Patchi, the Lebanese Chocolates founded by Nizar Choucair, is finally here in Manila! Thanks to Lucy Torres who gave it as a gift to Ben Chan, who in turn fell in love with it and franchised the boutique store in the metro.
Patchi already has a cult following of chocolate lovers in Manila. It is known for having the finest chocolates with nutty fillings, and thematic chocolate favors/gifts. It is a bit on the expensive side, but it is an affordable luxury that one can indulge in to celebrate milestones or to give as gifts.
The boutique store showcases the different decorated gifts for various occasions.
Here are my favorites:
The Chest of Gold Milk Chocolate Patchi (P6,347.45).
(L) Swan Bouquet of Chocolates. (R) Christmas Patchi Tree (P4,449.35).
Patchino — an extensive line of chocolates for kids. Don’t you just love the playful packaging?
This is the bestseller — The Choco Factory (P1,750).
(L) Welcome Baby Boy (P13,393.15). (R) Vase of Patchi Chocolates.
Welcome Baby Girl (P14,106.05).
According to the saleslady, this was the favorite of Lucy Torres to give away this Christmas — a box of Milk Chocolate with Pistachio Croquant and Milk Chocolate filled with Gianduja and Pistachio pieces.
The Patchi chocolates are color-coded. The gold ones are Milk Chocolate while the silver ones are Dark Chocolate. Not sure about the gray and the dark ones, though… (Would you know?)
Patchi 25. Dark Chocolate filled with Gianduja Milk and Hazelnut Pieces.
This is the basic favorite and one of the bestsellers. You can’t go wrong with choosing the Chocolates with Hazelnuts.
Audace. Milk Chocolate filled with Hazelnut pieces.
I like the Milk Chocolate because of its creaminess versus the Dark Chocolate in Patchi.
Rocher Noir. Dark Chocolate with Caramelized Almonds.
This is my favorite!
The Rocher Lait version, which is Milk Chocolate with Caramelized Hazelnuts, is the favorite of my friend Mishy. 🙂
Pave Pistache. Milk Chocolate filled with Pistachio pieces.
For pistachio lovers, you’ll be disappointed with the subtle taste of the pistachio. Better stick with the hazelnut variants.
Royal. Milk Chocolate filled with Gianduja and one whole Hazelnut.
I prefer the chocolates with bits and pieces of nuts instead of the whole ones because you can savor the taste until the last bite.
Legere. Milk Chocolate filled with Hazelnut and Crispy Rice.
Joshua enjoying his own piece of Patchi chocolates…
I like this too just because of the “Nestle Crunch effect” of the crispy rice — Yum! 🙂
The pricing is on a per gram basis. For example, this sample selection I bought (8 chocolates) costs around 108g x P4.85/g = P523.80.
Patchi
Building 5 B5 (in between Alessi and Figaro)
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Official Website: Patchi.com
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
Follow Me 
Facebook
Twitter
Flickr
Youtube
Full Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. I’m not related to, connected with or compensated by Patchi in any way.
P.S. Let me know what’s your favorite Patchi chocolate…
P.P.S. Happy New Year! 🙂
Love, love, love them! Am ecstatic they are in town….. Manila’s tastebuds are getting very chic and sophisticated. Starting to also diversify into different directions. What a very welcome change!!! We should take the foreign brands who do an outstanding job in presentation & packaging as inspiration. We have great content in this country, we just have to up the quality of the presentation & packaging. 🙂
Looks deliciously expensive! Would this defeat chocolates from Belgium?
Nice to be back reading your blog Anton. Have a blessed New Year to you and Rache and with your 3 sons! (now they are 3 already! im surprised, how time flies)
big hug,
joan
Yikes expensive! How do they compare with Royce?
way better! (in my opinion)
Sounds like Patchi is bigtime! Patchi is just one of the many famous chocolate makers although mostly are Europeans. I live here in Riyadh just a short walking distance to nice street lined with many chocolate and flower stores. I’ve seen the Patchi store among them.
Hhmmmnnn…Maybe I’ll drop-by one time and compare prices. Perhaps I can bring home Patchi chocolate as a gift. Unfortunately, I’m not so into choco’s.
the milk chocolate with roasted coffee beans and the milk chocolate with hazelnut croquant (reminds me of almond roca)!!
chocolate worth thousands of pesos?
sa hirap ng buhay sa pilipinas, parang vulgar at insensitive masyado kumain ng ganito kamahal na chocolate.
Mark, I’ve been around very wealthy people (I worked in Private Banking in New York where my clients had accounts in the hundreds of million dollar range) and I’ve been around the working class. And you know what, where people spend their hard-earned money is no one’s business but theirs. This is a question that is raised a lot in the Philippines when friends & relatives say to well-off children: “Why do you work? Your parents have money?”. The money of the parents is not necessarily the money of the children. If people want to splurge thousands of pesos on luxury chocolates, let them. Maybe they are the same people who are charitable, generous and have a philantrophic streak in them. I have no problem buying a Michael Kors bag that I am in love with as a special, once a year Christmas present to myself; neither do I have a problem writing a P15,000 scholarship check to send one student to school for one semester (and my scholarship beneficiaries are growing next year). I couldn’t resist answering your comment….. Happy New Year! 🙂
I’ve heard raves about Patchi but haven’t really tried them even if they have many branches here in Qatar…There are also other Lebanese chocolates here. Maybe I should try it and see how it compares with belgian brands.
Your write-up triggers me to have some Patchi chocolates which I received as a gift this holiday. The gray colored ones have nuts with a lighter chocolate filling, while the dark ones are solid chocolate with nuts. I am not a chocolate connoisseur, but they are good and the sweetness is just right!
would love to receive the “welcome baby boy” when i give birth on march… tamang tama, i could eat chocolates by then na.
Really nothing compared to Royce.
I definitely agree with Mark! Besides, what’s Lebanese compared to European chocolates? I bought a piece, and I was very much disappointed. Too expensive!
Just bought a few pieces today, some with nuts and others will fillings but in my opinion the plain milk chocolate is the best, i’m a purist ;-p
Even though I mentioned in the latest review of Patchi at my favorite and very reliable chocolate critics at chocablog (http://www.chocablog.com/reviews/patchi-selection/) that I will steer clear of this, I am tempted to buy a couple of pieces just to be able to actually taste it before passing a final judgement.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
I wonder though who will bring in Amedei chocolates here in Manila (touted as the best bean to bar chocolate in the world according to the Academy of Chocolate, London)?
Let's see how long Amedei chocolates will reach Manila 🙂 The Chocolate wars is heating up in Manila and we will be pampered with really good chocolates here 🙂 Thanks for the comment and the blog post link.
Anton
I believe this brand is the in-flight chocolates served by Etihad Airways. 🙂
I’d be among the first in line to buy Amedei once they reach Manila’s shores! It’s sold out at Amazon and I really want to order some!
And you are right Anton, the chocolate wars are really heating up and it’s so fun having so many fine chocolates to pick and eat!
Other chocolatiers from the likes of Paul A. Young, Amano, and Hotel Chocolat might not be far soon since Askinosie Chocolate sources some of their beans in Davao. I’m betting in 2011 we will see more good shops to come to Manila.
Teuscher pa rin! =)
http://www.teuscher.com/about-us.html
And Neuhaus from belgium.
http://www.neuhaus-online-store.com/index_en.htm
I get mine regularly from my hubby who goes to europe and my parents who go to KL and KL has Teuscher!
Nice! Happy new year to everyone, and a great 2011!
thanks for introducing me to Patchi! I mentioned your blog and gave credits to you in my post
http://the-f-word-blog.blogspot.com/2011/01/project-chocolate-patchi.html
more power! 🙂
you're welcome!
Patchi is Gold! It’s expensive. It’s really classy tho. I love how they set up their chocolates for giveaways. The wrapping of the chocolate isn’t really color coded. A friend gave our family 3 boxes of the ones similar to Lucy’s favorites. The dark brown ones were the Milk Chocolate with Pistachio Croquant (true enough, it doesn’t taste a bit like pistachio…reminds me of peanut brittle). The gold ones are Milk Chocolate filled with Gianduja and Pistachio pieces (tastes like peanut butter). The silver ones were wafer coated chocolate (kind of like kitkat). I think it’s different for each box but they have a cheat cheat under the box so you can tell which one is which. 🙂 I love patchi! But I wouldn’t spend that much money just for chocolate.
thumbs up for me… ang mahal nga lng talaga thanks to my tita na may dala….worth it nman kahit mahal , masarap tlga cya kahit nga buntis ako at bawal saken i keep on eating