The air crackled with anticipation, a subtle sweetness mingling with the refined elegance of ITC Maurya in Delhi as we gathered for an exclusive preview. Fabelle, ITC Hotels’ purveyor of luxury chocolates, was unveiling its latest Valentine’s Day offering, The Arc of Love, alongside a specially curated seven-course dining experience. The new collection is an edible rendition of a relationship’s evolution, translated into five exquisite, heartshaped pralines designed to evoke the emotions each stage of love represents.
We commence with The Beginning, a pristine white chocolate shell filled with milk choco mousse and delicious caramelised Macadamia nuts, which truly captures the nascent blush of a new romance.
Next, The Bloom burst forth with chocolate shell housing a spicy mousse. The Bond followed, entwining the sweet and sour moments of passionate love with a velvety Ruby chocolate shell filled with lemon conserve and dark mousse.
The Belief, a bite marrying the dark chocolate dipped and pure cocoa liquor, a grounding flavour that symbolised the deepening roots of a relationship.
However, every epic has its minor discord and for us, The Beyond proved to be the collection’s least favourite. While conceptually aiming for eternal love, its flavour profile (cheese mousse with a hint of French Sea Salt in a milk chocolate shell), perhaps a little too abstract or muted, didn’t quite resonate with the profound impact of what was served before it.
Beyond chocolate, Fabelle brings The Arc of Love to life through a thoughtfully curated seven-course luxury dining experience where cocoa becomes the thread that binds cuisine, emotion and memory. Marinated Burrata with Mesclun Greens Sour Cherry glaze and Dark Chocolate Curls was served as the first course. The creaminess of cheese is cut by the bitterness of the chocolate balancing the cherry notes.
Next, Beet Carpaccio with Goat Cheese and White Chocolate Drizzle arrived at the table, serving a savoury dessert with the dual sweetness of beet and chocolate, accompanied by tangy cheese. It's non-vegetarian version Smoked Salmon with Goat Cheese and White Chocolate Drizzle was equally compelling with distinctly smoky flavour.
The third course, Jerusalem Artichoke Soup, Spiced Confit Prawn, Dark Chocolate, plated a combination of umami, warm, nutty and intense flavours. After a brief pause, we continued to relish the next course — Sicilian Lemon Infused Avocado Battuta with Toasted Hazelnut Crumble and Cocoa Dust.
Zesty creaminess of lemon and avocado here are punctuated by woody crunches of the hazelnuts and bitterness of the cocoa dust. It's Chicken Liver Pate with Toasted Hazelnut Crumble and Cocoa Dust alternative proved be quite the competitor giving velvety, creamy and mildly earthy taste that we loved.
Homemade Fettuccini with Scallop Roasted Peppers Dark Chocolate and Aged Parmesan Crumble arrives next. Its salty, sweet and charred flavours are all tied together by the dark chocolate. The last but one brought Confit Boletus with Aged Parmesan Risotto and Dark Chocolate Glaze to the table. While the previous dishes used chocolate to contrast sweetness, this one uses it to reinforce t he earthiness of the mushroom.
Lastly, we indulge in the decadent Cocoa Trail of four desserts, each serving unique flavour profiles and textures, showcasing Fabelle’s bean-to-bar expertise and contemporary craftsmanship. The trail begins with Dark Chocolate & Orange Cannoli, where intense cocoa is lifted by bright citrus notes and a delicate crunch. The Milk Chocolate & Brown Butter Caramel follows with a rich, comforting profile — silky milk chocolate layered with nutty brown butter caramel.
The White Chocolate, Rose & Litchi Crémeux introduces a delicate floral dimension, blending creamy white chocolate with aromatic rose and juicy litchi for an elegant, perfumed experience. Ending, Ruby Chocolate, Cherry & Pistachio Mousseline delivers a vibrant combination that pairs ruby chocolate’s natural berry notes with tart cherry and nutty pistachio.
The menu will be hosted exclusively on February 14 across at ITC Hotels' signature in-house restaurants, Cajsa (Bengaluru) and Ottimo (Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru) and will be priced at ₹15,000 per couple. The limited-edition handcrafted praline collection, The Arc of Love is priced at ₹845 and available online.
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