Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen has officially opened at Universal CityWalk in Hollywood! Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome and her robotic companion, Jacques, are happy to welcome all travelers and curious epicureans for a dining experience inside of this giant steampunk facility featuring a robust selection from burgers, pizzas and entrees to sundaes, desserts, and insane milkshake concoctions… and, of course, CHOCOLATE!
We’ve had the chance to taste several items on the menu, enjoy this look at the brand-new restaurant!
For the uninitiated, Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen is split up into three main functions. First and foremost, at the heart of the location is a Savory Feast Kitchen restaurant space which spans two levels. On left side of the property, you’ll find the Dessert Foundry where you can pick up one of the location’s signature over-the-top milkshakes. On the right side of the restaurant is the Candy Smith where you can pick up handmade candies, macarons, and other ready-to-go sweet treats along with a myriad of gift shop items including apparel, trinkets, and more candy.
Ready for a taste? Let’s check out the brand-new Hollywood Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen!
The Food
Chocolate Almond Bread ($5.95) is a classic menu offering here. Fresh chocolate almond bread with salted caramel butter. The bread is hot and delicious but not as sweet or chocolatey as you might fear. It has tiny bits of melty chocolate that tastes amazing on its own but then paired with the sweet butter it’s like eating a cupcake before dinner.
Avocado Bruschetta ($11.95) features fresh avocado, tomato bruschetta, avocado cream, balsamic reduction, crispy fried onions, toasted crostini. There’s some nice flavors here that meld together beautifully in each bite.
French Onion Soup ($7.95 cup, $11.95 bowl) doesn’t offer any twists but a dish like this requires no fussing. Croutons, Gruyere cheese and parmesan — a perfect assemblage for this hearty rich classic.
Braised Short Rib ($26.95) is served with aged cheddar grits, roasted carrots, natural jus, and cocoa gremolata. This is one of our favorite dishes, not only does it taste great but it has a fun and unique twist with that cocoa gremolata that gives it a savory hit of cocoa without being a sugary sweet mess.
Toothsome Niçoise ($23.95) features a house twist on the French classic with citrus crusted tuna, fingerling potatoes, olives, eggs, asparagus, tomatoes, red onion, and a zesty citrus vinaigrette. We liked this a good bit but there’s so many other things to try!
Brisket & Wild Mushroom Meatloaf ($21.95) is paired with roasted corn, crispy fried onions, Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, and bordelaise sauce. It’s perfectly satisfying and tastes great but there’s nothing particular standout here other than the looks.
Toothsome Signature Beef Tenderloin ($32.95) features a 6.oz filet, sherry mushroom cream, Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, pearl onions, grilled asparagus and shallot jam. This dish earns top marks with an incredible combination of flavors and textures.
Country Fresh French Toast ($20.95) is a savory twist on the breakfast classic with challah brioche stuffed with Gruyere cheese and smoky ham, sunny side-up egg, Bernaise sauce, and Lyonnaise potatoes. Get a taste of brunch any time of day, any day of the week!
Broccoli Cheddar Quiche ($16.95) features English Colby cheddar, fresh broccoli, fresh fruit. and a side salad. We found the portion sizing to be woefully off. The sum of all parts here does not add up to a full meal, you’ll be hungry for more — but it does taste great!
Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding ($12) features three types of chocolate and a white chocolate ice cream. Decadent and over-the-top, this is exactly the kind of dessert you’d expect from a place called the Chocolate Emporium.
Chocolate Potted Cream ($11) was wholly satisfying but there’s nothing remarkable or interesting going on here. If you want some rich silky pudding-like chocolate then this is the way to go. It’s served in a copper pan which adds points for presentation but not enough to recommend.
Apple Pie Sundae ($14) has a streusel topping, warm apple pie filling, vanilla ice cream, and cinnamon sugar pie crumbles. If you’re not in the mood for chocolate, this is a REALLY good choice. It was reminiscent of Cinnamon Toast Crunch with great textures and flavors all around.
More to Taste
Here’s a few more dishes that were featured at a recent tasting event, we didn’t try these but we’re definitely eyeballing that Chicken Bercy, Berries and Cream Waffle, and Chocolate Brioche S’mores.
Hungry For More?
Check out our previous posting below for a full look at the entire menu!
The Dessert Foundry
On the left side of the restaurant, you’ll find the Dessert Foundry with a milkshake bar. You don’t have to be dining in the restaurant to pick up a signature frosty concoction here. In fact, it has a dedicated entrance on the side of the building.
A myriad of decadent milkshakes await those adventurous enough to try!
The completely vegan Pineapple Upside Down Milkshake is DIVINE. It’s smooth and easy to drink, not as rich as some of the other milkshakes is has a Vegan pineapple upside down cake on top and the milkshake features brown sugar, caramel, pineapple, and oat milk whipped topping. We’re going to be back for this one.
The Candy Smith
On the right side of the restaurant, you’ll find the Candy Smith with handmade chocolates, desserts, and macarons. You don’t have to be dining in the restaurant to pick up a signature concoction here. In fact, it has a dedicated entrance on the side of the building.
The Gift Shop
Connected to the Candy Kitchen is a full-fledged gift shop with steampunk related gifts plus tons of candy and other gift options.
One fun detail inside the restaurant is that it actually still boats the original electric guitar railings from the location’s previous incarnation as a Hardrock Cafe. Oddly enough the wrought-iron detail fits perfectly in amongst all the steampunk décor.
See it for Yourself
Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen officially opens at Hollywood’s Universal CityWalk January 27, 2023! If you’re at CityWalk in Hollywood before the official opening date, you might be able to snag a table during its soft open.
- For Reservations call 818-622-2222 or Reserve Online. See the official site for more details.
- Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen offers validation for Valet Parking at Universal CityWalk only.
