Choco Heaven

Chocolat decorative sign

I haven’t really written too much about food despite the fact that I probably enjoy seeking out new gastronomical discoveries as much as the next blogger.  Seeing as local food blogs and resto review sites are a dime a dozen, and given the fact that my opportunities to be adventurous are quite limited due to my
domesticated lifestyle, it’s been a deliberate choice thus far to focus on sporting events and the like.  But since this blog was created to allow me to share my experiences, however mundane they are, I’ll try to write more often about a broader range of things, dining out being an obvious topic.

Today was a typical family visit to SM Mall of Asia, where we’ve been making an almost weekly pilgrimage for the past couple of months due to my son’s ongoing addiction to an afternoon of imprisonment at Kids Republic.  In a quest to try out something new for our meryenda, we spotted Chocolat in the ground level of MOA’s north wing, a smallish cake shop specializing in, you guessed it, chocolate cakes.  Now, my spouse and I aren’t exactly big chocolate addicts, but their displays were tempting enough that we decided to give it a go.  The place would struggle to seat more than 30 people, so being less than half-full when we arrived allowed us to settle in comfortably.

Chocolat cup (ironically containing coffee)

Their selection consists of a variety of chocolate cakes and the usual flavours of coffee (cappuccino, mocha, latte, etc).  And they’ve obviously stuck to what they know best, with no more than 20-30 items listed in their menu, including beverages.  Among the standout variants of cake are deep dark chocolate, hazelnut, Baileys, Kahlua, sugar-free choco mousse, and the intriguingly named Death by Tablea.  For the curious, a tablea is a solid block of cocoa powder, usually melted by cooking in water.  My earliest recollection of tableas are the type bought from La Resurrecion, a well-known chocolate factory located along Ongpin street in historic Binondo, packaged as rounded sticks of multiple blocks.  Back then, my mother used to pop a couple of blocks into my father’s morning serving of oatmeal, giving it a distinctly bitter and grainy chocolate flavor.  During the times when I partook of this concoction, I’d heap in a couple of tablespoonsful of sugar to give it a more palatable (for a kid) flavour.

Anyway, aside from the cakes and pastries, tableas from Davao were also sold on the counter, perhaps to maintain the restaurant’s theme.  They even had a chocolate clock hanging on the wall that looked good enough to eat.  We decided to try out the Baileys cake and, what else, Death by Tablea.  I can’t really say I could readily taste the Baileys flavour in my order, but all in all, it wasn’t too bad.  Not too sweet nor bitter, and somewhat lacking the usual aroma of chocolate, those who like their chocolate rich should probably pick something else.  Perhaps something like the Death by Tablea (DbT).  The DbT cake has the same moist outer layer as with the other flavors, but with a richer, sweeter flavor.  Oozing with generous amounts of choco frosting inside,  it should easily be one of their more popular items, one highly recommended for chocolate lovers.

Yum! Baileys chocolate cake

The cozy ambiance, surprisingly affordable prices, and gamut of choco choices available ensure that we’ll keep Chocolat in mind once that familiar craving hits.