An afternoon of red wine, chocolates, and roses

It’s not often I get a text that says, “We’d like to invite you to a chocolate tasting affair ..." and being a certified chocolates-and-roses kind of girl, I immediately replied, “Mmm sounds yummy, how can I say no?"

That’s how I found myself with my best foodie friend, or bff for short, at the Society Lounge in Makati one sunny day in mid-September. Much like Hansel and Gretel following a trail of breadcrumbs, we easily spotted the glass-encased display of chocolate bars and entered chocolate heaven. The posh resto was filled with the sweet stuff, in oval and rectangular pieces and syrupy stickiness on the cocktail and low tables, with more to come from the kitchen later. We found a place along the row of plush sofas lining the wall and took our first bite – some chips dipped in what I thought was chocolate fondue, but which turned out to be enchilada sauce with tacos. While we were contemplating its spicy undertones, particularly the distinct taste of cumin, the waiters passed around chicken mole negro served in soup spoons. Again, it was another unfamiliar taste (to non-Mexicans at least) that did not merit seconds from us. We nibbled on the bite-sized pieces of dark chocolate instead, its white container a delightful contrast to the bed of red roses adorning each table. We also selected the darker pieces from the egg-shaped chocolates that filled a large cocktail glass to the brim; it reminded my friend of his childhood in Zamboanga, where the tins of Van Houten chocolates were holiday staples in the barter trade. From its pioneering origins in Amsterdam in 1828, Van Houten has since become a worldwide name. As it turns out, the American manufacturer Hershey’s has bought the venerable European company, senior brand manager Ma. Patricia Turcuato tells me. Van Houten sponsored the tasting party as part of its cocoaphilia campaign, which aims to bring together passionate chocolate lovers through all sorts of fun events. “Cocophilia is our label for one’s passion about cocoa and all things chocolate. Appropriately enough, the Van Houten campaign revolves around this newly coined term," says Diana Obias, Van Houten Senior Brand Manager. "Distinct to Van Houten, which many cocoaphiles will notice, is our use of quality cocoa and whole roasted nuts." For the press and food bloggers on this warm Tuesday afternoon, it was meant to be a feast for the senses. Host Lori Baltazar animatedly showed everyone how to utilize their sight (look at the packaging), smell (hints of vanilla and other ingredients), touch (firm and smooth), hearing (a nice snap when you break off a piece), and definitely not the least, taste (intense but refined flavors of fresh chocolate that lingers in your mouth). I like the way she explained how “to worry, the good kind of worrying" the pieces of chocolate while we savored the texture and taste of the variety of flavors of chocolate bars that the waiters were incessantly distributing around the room. Next, it was the turn of Chef Patrice Freuslon to introduce us to coffee and chocolate pairing. The first one was Ristretto made from Arabica beans, which was definitely a winner with the semi-sweet dark chocolate; that is, if you like your chocolate bar with more cocoa than milk and your coffee black, without sugar. It was intense, jolting me awake after an hour or so of sweet indulgence. Good thing the next brew was the much milder Coffee Lungo, which was paired with an equally less intense bar of milk chocolate with whole fruit and nuts. After that, trays of hors d’oeuvres kept coming our way and it was all I could do to keep my hands off the mouthwatering ceviche, knowing full well that my sensitive tummy might just do a somersault if I had even just a teeny bite. Fortunately, the waiter had set down glasses of red wine on our table, which I happily paired with the slowly diminishing mound of dark chocolate beside the roses. We had our photos taken for the cocoaphilia Facebook page and then it was time for the finale, a supposedly decadent chocolate cake that my bff promptly declared to be a dud. Fond of what we like to call “experimental baking," he has produced whole grain breads and even a cashew baklava that have wowed my other foodie and chef-friends but sadly, he found the Chocolaty dessert underwhelming. I liked the mocha chiffon texture and thought there was a hint of spice in the chocolate icing, but after having a second slice, his opinion remained unchanged. Good thing we had a huge bar of dark chocolate on the table that he could bring home as his loot; the Hershey's people assured us that it contained no less than 45 per cent cocoa. My tote bag was weighed down with smaller pieces that my colleagues would surely appreciate, and there was more to carry when we exited the lounge and were handed boxes containing a dozen more candy bars plus bags of chocolate-coated almonds and raisins. With thousands of sugary calories to burn, we strolled around the Ayala Triangle Gardens for quite a while before heading home, bag and bellies bursting with sweet chocolate memories. – GMA News