By Amanda Pirkowski and Kate Wunderlich
Medill Reports
Dubai chocolate, the new indulgence and dessert of the moment, can be enjoyed in ways other than its solid, chocolate form. Bliss Bowls, a family-run açaí and smoothie store with four locations in the Midwest, including one in the Loop, is doing just that. The place put a special twist on the recent Dubai chocolate craze, creating a Dubai chocolate açaí bowl.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
Amanda Pirkowski: Good evening and welcome to Medill Reports. I’m Amanda Pirkowski.
Kate Wunderlich: And I’m Kate Wunderlich. Today, we’re diving into a sweet trend taking over social media and our taste buds, Dubai chocolate.
Pirkowski: I’ve definitely seen it all over my social media feed, and it’s not your ordinary chocolate bar. It’s chunky and filled with pistachio cream and a crispy kataifi pastry, basically, a shredded, fried wheat.
Wunderlich: The trend began in Dubai’s top-tier chocolate shops but then exploded across the U.S., with influencers jumping on the hype and fast-food chains like Shake Shack offering a Dubai chocolate shake.
Pirkowski: But here in Chicago, one family business decided to put their own spin on the treat. They created a Dubai chocolate açaí bowl, a new addition to all of their other sweet bowl offerings. Let’s take a look at Bliss Bowls.
Wunderlich: Joining us now to tell us all about Bliss Bowls and this sweet, Dubai chocolate innovation is Maysa Abdullah, owner of Bliss Bowls in the Loop. Welcome.
Maysa Abdullah, Owner of Bliss Bowls in the Loop: Thank you so much for having me.
Pirkowski: Yes, so first of all, Maysa, can you tell us exactly what is açaí, this purple liquid we’ve got going here?
Abdullah: So, açaí is a berry that grows in the Amazon rainforest in South America. It is very popular in Brazil. It also has a lot of health benefits. It’s known to boost energy, promote skin health and help in digestion.
Pirkowski: Amazing.
Wunderlich: Wow, I need to eat some more açaí.
Pirkowski: Definitely.
Wunderlich: And how did you discover this superfood?
Abdullah: It all started when my brother went on his trip to Hawaii and had his first açaí bowl there, and he immediately fell in love with it. He loved the flavor, the concept. He loved that it was delicious and healthy, and it looked beautiful, too, all of the colors of the fruits and the look of it. He fell in love with it, so he decided to bring it here to Chicago and Wisconsin. And he said, “Let’s all team up the siblings and start our first business.”
Wunderlich: Wow.
Pirkowski: Yes, we love a family business. So, you’ve obviously got these traditional, fruity bowls. But can you tell us a little bit more specifically about the Dubai chocolate one?
Abdullah: Yes, our bowls are all inspired by each of our siblings. My sister actually came up with that one. She called me and said, “I tried the Dubai chocolate bar, and I fell in love with it. Let’s bring it into our açaí bowl.” And that’s when we experimented. And it complemented our açaí base so well. We put it on the menu, and it was a big hit.
Wunderlich: Wow. Could you show us how to make one of those?
Abdullah: Yes.
Pirkowski: Let’s do it.
Abdullah: So, you start off, we do our açaí through a soft-serve machine. That’s how we get the swirl.
Pirkowski: A beautiful swirl, very tall, too.
Abdullah: Yes, and we have granola.
Wunderlich: And where do you get your granola?
Abdullah: We get our granola. We have two types of granola. We have a company make it for us. We have a gluten free and one with almonds.
Pirkowski: This is fresh fruit. This looks wonderful.
Abdullah: Yes.
Pirkowski: And, so then, what are we putting on next?
Abdullah: Next, we will put on the Nutella.
Wunderlich: Do you use that in any other bowls that you sell?
Abdullah: Yes, we actually have a Nutella bowl with strawberries and bananas. Our Nutella in the store is actually warmed up, so that’s why it’s kind of hard right now.
Pirkowski: Ooh, the pistachio cream. I’m excited about this.
Wunderlich: Delicious.
Abdullah: We actually made this bowl on St. Patrick’s Day. That’s when we launched it because it’s green.
Pirkowski: So creamy and delicious. Yum. And this is the kataifi, right?
Abdullah: Yes. This is the phyllo dough.
Pirkowski: That’s what’s in the Dubai chocolate right there.
Abdullah: That’s the center of it. And then we put more pistachio.
Wunderlich: Looks so creamy.
Abdullah: It is. And then we end it off with dark, shaved chocolate.
Pirkowski: Yum. Amazing.
Wunderlich: Wow, looks delicious.
Pirkowski: I think we’re going to dive in and do a taste test right here.
Abdullah: Go ahead.
Pirkowski: Exciting. So, more than just this, what are some of the other bowls that you have at Bliss Bowls?
Abdullah: We have fruity options, like the Brazilian bowl, which is strawberry, mango, kiwi. We have a very berry bowl, which is all berries – strawberry, raspberry and blueberries.
Pirkowski: Ooh, that sounds tasty.
Abdullah: Yes, we also have a popular one with peanut butter. It’s called the peanut butter bowl. We’re also coming up with the back-to-school bowl, which is going to be a s’mores bowl. It’s gonna have graham crackers and marshmallows to complement the fall, too.
Pirkowski: Yes, peanut butter reminds me of school. Anyway, this is delicious with kataifi and the pistachio. Definitely reminds me of a Dubai chocolate bar.
Abdullah: Yes.
Pirkowski: But thank you so much, Maysa, for joining us here today.
Abdullah: Thank you so much for having me. Thank you.
Wunderlich: For more açaí combinations, be sure to visit the Bliss Bowls website. And, for more trends, visit Medill Reports.
Pirkowski: Yes, thank you again.
Amanda Pirkowski and Kate Wunderlich are graduate students at Medill. You can follow Amanda on Instagram at @amandapirkowski and Kate at @kate_wunderlich.
Bliss Bowls in the Loop is located at 115 N. Wabash Ave. You can also learn more at https://www.blissbowls.us/ or @blissbowls_acai on Instagram.
