At Maison Marou Saigon, An abundance of amazing artisanal gourmet chocolate made from locally grown cacao

I got sidetracked with the holiday season being in full swing and left off in the middle of my Vietnam trip. I’d written about my great experience with Back of the Bike food tour, and today, I’m sharing with you the best place in Ho Chi Minh City to get delicious gourmet artisanal chocolates.Maison Marou was founded by deux amis francois (“two French friends—and that’s the extent of my French). The amis came to create this now-thriving chocolate shop in Vietnam after working in different industries and living in other countries. In introducing high-quality chocolates to the Saigonese, Maison Marou helped foster the growth of quality cacao farms in Vietnam. Now they source their chocolate locally, and it’s damn good stuff. Who would’ve thought cacao would be part of the Vietnamese agricultural landscape?The hubs and I tried their famous chocolate drinks and desserts, and being a lover of dark chocolate, I found everything to be drool-worthy. I especially enjoyed the chocolate tart (bought another one to take home to my family) and the Paris Saigon, a delicate pastry recommended to us by one of the owners. We nibbled at our shared bites, savoring the palatable experience while observing the pastry chefs through a glass window on the other side of the bar.On another occasion, the hubs and I dropped in to use their wifi over a cappuccino and, of course, chocolate. The space is warm and brightly lit, and the tables and couches are conducive to reading or working on your laptop.I love Maison Marou’s origin story and their balls-out approach to starting a business in a foreign country. I often advise people to take risks, even though I’m extremely risk-adverse myself. But what I’ve learned over the years is the greatest rewards in life have almost always come at the expense of big risk.Support Maison Marou—and thereby the local cacao farmers—by visiting their chocolate shop and cafe in District 1, and pick up some chocolates this holiday season for both yourself and those on your gift list. If you love chocolate, I guarantee you’ll love what they’re doing at Maison Marou.Maison Marou Saigon167-169 CalmetteNguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam