IS THERE anyone who doesn’t love chocolate?

 

The Filipino palate appreciates its bittersweet taste, from the tsokolate de batirol to champorado. I have fond memories of chocolate; it is undeniably part of my childhood—Magnolia chocolate ice cream, Chocnut, Flat Tops.

 

I remember when dad would bring me to Café Adriatico in Malate, Manila. I’d sit at a separate table while he was having business meetings.

 

To kill time I would have Tsokolate Eh!, the restaurant’s handmade chocolate drink—dark, thick and sweet goodness served in an espresso cup.

 

I don’t doubt that everyone also has childhood chocolate experiences. Is it any wonder then that when news of an ice cream brand was coming to our shores a few years ago, chocolate mania ensued?

 

In the first few months following Magnum’s launch in the Philippines, supplies grew scarce, with customers looking for their favorite flavors.

 

Today the brand is available in most supermarkets and convenience stores. It is known not just for its ice cream flavors, but also for its thick chocolate coating—Belgian chocolate, no less.

 

Magnum has just launched two flavors—Chocolate & Caramel with sea salt swirl; and Chocolate & Raspberry swirl.

 

At the event, the masterful creations of chef Jordy Navarra introduced guests to new levels of chocolate nirvana.

 

At his popular Toyo Eatery, the chef whipped up Choco Veggie Flan and Wagyu Beef with Chocolate.

 

Chocolate, indeed, is good with everything. The Wagyu beef cubes were drizzled with dark chocolate, the savory taste of the beef going quite well with the slightly bitter dark-chocolate sauce. Squid-ink-infused mashed potatoes were served with the Wagyu beef.

 

“When the organizers asked me to create dishes based on chocolate, I was at first daunted by the task,” said Navarra. “The Filipino palate is not that used to chocolate-infused dishes, unlike the international scene which is more experimental. I played on the bitterness of the chocolate to bring out the sweetness and savory flavors of the meat.”

 

After the chocolate-infused lunch, the pièce de résistance was revealed. The two ice cream pops were served in a dish together—delicate tracings of chocolate syrup and sprinklings of chocolate nibs giving an elegant visual flair to the plating.

 

“In our two new flavors, we’re most proud about the chocolate coating,” said Diane Tan, Magnum Philippines senior brand manager.

 

“These two flavors have twice the amount of Belgian chocolate coating, and are sprinkled with Tanzanian chocolate nibs. It’s among our most decadent and delicious creations,” she noted.

 

Indulging in chocolate is a very hard temptation to resist, and as the Irish playwright Oscar Wilde famously said, “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”