Chocolatier living the sweet life
When the restaurant empire he worked so hard to grow began to fall apart, Ramon Perez thought about chocolate.
He always wanted to open a chocolatier — something fun after years as the executive pastry chef of the David Myers Group, based in Los Angeles, which included Michelin-starred restaurant Sona and the bakery Boule. Much to the surprise of many in the national food world, Perez decided to take his talents to a barren business park in Sacramento. “I love the possibilities,” he says. “I feel we are sort of in the beginning stages of what Sacramento’s food scene truly is — and for me, it’s exciting to be a part and contributing factor of that growth.”
In 2013, he and his wife, Nicole, started Puur Chocolat, an artisanal chocolate boutique that primarily operates online. The flavors are bold, unique and largely inspired by travels through Asia: gochujang-red miso, passion fruit-ginger, lychee-red curry, coconut-caramel with yuzu kosho.
Perez, 35, started his fine-dining career at age 12, working in the kitchen of Napa’s Auberge du Soleil. One day, he wants to showcase his background and technique with a soft-serve ice cream shop somewhere in downtown Sacramento — only these will be composed sundaes on steroids. Think white miso soft serve with apricot jam, butterscotch, togarashi and puffed rice, or a cucumber base with aloe vera, yogurt and pickled green strawberries.
Certainly, Sacramento’s relatively low rents helped draw Perez, but the city’s proximity to San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and fantastic farms didn’t hurt, either.
“For me, it’s a dream location that I am proud to call home,” he says.