Xocolat(e) for the Soul
Everyone is a chocoholic, in one way or another. For instance, my family loves deep dark chocolates while I prefer the smooth milky white ones. Nonetheless, we have that sudden craving for that bitter-sweet bar of chocolate that promises to take your stress away.
We were fortunate to be invited to Xocolat, a lovely chocolate cafe tucked within the residential part of Katipunan in Quezon City. From the outside, it looks just like any of the houses beside it however, one step inside and you will be transported to relaxing chocolate haven.
While scanning the menu, we chatted with Xocolat's marketing manager Tricia who also suggested a couple of items that we should try. For starters, we got the Churros con Xocolat (Php. 95), we love having churros as a snack and it's our first time to have this as an appetizer. I love how thin and crunchy Xocolat's churros are.
The chocolate syrup won Paul's heart as he literally scraped the saucer clean. I love how it has a hint of hazelnut which reminds me of my favorite Ferrero Rocher chocolate.
Aside from chocolate desserts and drinks, Xocolat actually has an impressive line-up of hot dishes. To give it a try, we ordered the Spicy Tuyo (Php. 165) which is actually part of their breakfast fare that is available all-day long! Paul, a tuyo fan, was so happy with this choice and I got to admit this dish can surely brighten up your day. I love the delicious garlic rice and the fluffy scrambled egg that accompanies it. No chocolate here but simply a perfect wake-me-up choice at any given time of the day.
Upon learning that we have been invited to Xocolat too, fellow blogger Spanky told me to try the Pork Belly (Php. 185). I took note of this and made sure to mention this to Tricia as she was taking our order. I later found out that this was one of Xocolat's best-selling dishes. After all, who cannot resist mouthwatering deep-fried pork topped with crispy leafy strips and served with Xocolat's very own Chocolate Bagoong. I also love the Potato Gratin that was served with it. The pork was delicious and luckily still had a good portion of lean meat. I enjoyed mixing the veggies with our rice and the potato gratin was actually the first thing I finished off. Thank you Spanky for the wonderful recommendation!
Before heading to dessert, we enjoyed a pasta dish that caught my curiosity while scanning the menu. Imagine having chicken pasta with drizzles of chocolate sauce. This was the Xocolat Chicken Pasta (Php. 175) another best-seller and in my opinion, definitely a must-order. I'm glad that the chocolate drizzle was not too overpowering and the rich creamy pasta was just so good we kept on digging in for more despite finishing off two dishes already. This is definitely one thing that will make me go back to Xocolat over and over again.
To cap off our wonderful meal, we had the Chocolate Fondue that has an array of fruits and tiny marshmallows! This was the only thing not new to us as we have visited Xocolat's store in Megamall a couple of year back and enjoyed their fondue as well. I loved the mandarin orange dipped into the rich, creamy chocolate sauce.
It was truly a relaxing evening that both Paul and I truly enjoyed. No wedding talk, no lists, no pending tasks -- all we had were chocolates, chocolates and more chocolates.
*photos by Paul Ang
Xocolat is located at 172 B-Gonzales St., Loyola Heights, Quezon City. They also have branches at the Ground Floor of Greenhills Promenade and in Piazza Serendra in Taguig City.
We were fortunate to be invited to Xocolat, a lovely chocolate cafe tucked within the residential part of Katipunan in Quezon City. From the outside, it looks just like any of the houses beside it however, one step inside and you will be transported to relaxing chocolate haven.
While scanning the menu, we chatted with Xocolat's marketing manager Tricia who also suggested a couple of items that we should try. For starters, we got the Churros con Xocolat (Php. 95), we love having churros as a snack and it's our first time to have this as an appetizer. I love how thin and crunchy Xocolat's churros are.
The chocolate syrup won Paul's heart as he literally scraped the saucer clean. I love how it has a hint of hazelnut which reminds me of my favorite Ferrero Rocher chocolate.
Aside from chocolate desserts and drinks, Xocolat actually has an impressive line-up of hot dishes. To give it a try, we ordered the Spicy Tuyo (Php. 165) which is actually part of their breakfast fare that is available all-day long! Paul, a tuyo fan, was so happy with this choice and I got to admit this dish can surely brighten up your day. I love the delicious garlic rice and the fluffy scrambled egg that accompanies it. No chocolate here but simply a perfect wake-me-up choice at any given time of the day.
Upon learning that we have been invited to Xocolat too, fellow blogger Spanky told me to try the Pork Belly (Php. 185). I took note of this and made sure to mention this to Tricia as she was taking our order. I later found out that this was one of Xocolat's best-selling dishes. After all, who cannot resist mouthwatering deep-fried pork topped with crispy leafy strips and served with Xocolat's very own Chocolate Bagoong. I also love the Potato Gratin that was served with it. The pork was delicious and luckily still had a good portion of lean meat. I enjoyed mixing the veggies with our rice and the potato gratin was actually the first thing I finished off. Thank you Spanky for the wonderful recommendation!
Before heading to dessert, we enjoyed a pasta dish that caught my curiosity while scanning the menu. Imagine having chicken pasta with drizzles of chocolate sauce. This was the Xocolat Chicken Pasta (Php. 175) another best-seller and in my opinion, definitely a must-order. I'm glad that the chocolate drizzle was not too overpowering and the rich creamy pasta was just so good we kept on digging in for more despite finishing off two dishes already. This is definitely one thing that will make me go back to Xocolat over and over again.
To cap off our wonderful meal, we had the Chocolate Fondue that has an array of fruits and tiny marshmallows! This was the only thing not new to us as we have visited Xocolat's store in Megamall a couple of year back and enjoyed their fondue as well. I loved the mandarin orange dipped into the rich, creamy chocolate sauce.
It was truly a relaxing evening that both Paul and I truly enjoyed. No wedding talk, no lists, no pending tasks -- all we had were chocolates, chocolates and more chocolates.
*photos by Paul Ang
Xocolat is located at 172 B-Gonzales St., Loyola Heights, Quezon City. They also have branches at the Ground Floor of Greenhills Promenade and in Piazza Serendra in Taguig City.
