One sweet day at The Chocolate Chamber in Cebu

It was a post Valentine date with "me, myself and I" over this one of a kind pasta dish. Imagine the taste and aroma of angel hair pasta sauteed in cocoa butter with fried longganisa, fresh basil, cacao truffle and topped with grated cacao de bola. And how about some chilled tsokolate drink with hibiscus essence on the side? These are just two of the more interesting menu items during my chocolatey experience at The Chocolate Chamber in Cebu City.

On my second to the last day in my Cebu trip last February, I made it a point to visit this chocolate lovers haunt. I've passed up so many chances during my previous Cebu trips that its starting to haunt me.

As I was the first customer that day (I even knocked at the door since it was still closed), I had plenty of time to appreciate the effortlessly chic interiors and take lots of photos. The simplicity of the place gives it elegance - nothing more nothing less, just the right combination of colors that will remind of you of, what else, chocolate!

As I finally settled down and checked the menu, I had my first TCC gastronomic experience in the form of the complimentary tsokolate truffle. To eat or not to eat was my dilemma since I want to have a group photo of everything. But without realizing it, I started to nibble savoring each minute bite and in no time all the chocolate goodness of the tsokolate truffle was just a taste memory.

That perked me up and decided to try something interesting that would surprise or even shock my tastebuds. And pasta it was! The combination of chocolate and pasta seemed extraordinary enough and now that is has fried local sausage and more tsokolate - this I really got to see, smell and taste!

It was midday so the best option was chilled chocolate drink and I again picked something not so common - hibiscus. Satisfied with my orders, I again found myself roaming around and checking out nooks and corners.

That's when I found out about these mouth-watering chocolate ensaimada and muffins. I could have had easily added each on top of my order but I have another food trip after so I had to control myself. I guess these will be reasons that I will have to go back to TCC the next time I found myself in Cebu.

I went back to my table just as my chocolate drink arrived with a mini choco nib cookie! This one I tried to "save" together with my pasta order though I sampled my drink with a little sip - refreshingly flowery!

And how could I missed this chocolate fountain?! With thick and pure tablea tsokolate oozing, I really stopped myself from letting my finger bathe in the rich chocolate bath.

If I did, I might have contributed to this chocolate ceiling art that gazed down upon the guests.

With my pasta already set on the table, it was time for the finishing touches - grating some cacao de bola in lieu of the usual parmesan cheese. I can still vividly remember the aroma of the cacao being grated right in front of me. I gave a me chocolate high that I can't to have a taste of this interesting combination.

A closer look reveals angel hair pasta sauteed in cocoa butter (unseen but tasted) mixed with herbs and spices then added with fried longganisa and tsokolate truffle? and finally topped with cacao de bola. As weird as it may seem, the truffle and the pasta mixed well in taste (and that's my own). The longganisa's sweet and spicy flavor balanced the tsokolate's slightly bitter taste (just hints actually). With each forkful, I savored the taste and texture combination that I haven't noticed I finished it in no time.

Downing the last few morsels with my chilled chocolate drink, it was indeed on sweet and chocolatey day at The Chocolate Chamber.

With this, I leave you with Raquel T. Choa's words "etched" on the menu providing some chocolate inspirations to her guests and diners.

And don't forget to bring home some of TCC's specialties like choco nib cookies and chocolate truffles, among others.

My final look at TCC that day wasn't to say goodbye but to promise myself of satisfying my chocolate cravings at The Chocolate Chamber the next time I find myself in Cebu. And I can already smell it...

The Chocolate Chamber

22 Pres. Quirino Street Villa Aurora Cebu City, Cebu Philippines 6000

(landmark is Sarrosa Int'l Hotel which is around 300 meters)

Operating Hours: Mon-Sat 9AM – 9PM | Sun 10AM -7PM

Contact Number: 09176287661

Facebook: The Chocolate Chamber

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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