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Citywalk at Universal Studios Hollywood has always been an ever changing landscape of eateries and stores. Long gone are: Blaze Pizza, Howl at the Moon, Karl Strauss, The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club, Quicksilver and the oh so beloved Zen Zone. But one of the biggest closures was The Hard Rock Cafe. Not only is this a major fixture of the Citywalk in Orlando, but it took prime real-estate at ours in Hollywood. When it closed, we all wondered what would come next. Little did we know we’d get something better, something extremely familiar…and a full blown pandemic. Bet you didn’t see that coming? Back in December of 2019, Universal officially announced that Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen would be coming to Citywalk in 2021. Looking back at the emails, I’m just as shocked as you are. Now it’s 2023 and we finally have seen the opening of the fun and unique restaurant at Citywalk.

We had the tremendous opportunity to visit the newly opened restaurant to try out the drinks, food, and of course…the desserts. Toothsome Chocolate Emporium (TCE) is known for their over the top and decadent desserts. As I mentioned before, there is a TCE location in Orlando. But unfortunately when we last visited, we were unable to visit because the line was too long. But we did partake in a shake. So I was very excited to finally try the food from the “Savory Feast Kitchen”.

TCE is a fantastic addition to the lineup of incredible food offerings at Citywalk LA. In fact, I’d go so far to say that it’s the most unique and fun restaurant at Citywalk to date. With its distinctive steampunk design and its lovable original characters of Jacques and Penelope; TCE does everything right to set itself apart from the rest.

Speaking of Penelope and Jacques, they have a very fun backstory. As the story goes…the love of chocolate is at the core of Penelope’s family. Penelope, an innovator at heart, created Jacques, her trusty robot and confidant, to travel and explore the world. Upon returning to her small cottage home in London, England, after an extended trip abroad, Penelope discovered that her parents ventured out on a quest to find her, leaving a simple message – “We have set out to join you in your adventures. Surely the world isn’t so big that we can’t find you. We shall look for you wherever chocolate can be found.” 

Thus, Penelope knew what she had to do. Armed with the insight she had on all things chocolate, Penelope created The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. Her mission to share her passion and love of the sweet treat with the world was also grounded in the hope that one day her parents would find her. Very bitter sweet…much like chocolate. But not many restaurants have backstories, let alone original characters.

During our visit we got to chat with these awesome characters and they are a ton of fun. Their ability to strike up a conversation with literally anyone dining in the restaurant is sure to bring joy to so many people looking for a sweet treat.

Let’s waist no more time and talk about the different offerings at TCE! While we didn’t get to try every single item on the menu, we did get to try a variety of items. Plus they had version of the food, as they would be served for photos. Be warned, if you’re reading this on an empty stomach, you might want to look away. Or just make a reservation soon at Toothsome.

One of the dishes that we got to try that I absolutely fell in love with was the Shrimp Mac and Cheese. It was completely packed with shrimp and had great flavor. The Braised Short Rib was calling my name the entire night, so we’ll have to return to try that out as well. We also got to try the Mushroom Risotto which ended up being rather delicious. Next are the drinks!

We are suckers for a great drink menu at any restaurant. That’s why we are big fans of Antojitos down the way at Citywalk. But we were pleasantly surprised by the variety of drinks that are offered at TCE. We tried the Root Beer Old Fashioned, Cocoa Clouds, Candy Smith’s Sweet Tooth, and the PB Cup Fashioned. Hands down our favorite of the night was the PB Cup Fashioned!

Served with peanut butter cups and an orange peel, the PB Cup Fashioned really made an impression on me. The citrusy essence of the orange complimented the sweet and chocolaty nature of the drink. For context, old fashions are my favorite drink of all time. I would typically judge bars based on their ability to make a classic old fashioned. So going into this drink, I was skeptical. But I think I found a variation of the classic drink that I now have a new love for. Last but certainly not least, we have the desserts.

Of course we have a variety of items from the menu that not only look amazing, but tasted so dang good too. We got to try the Chocolate Creme Brulee and the Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding. The Creme Brulee was by far the favorite out of the two. It brought that signature Creme Brulee texture with an intense taste of semi sweet chocolate. The semi sweet nature of the chocolate balance the dessert well, so that it didn’t end up overly sweet. The bread pudding was great too, but ours was served without the ice cream. Which explains why I thought it was maybe a little dry. If we had the ice cream, that would help this dish out tremendously. Knowing this, we will go back to make sure to try it again.

Then of course, we had to get ourselves a shake. If you’ve never purchased a shake from TCE, you’re in for a treat…literally. These shakes are a feast for the eyes and taste so good. Each one is unique in it’s flavors and it’s over the top decorations.

As you can see, some of these shakes come with a full slice of cake and pie attached to the straw. They are a meal onto themselves! I ordered the Heavenly Hazelnut, my friends ordered the Key Lime Pie and the Confetti. Each come with a take home plastic mason jar with the name of the restaurant right up front. These drinks do range from $14.50 – $16, which might sound a bit expensive for a drink. But when the container is a souvenir as well, the price feels a bit more palatable. If the shakes at the Dessert Foundry weren’t enough. You can also visit the Candy Smith counter to experience a cornucopia of sweet treats, including 30 different flavors of macarons, truffles and an expansive offering of deliciousness, along with unique apparel and themed collectibles.

OVERALL

With its unique steampunk design, characters, and delicious food offerings; Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen has quickly cemented itself as a MUST SEE eatery at Universal Citywalk LA. Many of the restaurants at Citywalk offer great drinks and incredible food, but not all take the idea of themed entertainment and wind it through the very essence of what the restaurant aims to be. TCE takes a themed restaurant experience to the next level, something we’ve not yet encounter at our Citywalk in Hollywood. I think TCE could be the type of restaurant that draws people to Citywalk, solely to try the outrageous desserts on the menu. I’m not sure any other establishment has been able to do that just yet. And if the 5+ hour standby wait for a table is any indication, then TCE is doing it as we speak. We honestly cannot wait to visit again to try more of the offerings. Of course, stay tuned to our socials because when we do, you’ll be the first to hear our opinions on the different dishes.

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