Choconoir

Setting up shop near the Wadala Truck Terminal on Paud Road wasn’t exactly what most people expected for a place like Choconoir. It’s a gritty part of town with a lot of noise and big vehicles moving around all day long, but we’ve made our little space work for us. Inside, it's a completely different world from the dust and chaos outside. We spend most of our hours hovering over batches of dark chocolate, trying to get the consistency just right. It’s a finicky process, and if the room temperature isn’t exactly where it needs to be, everything goes wrong. I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve had to start over because a batch seized up. We don’t have a flashy storefront with big neon lights. It’s just a practical workspace where we get things done. Most of the people who come by are regulars from the surrounding offices or folks who happen to be in the area for business. We keep the counters plain and the focus is mostly on the kitchen area in the back. It’s a lot of standing on your feet and scrubbing pots at the end of the shift. We aren't trying to be some high-end boutique; we just like the work and the way the place smells when the heaters are going. It’s a bit of a trek to get to 100/4, but we’re usually here from early morning until the sun goes down. It’s a long day, but it’s worth it.