Sponsored

On Saturday, February 9 from 2 to 4 p.m., visit the brand-new Cloud 10 Creamery location at 3201 Louisiana for a special tasting event showcasing the work of co-owner and pastry chef Chris Leung. The event is sponsored by Callebaut, maker of a wide range of fine chocolates chosen by top pastry chefs around the world for its consistency and high quality. For the event, Leung has crafted a special ice cream that uses a full range of Callebaut chocolate:  Milk Chocolate with a Dark and White Chocolate Swirl “magic shell”. It is also available for all of Houston Chocolate Hero Month, which ends on February 10!

(Chocolate lovers, if you’ve been filling out your Callebaut Houston Chocolate Hero Passport to redeem for a free Callebaut apron, this week is the time to make the remainder of your visits! Click here for the map of all participating locations.)

Leung is a Houston native who swapped his focus from chemistry to pastry after discovering that it was a creative outlet that also satisfied his love for precision work and experimentation. He studied under Belgian pastry chef Eddy Van Damme at Houston Community College. Next, Leung raised his profile in Houston as a pastry chef at several notable restaurants, including Yelapa, Bootsie’s (both now closed) and Kata Robata. In 2012, he joined Balcor Hospitality to open the first Cloud 10 Creamery in Houston. Since then, the ice cream shop has grown to multiple locations, including one in the Heights and the newest in Midtown.

Leung says he’s used Callebaut chocolate throughout his career. “It’s always been a good product with an emphasis on sustainability, which is a really cool thing,” he said. “That practice even extends to their basic milk and dark chocolates.”

Another quality that Leung evaluates in chocolate is mouth-feel. “The Callebaut chocolates I am choosing for the ice cream and the ‘magic shell’ are a little thicker. When it melts in your mouth, I like that mouth-feel better in a frozen product. For the magic shell especially, I like a chocolate that is thicker than what you’d use for bonbons or decorations.”

Callebaut has many different types of dark, milk and white chocolates. Leung personally leans towards those with caramel-like notes rather than vanilla. “Callebaut doesn’t put too much vanilla and I prefer that. The dark chocolate is a good, roasted cocoa flavor that’s more on the bitter end, not fruity.”

Callebaut launched the Chocolate Heroes promotion as a way to celebrate the chefs working to create these sweet masterpieces.

“Every day, chefs work hard to get that ultimate reward: the smile of their customers when they indulge in that great-tasting chocolate treat,” said Callebaut marketing manager Miriam Madrigal. “We want to help Chocolate Heroes in Houston tell their story, connect them with chocolate lovers in their communities, and create some buzz around their shops by featuring them through partners like Houston Food Finder, the new Chocolate Heroes website and social media.”

Cloud 10 Creamery is one of eight independent Houston businesses featured during Houston Chocolate Heroes Month. View the map to see all eight participating shops. At each, pick up a Houston Chocolate Hero Month Passport and collect a sticker for each of the treats throughout the month. Once you’ve collected all eight stickers, use the attached, pre-stamped envelope to mail the passport and receive a FREE Chocolate Heroes apron!

For the most up-to-date information, follow and tag these on social media:

Facebook: Callebaut.US and HoustonFoodFinder

Instagram: @CallebautChocolate and @HoustonFoodFinder

Twitter: @HTownFoodFinder

Use hashtags #ChocolateHeroes and #HoustonFoodFinder to keep up with the latest posts!

For questions or additional information on the Houston Chocolate Heroes events, please email us. We look forward to seeing you and trying these delectable chocolate creations as a community!

Phaedra Cook

Phaedra Cook has written about Houston’s restaurant and bar scene since 2010. She was a regular contributor to My Table magazine (now closed) and was the lead restaurant critic for the Houston Press for two years, eventually being promoted to food editor. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has been its editor and publisher ever since.