Discover Pinoy folklore, one bite at a time
For its first venture into afternoon tea service, Auro Chocolate Cafe tapped into Filipino folklore to craft a decadent menu that captures the vivid imagery and sense of wonder evoked by well-loved fables, epics, and legends.
True to its theme, the set arrived on our table not on your usual three-tiered stand, but in a custom-made display cabinet with colorful hand-painted motifs. Swing its doors open and you will find an assortment of treats—an equal mix of sweet and savory—neatly displayed like precious trinkets in your grandmother’s old cupboard.
Conceptualized by Auro culinary director Leti Moreau in collaboration with head chef Ria Garcia, each of the eight dishes come with beautifully illustrated mini cards that provided a brief overview of the story it was inspired by—if only to jog your memory or tickle your imagination before you take your first bite.
Resembling a grain of rice, the marzipan-based “Ang Langgam at ang Tipaklong” looked like it would have a crisp, spongy texture, not unlike that of a ladyfinger biscuit. But surprisingly, our fork sank right through the second we dug into this all-white dessert. It was light, airy. And in the mouth it promptly dissolved, revealing a mellow sweetness from the vanilla cream filling.
In terms of texture, “Ang Alamat ng Mangga” could have well been a companion piece to “Ang Langgam.” But while the previous dessert soothed the palate, this heart-shaped cake woke it up right back, thanks to the mango’s refreshingly bright acidity. After the initial kick, the toasty sweetness of coconut mousse—held by an almond dacquoise biscuit—inevitably set in, making for a well-rounded finish.
“Ang Alamat ni Maria Makiling,” meanwhile, sat on the other end of the flavor spectrum. The slightest application of force against its chocolate choux pastry shell cracked it open, letting out a gush of chocolate crémeux laced with hazelnut. Sprinkled with the greens of crushed pistachio, the overall aesthetic was warm and earthy—perhaps a nod to the mystical mountain forests the eponymous fairy inhabits.
Sweet, sharp, nutty
“Ang Kalabaw at ang Suso” was a welcome breather after all that sugar. Its puff pastry crust, crumbly and buttery, housed a rather viscous caramelized garlic confit filling. And together with the bed of wispy alfalfa sprouts on top, each bite was sweet, sharp, and nutty all at once.
What is an afternoon tea service without, well, tea? If by this time you’re feeling already parched, or simply need something to reset your palate, you can opt for either a glass of Auro’s signature cacao iced tea or its lime-tinged variant. Or perhaps a pot of plain tea brewed with your choice of premium loose-leaf tea bags.
If you can’t have enough chocolate, no one will stop you from having a cup of steaming choc au lait, which you can have dark or white, with or without peanuts. And if you’re in the mood for a splash or two of alcohol before sunset, you can ask for a pitcher of cacao lime spritz or calamansi spritz for an added fee.
We proceeded with “Florante at Laura”: razor-thin layers of mozzarella cheese and spiced chorizo snuggled together in between slices of soft chocolate bread. Familiar, comforting. The addition of paprika bechamel, however, created just enough interest.
“Bakit May Kaliskis ang Isda” might have tasted like your traditional smoked salmon hors d’oeuvre, but it was undoubtedly one of the set’s more intricately designed nibbles—from its pillowy red bun to its pinkish, bluish tuile garnish that mimicked fish scales.
Another one that demanded the camera devour it first was “Ang Alamat ng Ibong Adarna,” which, as the title suggests, packed a medley of colors in a small cup of sweet tart dough. Much like the mythical bird’s ornate tail, this dessert featured hues of reds from the flower petals and the orb of tangy strawberry jelly; greens from the pistachio financier filling; and blues from the carefully placed decorative plume.
Championing local cuisine
Auro doesn’t prescribe a specific order for eating its delightfully dainty creations. But if there’s a piece that you should save for the end, make it the star-decked “Ang Kwintas at ang Suklay,” so that the last thing your teeth remember is the springy bite of this pan de quezo’s mochi-like dough, and the taste that will linger on your tongue is the gooey goodness of cheese and the heady aroma of truffle.
If by this point you still have space left in your stomach, then go ahead and pull open the drawers below the cabinet to reveal three pieces of pan de tsokolate, Auro’s own take on the traditional breakfast fare, using mildly sweet sourdough bread infused with cocoa.
For a homegrown, “proudly Filipino” chocolate brand like Auro driven by a desire to champion local cuisine on the international stage, a Filipino folklore-inspired afternoon tea set couldn’t be more fitting.
“We have always wanted to come up with our own afternoon tea set, but we wanted to make sure that it can also foster genuine Filipino immersion,” Auro cofounder Mark Ocampo said of the company’s maiden afternoon tea service, which will run for six months starting this February.
“Through food, we want more people around the world to engage in our culture and our history,” he added. “We want them to see the Philippines as a rich place with a wealth of unique stories to tell.”
Located in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, Auro Chocolate Cafe offers good-for-two and good-for-four afternoon tea sets, which cost P2,500 and P4,200, respectively. They’re available Fridays to Sundays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Call tel. +63917-1133599.
