A few years ago, I remember that very day when my boss offered some chocolates to me and my colleagues. I looked at her face filled with excitement and joy as I stood from my cubicle. She repeatedly said that it tastes so good! My colleague and I reached out from the pretty box of assorted chocolates and went back to our desks unwrapping the chocolates. I unwrapped its beautiful silver covering in the shape of a nugget and took my first bite. It felt like the world stopped.
I unconsciously closed my eyes as if I was meditating on the moment as I savor its elegant taste. I gently opened my eyes and stared blankly at the wall while studying its taste in my mouth. I forgot my name. That was the first hilarious thought in my head which I always had whenever I eat something that tastes so good and beyond my expectation. “It does taste so good!” I turned and looked at my boss and peered at my colleague who was both smiling at me. For me, it’s the best-tasting chocolate ever. No false exaggeration. Its smooth milk chocolatey taste on my mouth was incomparable.
What chocolate is this? I asked myself. It felt like I was eating the chocolates of celebrities and elite people. As soon as I recovered from my moment of reverie and asked my boss what the brand of the chocolate was, she said that its Patchi. It was just given to her by someone and she doesn’t have a clue where to buy it. I did some research about this mysterious tasting Patchi chocolate on the web and found out that it’s a luxury chocolate from Lebanon. It turns out that here in the Philippines, it’s available in only one location which is in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig. A bit far from where I live but easily accessible by car.
I wanted to buy some for myself but I didn’t get the chance to buy my own set of Patchi and forgot this chocolate dream. Years passed and but I never forgot how its taste made me feel. It became my secret favorite. Then recently, I had the opportunity to visit Bonifacio High Street which is one of the high-end locations here in the Philippines and I was incredibly happy to be able to finally buy some. From afar I saw its store and the chocolates neatly wrapped in a golden foil from its window and I grew even more excited. As I entered, a salesperson wearing a tuxedo greeted me and I marveled at all the chocolates that I could see. It’s like I entered a jewelry store. They come in different packaging boxes, paper bags, and small and large tin containers. They also have chocolates that are custom designed for special occasions like birthday parties and such.
I read the label and prices of each one wondering and hoping if I have enough money to buy these luxurious chocolates. To my surprise, it was not too expensive as I expected. As I checked, the chocolates come in different categories and measurements so you’ll be able to compute and see how much you can eat and buy. Their chocolates come in different shapes such as round, rectangle, and square which are either neatly wrapped in a silver, gold, or copper wrapper that’s smooth in texture and shows that it’s of good quality packaging. It’s like I’m staring at gold, silver, and copper bars. I guess that’s one more thing that caught my attention; the packaging looked so expensive and rich.
Looking at these chocolates made me imagine the chefs who made it in Lebanon and how they passionately created each piece of chocolate and securely packed each one delivering only perfection around the world. I can imagine that as they do this, they treat each chocolate as a form of creating art. I daydreamed in front of these chefs as they place on a shiny plate a few pieces of the chocolates and they wait for my reaction after each bite. It’s thrilling to know that they have a store here in the Philippines. At first, it’s a bit overwhelming to choose which one you want to buy because of the many choices and you want to buy them all. To make things easier and for sure I’ll be buying again in the future, I asked the salesperson instead to pack one of each kind of Classic chocolate that is equivalent to 100 grams.
They have three categories of chocolates which you can choose from: Classic, Deluxe, and Non-Sugar
Classic Chocolate is Php 4,250 per kilo and Php 425 per 100 grams
Deluxe Chocolate is Php 4,850 per kilo and Php 485 per 100 grams
Non-Sugar is Php 5,000 per kilo and Php 500 per 100 grams
These prices change if you’ll be buying an assortment of all these categories.
Well, I can’t enumerate all of the assorted chocolates that I’ve tasted but so far these are my favorites:
Délicat is a Hazelnut wafer coated in milk chocolate mixed with hazelnut and almond pieces.
Nuance is a dark chocolate with dark chocolate cream, orange flavor, and orange peel
Patchi chocolate are all from pure cacao mass, and without a single trace of colorings or preservatives which makes it special. Their assorted chocolates come with Gianduja cream, nuts, and fruits like pieces of strawberries and oranges.
They also sell chocolate bars. Their chocolate bars come in a square carton-like packaging with the type of chocolate displayed on top. The ones that I’ve tried are Patchi Caresse Dark chocolate with sweetener (No Added Sugar), Patchi Noblesse Plain dark chocolate at 70% cocoa and Patchi Diamantine Milk chocolate with almonds.
Patchi Caresse Dark chocolate with sweetener (No Added Sugar) is a perfect take-home treat for your elderly ones at home or for some who want to indulge in some chocolate but are Diabetic. If you’re just simply health-conscious then this one is for you too. It’s what I bought for my parents.
Patchi Noblesse Plain dark chocolate at 70% cocoa has that gentle crisp that most dark chocolates have. It’s simple and smooth finish will surprise you with its unique blend that’s not so sweet yet captivating in taste.
Patchi Diamantine Milk chocolate with almonds will make you smile. Like for me, I smiled literally at each bite. It has just the right amount of sweetness and is perfect for those who love chocolates with nuts.
The prices of these chocolate bars range from Php 250 – 300 per 50 grams.
Each chocolate created by Patchi has a revolutionary taste. As I unwrapped and took a bite of these precious chocolates that I bought I made sure that I do everything in slow motion and my expectations are met once again. I recall that moment when it was love at first taste a few years ago. With every bite that I take I am brought back to that very moment when I first tasted it and found serenity amidst my busyness at work. The smoothness of the chocolates are carefully crafted and it makes me feel like I’m part of the royalty.
I like eating chocolates with tea. It’s like the most exquisitely beautiful and expensive look and feeling in the world. I’m not too picky with tea. I think any tea matches chocolates except for the ones that come in a sour taste like mango or strawberry. Tea and chocolates neutralize everything. Blending them together in your mouth creates that exciting feeling of sweetness and bitterness in one. I always make sure that I take one bite of chocolate and one sip of my tea as a start of my journey. It fulfills and calms my entire day and I’m ready to face anything.
As I taste each chocolate with my cup of Ahmad Darjeeling tea it’s like I was taken back to the past. It allows me to stay still, and savor the moment. I even felt like I was already meditating. I guess this chocolate is designed for yuppies like me who need to slow down at work and live the moment.
If you’re looking to give someone a special present or just a special gift to yourself, feel free to inquire about their gift boxes. Patchi is there to serve your needs for special occasions or for corporate gifting.
I am definitely looking forward to trying more of their luxury chocolates soon and telling you more about them.
What more can I say? Experience the fine chocolate that you deserve and share it with those you love.
Share with me your Patchi journey and how it changed your life in the comments below.
To know more about Patchi and how this chocolate can change your life forever, you can check out their website here: https://patchi.com/en
For Patchi Philippines here is the link to their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PatchiPhilippines
Or you can just simply drop by their store at B5, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City
Just a warning: Once you’ve tried it, you’ll become addictive to it!