Pakistani descent, Sugar Land-born Rupani utilizes South Asian flavors and offbeat combinations and is as conscious of terroir as any sommelier might be. Thankfully for us, Rupani decided against a career in law to dedicate herself to upscale chocolate making.
At the shop she'll be offering chocolate and wine pairing events, specialty sipping chocolates and chocolate-making classes. Here now, see the progress at the upcoming store.
· Cacao & Cardamom [Official Site]
· All Other Coming Attractions [-EHOU-]
