The Chocolate Chamber Experience (Cebu City, Cebu)

The Chocolate Chamber (TCC)

After lunch at Adlawon Vacation Farm, a long 45 min. drive took our media group back to downtown Cebu City, to Robinson’s Galleria Cebu where we dropped by The Chocolate Chamber (TCC), a small shop located at the al fresco side of the ground floor. The brand carrier of Ralfe Gourmet, Inc., its mother company, TCC operates with a mission of catapulting the chocolate-making scene in the Philippines a notch higher. 

Check out “Adlawon Vacation Farm” and “Restaurant Review: Kusina Luche”

 

Cacao plants, cultivated in Mexico (Mexicans prefer their chocolate thick and pure), were brought to the Philippines in the 17th century during the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade and its arrival started a decadent tradition in Cebu, Leyte and Bohol. Due to limited areas for farming, cacao farming is not as big in Cebu but chocolate drinking is very popular in the province. 

 

This artisanal chocolate company focuses on transforming locally-produced cacao beans into internationally-acclaimed creations through its various products and services as showcased in its cafes, boutiques and other platforms.

 

Though the shop was small (it can only sit about 10 people at a time, indoors, and maybe 6-8 outside), the interior was really great. The layout features an array of coffee tables, with crisp white linens and carefully folded napkins and are adorned by gold-rimmed fine porcelain teacups. Paintings, using chocolate lava as paint, hang on the walls while shelves of various neatly ordered chocolate confections, feature a very tempting display of chocolate cakes and pastries.

 

Upon arrival at TCC, we were welcomed by Mr. Eduardo “Edu” Pantino, TCC’s Managing Partner. Here we experienced the 30-45 min. The Chocolate Chamber Experience, a rich chocolate heritage via a select set of four tablea ((chocolate ganache) creations, all lovingly made from homegrown cacao. The decadence and smoothness of their delicious chocolates are to die for, with quite an intense flavor and a must try for any chocolate lover.  Due to the high fat content of the chocolates, only room temperature water was served while sampling the tablea creations as cold water affects the mouth feel of the chocolates.

 

Mr. Eduardo "Edu" Pantino

The crash course started with Whole Cacao Nib Praline, an earthy, nutty and fruity confection consisting of whole cacao nib is made from choice roasted, fermented beans covered by a rich, chocolatey shell from cacao mass. 

 

Cacao nibs

This was followed by a bite of tartufini featuring a roasted whole cacao nib drizzled with caramel and covered with sweetened cacao mass, pure chocolate in a semi-liquid form.   These first two creations feature the infusion of foreign chocolate making traditions to tablea.  The very familiar Choco-Mango Nugget is a fusion of dried mango chunks and sweetened cacao mass with a hint of sea salt to bring out the sweetness. 

 

The Chocolate SRS (Sweet Rice Surprise)

The finale is the filling Chocolate SRS (Sweet Rice Surprise).  Inspired by the puto sikwate (their version of the popular puto maya rice cake and sikwate), this favorite Cebuano painit (snack) is a balled up, steamed glutinous rice with a hint of ginger and coconut milk.  It is filled with mango jam, coated with tablea.  

Sikwate being poured from a tsokoletera

It was paired with sikwate, a hot chocolate drink made with premium cacao dissolved in water in a tsokoletera and mixed with a batirol (wooden beater).  Edu also encouraged us to pour the sikwate over the puto maya.

 

Ms. Raquel Toquero-Choa

After the Chocolate Stop, we were joined by the 46 year old Ms. Raquel Toquero-Choa, TCC president and founder. An advocate of tablea and an artist with chocolate lava as her medium, she is a Philippine Chocolate Sommelier and an ambassador of Philippine cacao.  This amazing woman, named as the Philippines’ Chocolate Queen in 2011, is behind Ralfe Gourmet (her first store), The Chocolate Chamber (TCC) and, just recently, Batirol where she plans add a new spin to tablea-based local delicacies such as sikwate and champorado (chocolate rice porridge). A kiosk store concept created for franchising, Batirol is a part of the business that her children will manage. 

Raquel was only seven years old when her parents separated, after which she and her siblings were sent to live, in the early 1980’s, with their grandmother Leonila Bogonia (whom they fondly called Nanay Nila) in a remote community in the secluded mountains of Balamban which was when dominated by the rebels. Just to reach school, they would have to cross seven rivers and, to augment their needs, they also sold whatever food they had prepared the night before.

Despite their extremely difficult life, Nanay Nila instilled in them the value of hard work. At night, after a day’s journey of survival, Nanay Nila would also tell, over a cup of hot “sikwate,” a story from a book, a great comfort in their young lives.  Her favorite tale was about the legend of Maria Cacao, believed to be the queen of the cacao forest.

Nanay Nila also taught them how to plant, harvest, ferment and sun-dry cacao and then roasting the beans to make pure tablea, a task that Raquel mastered by heart.  Eventually, this inspired her chocolate journey. 

At 16 years of age, Raquel got married to mechanical engineer Alfred Choa, a family friend. Alfred helped her accomplish her dreams by showing to the world her gift of turning tablea and chocolate into something special. Together, they had 8 children - Michael Ray, Michelle Honey, Anthony, Jonathan, Hannah Mae, Alfredo Jr., Rose Angeline and John Paul. Balancing both motherhood and business, Raquel allowed her children be part of what she is doing, letting them get messy with cacao so they can appreciate the artistry involved in the craft.

 

Ms. Raquel (center) with four of her eight children

Today, Raquel, a woman on a mission, is recognized for her work to elevate the quality of the products made from local cacao beans, starting with the chocolate buffets she organizes at Casa de Cacao, her home in Casals Village in Mabolo, Cebu City, and through her artisan chocolates and chocolate-flavored food and drinks that are available at TCC. She also began to supply tablea and chocolate to high-end hotels and resorts in different parts of the country.

 

Chocolate Cayenne

Raquel still chooses to do her craft the old-fashioned, artisanal way, doing everything by hand, with ethnic grace and calculated movements, and using her highly developed senses to achieve perfection. She still uses a lusong (stone mortar) and alho (wooden pestle) when pounding the roasted cacao beans or nibs into a cocoa mass of pure chocolate in rough form, in the process creating rhythmic pounding sounds. Though it is processed using bare hands, she dispels the notion of tablea as the dirty chocolate.

 

Dark Chocolate with Cacao Nibs

TCC sells a varied selection of chocolate food such as hand-rolled truffles with ganache, alfahores, nibcuits, chocolate SRS (Php285), pralines with whole cacao nib, turrones de tsokolate, tartufini and cacao nib cookies; mushroom soup (infused with 100% cacao mass and served with tablea artisanal bread, Php350); and lemon scones (Php85 for 1 and Php310 for 4).

 

White Chocolate with Cacao Nibs

Their chocolate cakes, by Ralfe Artisanal Chocolates, come at Php285 a slice and come by different names – Torta de Cerveza Negra, Torta de San Miguel, Red Horse Chocolate Cake, Torta de Francisco, Torta de Don Papa Rum, Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake, Torta de Chocolate con Corazon, TCC Founder’s Cake, TCC Moist Cake and Mud Cake.

 

Hannah Mae T. Choa

For their hot pure, unadulterated, zero-sugar chocolate drinks, served in a tokolatera (good for 3) and with a mini choco nib cookie, you can choose Spanish (Php650), Mexican (Php600), Classic (Php600)  and Traditional (Php585).  Single servings come in cinnamon, hibiscus, mint, salted caramel and crema tostada, each Php185; and Tsokolate Bar (Php200).  Chilled chocolate, also served with mini choco nib cookie, comes in hibiscus (Php200) and Tsokolate Bar (Php210) flavors. 

 

Jonathan T. Choa

Their ensaymadas (Filipino brioche), sweet, tender and tasty bread topped with whipped butter and sprinkled generously with grated cheese and cacao de bola, comes in two flavors – tablea (Php100) and tablea-ube (Php110).

 

Their pasta (spaghetti or angel’s hair, Php385), grated with cacao de bola, comes with the choice of longanisa or tuna.  Sauteed with cocoa butter and tossed with cacao nibs, it is served with bread.

 

They also serve all-day breakfast (Php750), good for two – longanisa and pork tocino sautéed in cocoa oil, rice infused with unsweetened chocolate, sunny side up egg with grated cacao de bola, garden salad with cacao de bola-infused salad dressing, and one cup of sikwate or hot chocolate of preferred flavor.

 

The pizza platter, garnished with cacao de bola, comes with either grilled sausage (Php450) and Margherita (Php400).  For sandwiches, you can choose grilled beef pastrami (Php285), grilled turkey (Php285), grilled tuna (Php210) and grilled cheese (Php210). 

The Chocolate Chamber: Level 1, Verandah, G/F, Robinson's Galleria Cebu, Gen. Maxilom Ave. Extn., North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.  Tel: (032) 40-1521.  Mobile numbers: (0917) 715-151 and (0917) 28-7661. Open daily, 10 AM to 7 PM. Website: www.thechocolatechamber.ph.