Patchi Chocolates, Bonifacio High Street

Rocher Lait from Patchi

Patchi Chocolates from Beirut found its way to the shores of the Philippines, onto my desk and eventually, to my ever excited taste buds.

Once you enter the Patchi store, it is easy to be intimidated. Their display of gift baskets of chocolates are worth at least 4 thousand pesos. On their display shelf of individually wrapped chocolates, you will find an overwhelming number of variants. Even with the menu and description, an indecisive person may experience something short of a seizure from all of the choices... 40 variants! I could feel by eyeballs rolling in their sockets at the sight. This is where a well trained salesperson at the counter is a big help. He smiles at me and asks, "Your first time?". I laugh at myself as the answer was quite obvious. At that moment, I am that giddy 5 year old in a candy shop.  The nice young man at the counter helps me narrow down my choices by asking me my preference of chocolate. I chose milk chocolate. Though I equally love the dark variant, I think for first timers of a certain chocolate brand, milk chocolate is your safe bet. Or maybe it's just me. Then he goes on to ask me my favorite nut. Definitely hazelnut. He recommends the Rocher Hazelnut and the Royale. I decide I try a pistachio variant and I get two pieces of Prestige (The hubby wanted a pistachio one.).

Take a bite from that Hazelnut cluster

Rocher in French means rock and in its bumpy chocolate-coated form, it does resemble a rock. Inside the chocolate coating is a cluster of caramelized whole hazelnuts. Have you ever tasted plain roasted hazelnut? I don't care too much for it. However, its combination with chocolate creates a synergistic effect, the sum of the chocolate and hazelnut is greater than its individual parts.

I move on to unwrap the Royal.

Wrapped Royal Chocolate

A second wrapper for the Royal Chocolate

Finally, THE Royal Chocolate

The description says "Milk chocolate filled with gianduja and one whole hazelnut.

Gianduja Cream with 1 whole Hazelnut

Gianduja is (even more) chocolate prepared with at least 30 percent hazelnut paste. It may also contain almond paste as well. Chocolate within a chocolate... It does not get any better than this. Smooth layers of milk chocolate to be stopped by the snap of the whole hazelnut. Did I mention I love chocolate + hazelnuts?

As per request of the hubby, I got a pistachio variant one for each of us. He likes 'em pistachios. We got Prestige, milk chocolate filled with pistachio crouquant.

Wrapped Prestige

Prestige unwrapped

Croquant in French means crunchy or crisp. In this case, the croquant is just caramelized sugar with chopped pieces of pistachio. As you bite into the chocolate, you can hear the croquant shatter and hearthe low crunch crunch as you chew. There is a distinct sweet-salty taste to Prestige

Pistachio Croquant

I definitely like Patchi's milk chocolate. It has just the right sweetness. The aroma enamors me. I think the sheen and the snap of the chocolate is just right (though I am no expert and yet to try a chocolate bar with the perfect snap). My favorite? Definitely the Royal. <3

Total damage for 4 pieces of Patchi Chocolates? 303 pesos. The chocolates are priced by the gram... that would mean around 75 pesos per piece of chocolate. Ouch. Steep. At its price these chocolates are what I would purchase for special occasions only.

Patchi Chocolates are being compared to that other signature chocolate brand, Royce. I think it would be an injustice for me to compare them as I've only tried the nama chocolates which I don't think are comparable to the products I tried with Patchi. Therefore, I cannot say one is better than the other.

Patchi is located at Bldg. 5, B5, Fort Bonifacio Global City5th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio Global City
Taguig.

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