Eastwood Libis Chocolate Festival 2013, a set on Flickr.
My second year to attend the Chocolate Festival in Eastwood Mall, Libis, QC. Many came and milling around the booth especially there was a chocolate buffet. Saw in the buffet table that there were lots of cakes and brownies this year unlike last year.
I first visited the booth of ChocoATBP and was so glad to see varieties of their brownies which I liked so much. The fiery chili was fantastic, each bit excites the palate that you crave for more. It is moist and dense of the rich flavor of cacao and sili. I also bought the orange flavor, crumbly on the side but have dense and moist core. I was told it was made from orange juice and some rind, the sourness of the orange just rightly complements with the chocolate and it is definitely a great refreshing dessert after meal.
Sir Boyet was so welcoming seeing me again at the festival, and he offered me their classic choco drink, then introduce me to his new concoction (option was Baileys or Jack Daniels), a chocolate aperitif, hot Choco in Jack Daniels, I was so amazed to see him add one shot glass to the chocolate drink. The result, a perfect blend of mild bitter choco with a zing of whisky. Good thing there was another guy whom I shared the drink otherwise I might be drinking the whole concoction.
I told him that I mix some tequila with cappucino/milk cafe and have never tried mixing alcohol to a choco drink. And he informed that he also got a tequila and he can mix a drink for me, but I politely declined, am afraid I might get drunk at the festival.
I saw the booth of Risa Chocolates also, am happy to see their new lines of chocolates. The Roasted Milk with Pili chocolate bar is definitely meant for their younger market. They also have several chocolate bars aside from the truffles and pralines. I bought the 70% South Cotabato Dark Chocolate. I was told that their chocolate could very well compete with the Valrhona Guanaja (I've tasted the Guanaja Crue) Chocolates. Tasting the chocolate, I definitely agree that their 70% South Cotabato Dark is at par. The initial taste is bitter with a middle taste of sweetness and a finish of bitter with a slight tannin after-taste. It is definitely a chocolate for mature chococophiles who are health conscious and appreciate dark chocolate.
A newcomer to the festival is Malagos Chocolates, and generating so much curiosity and attraction from the public. I got a pack of unsweetened chocolate and hope to make some truffles. I might experiment also concocting some chocolate aperitifs with Malagos Chocolates.
As a Pinoychocophile I am definitely proud to witness this very exciting development of artisan chocolate industry in the country. I hope to see more great products from the current bunch of chocolatiers and I hope to see more chocolatiers in future chocolate festivals.
I observed that most of the chocolates are coming from Mindanao (Malagos, Davao, South Cotabato, etc) whatever happened to the cacao industry of Aurora, Southern Tagalo, Bicol, Cebu and the rest of the Visayas? I hope to see them around next time. I know for sure that there's a thriving business of tablea in those regions but they rarely gets promoted in events and exhibitions here in Manila. Well in any case I will definitely visit those places someday for their tsokolate!
ChocoATBP
Malagos Chocolate
Related Post
Photos of the Chocolate Festival 2012
http://pinoychocophile.blogspot.com/2012/09/photos-of-chocolate-festival-2012.html#.Uisyr9Lsjng
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