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[thehungrykat1]

Tsokolateria Artisanal Cafe Opens New Branch at SM Aura Premier

One of my favorite hangout places in Tagaytay has just opened a new branch here in Metro Manila. Tsokolateria Artisanal Cafe is a popular restaurant in Tagaytay and Baguio serving everything cacao and everything local. I usually go there for their very rich and luscious hot chocolate as well as for their chocolate-inspired meriendas and desserts. Now, I don’t have to troop all the way to Tagaytay to satisfy my chocolate cravings.

Tsokolateria opened its newest branch at the 5th Level Skypark of SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City. This brings them much closer to their many hungry customers, especially as its owner Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu and new partner John Michael Hilton of Visum Ventures plans to expand the franchise to five new branches in Metro Manila this year.

Foodies and tourists have been trooping to Tsokolateria Tagaytay and Baguio for their creative take using local Tablea chocolate as inspiration for their exciting dishes. (Read: Chocolate Dreams Come Alive at Tsokolateria Artisanal Cafe). The SM Aura branch now enables more Filipinos to experience these high quality local cacao and chocolate offerings in a more accessible location.

Aside from that, the new Tsokolateria branch also comes with a section for My Happy Home, Chef Happy’s retail store selling beautiful plates and home decors which I usually buy from at their San Juan outlet.

Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu is the brains behind Tsokolateria, part of the Happy Concept Group of establishments which include Pamana, I Love Backyard BBQ, LèChon, and more. Coming from the same family that brought us the well-loved Barrio Fiesta, Happy continues her family’s culinary tradition with her successful endeavors and interesting restaurant concepts.

Tsokolateria is best known for its native Tablea House Blend hot chocolate which is hand made the old fashioned way. These are served in a traditional batirol which is whisked to bring out the natural flavors of the tsokolate. The Tsokolate Ah (P280) is a sweet version of the native hot chocolate. I really like drinking hot chocolate and Tsokolateria always reminds me of the hot chocolate at the world-famous Angelina Paris. When I asked Chef Happy about this, she said that she actually loves that chocolate as well and patterned her version after it. No wonder they taste so similar!

Tsokolateria also offers the Tsokolate Eh (P280) which has a bittersweet flavor. I also like the Tsoko Mallows (P340) which is a yummy Tsokolate Ah topped with big and soft tsokolateria marshmallows that melt into the rich chocolate drink. The Tablea House Blends servings are good for two so these are really perfect for those here on a date, but you can also order a Solo serving if you wish.

One of my new discoveries and recommendations here is the Frozen Hot Tsoko (P340). This is a hot Tsokolate Ah poured in a cup with creamy vanilla ice cream then topped with cacao nibs.

The result is a rich, creamy, and overflowing cup of cold and hot chocolate at the same time. The playfulness of the contrasting temperatures and sweet flavors of the melted ice cream and hot chocolate is such a wonderful experience.

Tsokolateria also has some new cocktails on the menu for those who want something with a little more kick. Some of these are the Paradise Fizz (P400), Almond Joy (P400), and the Happy Spritzer (P400).

Now let’s try some of their soups and salads. The Wild Mushroom Soup (P285) comes with native assorted mushrooms, freash creams, and a pinch of bitter tsoko paste.

Almost all of the items here at Tsokolateria comes with chocolate syrup that you can add on your dish according to your liking. This is the first time I have encountered soup topped with chocolate syrup, but it actually works! The sweet chocolate adds to the earthy flavors of the mushroom soup, giving it a unique profile. This might be the best mushroom soup I have ever had, so I am definitely coming back for more.

Here are some of the appetizers you can order from the menu. The Sisig Croquetas (P450) with spicy cacao nibs are crunchy and savory bite-sized croquetas that comes with mayonnaise dip.

The Longganisa Fundido (P350) is a melted cheese dish with Baguio longganisang hubad, caramelized onions, cacao melba, local cheese and tsoko maple. The melted cheese combined with the savory longganisa is a delightful blend best eaten together with the toasted bread.

There’s also the Pugon Baked Brie (P399) which has baked Brie topped with guava jam and crispy adobo flakes. You can then add some cacao honey on top to make it even sweeter. This is quite an interesting combination that will fill your palate with flavors.

Tsokolateria also offers some Bruschetta Pandesal and if you can’t decide which ones to get, just order the Bruschetta Pandesal Platter (P699) which comes with Grilled Quesong Puti, Homemade Spicy Sardines, and Adobo Flakes.

Pasta lovers won’t feel left behind because the cafe also has pasta dishes infused with tsokolate flavors. The Spicy Tuyo Pasta (P450) is a delightful spaghetti plate prepared with garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and tuyo flakes. Their pasta dishes are all served with bulalo soup and salad.

Another option is the Alimango and Aligue Pasta (P400) with its Aligue butter cacaoglio olio, fresh aligue, cacao nibs, and garlic bits. I really liked this flavorful seafood pasta.

One of the favorites that afternoon was the Smoked Black Pasta Palabok (P450) with its combination of crunchy calamares and crispy pork on top of black noodles doused with palabok sauce. Don’t worry about the noodles because it was specially made so that you won’t get black squid ink stuck on your teeth after eating.

Pizzas are also on the menu with their all-day Pizza Tarts. The Caprese Pizza (P490) comes topped with mozzarella, cheddar, quesong puti, basil, and cherry tomatoes. They also have Longganiza Pizza and Truffle Mushroom Pizza.

Tsokolateria also serves chocolate-inspired savory dishes if you want some heavier main courses. Their All Time Favorites include the Artisanal Longganisa (P420) with assorted longganisa sautéed in roasted garlic and combined with sauerkraut and cacao nibs. These all-day breakfast items come with scrambled egg, pinoy salsa, bulalo soup, and a cup of native black mountain rice.

But my favorite main course is obviously the Bacon Lechon Kawali (P395) with its tanglad-marinated bacon-cut crispy liempo cooked in peppercorns, bayleaf and cacao nibs. I can have this for brunch or dinner any day.

For desserts, Tsokolateria has several Churros Waffles to satisfy more of your sweet tooth. The Churros Waffle Original is a deep fried waffle that comes with butter, chocolate and maple syrup. You can add more toppings like strawberries or avocado for P80 each.

You can also try their Churros Waffle Fingers (P335) which has deep fried waffles dipped in cinnamon sugar and served with whipped cream, chocolate, and maple syrup.

We saved the best for last because the Tablea Champorado (P570) is probably the most popular Filipino chocolate dish that can be an appetizer, a breakfast item, a dessert, or even a main course all in one. Tsokolateria’s rich champorado is made the old fashioned way using mountain rice cooked in rich native tablea. This is served in a sizzling clay pot with bacon lechon and dried spada on the side. Just add milk to the hot champorado and you are good to go.

Congratulations Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu and Visum Ventures for the opening of Tsokolateria in SM Aura Premier. I’m sure this new partnership will be very successful as we can now enjoy Tsokolateria’s specialties at more convenient locations in Metro Manila. I’m already planning my return visit to Tsokolateria soon!

Tsokolateria Artisanal Cafe

Skypark, Level 5, SM Aura Premier, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

(0927) 323-6513

www.facebook.com/tsokolateria

www.happyconceptgroup.com