Top Pastry Chef Anil Rohira: Up Close and Personal at Manila Pen

Swissness is Manila Peninsula's ten-day festival of Swiss cuisine and fun that started today August 2, 2012. Among their exciting lineup of activities is a Chocolate Bar at The Lobby that will run from  August 2,3,4,9,10 & 11 starting at 8pm.

Upon taking my reserved seat, I was told by the F&B Manager that Chef Anil Rohira went out for the night. A bit upset, I focused my attention instead to the smorgasbord of delectable chocolate pastries and confectioneries. But after sometime, lo and behold the chef came in to check his chocolate bar. That made my night, I both enjoyed the wonderful chocolate creations and the company of the creator himself for a chat.  

with Top Pastry Chef Anil Rohira of Felchlin, Switzerland

On Manila Pen’s Chocolate Ladies

I am very impressed and amaze that Manila Pen has showcased these quality chocolates to the world and their chocolate ladies are very productive.  I would hire them if I have my own place. Everything chocolate that you come and enjoy at the Peninsula is Felchlin. I have known the chefs for a while. I have been here two years ago for chocolate promotion and had cooking classes too.

Distinguished Pastry Championship Judge

I was in the US last July 8-9 serving as a judge for the World Pastry Cup. I have given up competing, in my younger days I used to compete. But there are times in life when you focus on certain things, it was competition then, now it is more teaching classes and I enjoy travelling and meeting chefs around the world.

Childhood Chocolate Memories

We have strong British influence and Cadbury is the most recognized brand in India. It is strange, when I was a small kid while enjoying a bar of chocolate I wonder how it would be like to swim in a pool of chocolate, those memory keep flashing to me. But now, when I look at how chocolate is made at Felchlin, I am so close to that experience when I see the machineries and see those volumes of chocolate we make. When we have chefs classes in Switzerland, we walk them through the processes of chocolate making and give them a factory tour.

Top Pastry Chef Anil Rohira

Felchlin is a Premium Brand

Most outstanding and amazing Felchlin is its closeness to the source or its closeness to nature when in comes to bean selection. We are directly involved with the plantations where we got our cocoa beans from. We are very selective on the nature and quality of the beans that we acquire. We are the smallest chocolate manufacturing in Switzerland but the most exclusive simply because of our orientation to quality. We try to be sustainable, fair trade and preserve the integrity of the nature has to offer us in terms of quality and origin.

There are some chocolates that has some specific applications as to fruits and nuts and the flavor.

Every brand has something to offer and room for the application of these other brands. There are different levels of chocolate quality and Felchlin is a premium brand. I am a firm believer of Felchlin and I choose to work with them.  

One thing that many people don’t know about Felchlin is that aside from being an amazing quality conscious company, they are the most wonderful people you gonna meet.

Explaining the origins and  and flavors of Felchlin

chocolate.

Signing my Chocolate Book (Chocolate Unwrapped by Sarah Evans) 

and his message/autograph and business card.