I’m indifferent to pears, but poached pears get my curiosity, and @sofrancesg Poire Belle-Hélène has my attention. Priced reasonably at fourteen dollars before additional customs, this classic French dessert of poached pear drizzled with chocolate sauce & complemented with vanilla ice cream is a rare sight in Singapore.⠀
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Unlike its more common distant relative, the wine poached pear, Poire Belle-Hélène is poached in simple syrup and is alcohol free. As such, most of the flavour comes from the pear itself, and the chocolate sauce. So France is incredibly generous with their chocolate sauce, and the pear is positively inundated with it. It’s rich, bittersweet & smooth, a perfect complement to anything sweet.⠀
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Unfortunately, the pear itself seemed like it wasn’t ripe just yet, as it was a bit bland despite being poached in simple syrup. Additionally, it was still a touch hard, requiring concerted effort from a spoon or a knife to cut through it. Still, the lush chocolate sauce, velvety vanilla ice cream and whipped cream were more than enough to ameliorate the shortcomings of the poached pear.