I am a chocoholic and Baguio for me is not complete without a cup of Hot chocolate!Everytime I go up to Baguio I notice the Chocolate de Batirol stand within a silver store along Session Road. I always plan to stop and try their specialty and my favorite. If they named their restaurant after Hot Chocolate, it better be the best on their menu! Last month, I finally decided to make that stop but horror of horrors, it wasn't there anymore ! I left Baguio very disappointed with myself for procrastinating all these years.
Luckily, I came across an article in the internet that said they are at Camp John Hay, Baguio City. I promised myself that next time I will have that much awaited cup!!! Lucky for me , next time turned out to be TODAY! Yes!
Chocolate de Batirol is located at the Mini Golf area at the camp. Perfect standby place for parents waiting for their kids to be done with mini golf, the playgound, bump car, bicycle, etc. I was not disappointed with the place. It is not your typical concrete restaurant but instead has an outdoor garden setting. When you go inside, you feel like you are entering a jungle of beautiful plants! Like I mentioned in my previous blog, I have a soft heart for Filipino restaurants that try to be as authentic as they can. This one gave me an almost total Filipino restaurant experience.
1. Umbrellas ( ala starbucks) were covered with Filipino artwork.
2. Paintings/Decor were by local Filipino artists
3. Background music was Pilita Corales !
4. Hot chocolate was made of local cacao beans, planted right in Baguio.
5. Furnitures made of local wood/ natural shape when possible.
Mr Jojo Castro gave us a mini show of how they whip up a mean cup of the Batirol Chocolate. He used a whisk (
batirol) to froth the chocolate. He referred to the whisk as a Mollinillo. According to him this is the same term used by the line of kitchen appliances called Moulinex. Interesting. What I like about Jojo is he is so hospitable/friendly and goes out of his way to give his customers a complete history/tour of everything from the cacao beans down to the different artworks at his place. He wants to make sure his customers have the complete hot chocolate experience. I was so entertained while enjoying my Hot Chocolate!
My cup of Batirol chocolate was not as thick as Spanish Hot chocolate but it had a lot of texture and flavour which Jojo attributes to freshly ground roast cacao beans and peanuts.
He has been growing cacao in Baguio for the past 20 years and personally grinds them. It was very delicious! He even sent each of us some samples of what he calls his "opium hot chocolate" so we can fully enjoy ourselves. Next came samples of roasted(?) garlic chips which they also sell by the bottle.
They have several other products in their mini store such as taba ng talangka ( another of my most favorite food), chocolate de batirol gift pack complete with molinilllo. I bought 1 bottle of the ground Chocolate (375pesos)
and if I remember right, it makes about 60+ cups.
Behind the dining area is a another cozy area Jojo proudly calls the Republika. He showed us his unique armchairs and tables
plus an artwork/painting
he describes as the eccentric malakas (strong) and maganda (beautiful). These are the first Filipino man and woman born from a bamboo stalk as per Filipino legend. He even hang a Philippine flag to complete the Philippine ambiance. He showed us a poster of his new "Adopt" a Seedling project where they encourage planting of cacao beans and go camping in the area. He is so passionate about his products and wants to teach the Filipino youth to go "back to basics."
What a welcome change from malling and computer fixation for our kids. I truly enjoyed my conversation with him and admire his passion for all things Filipino.
We didn't have much time to try the food items on the menu except for a quick Suman de Lihiya and Banana Turon with Langka.
I must admit that since I am a loyal fan of Tita Parings suman latik, I thought their suman wasn't as good as I expected... All the same, it looked so good to eat that as usual I again forgot to take a photo before having a bite! Their Banana Turon must be another of their best sellers. I couldn't even take a photo since everyone grabbed one and left NONE for me !!!
Other items on the menu were typical Filipino dishes which I plan to try next trip. I will make sure I go at night so I can truly enjoy the hot chocolate experience. Cold night weather+ Hot chocolate = Perfect Baguio trip! I am so looking forward to going back to Baguio because of discovering this place... Baguio is for eating and relaxing and Chocolate de Batirol is definitely going to be permanently on my Baguio MUST DO list.
Our family travels to Baguio at least once or twice a year. The Philippines has a generally hot climate and there are only a few getaway destinations in the country where you can find cooler weather. Baguio in the mountain province is one of them. From our home, it takes us about minimum 5 hours ( if we travel very early or very late) to maybe 8 hours during rush hour including food, gasoline and rest stops. Travel time is much improved because of the new SCTEX highway(about 45 mins on this road). It is less interesting than the old route because there are absolutely no eating places, gasoline stations or rest stops along the way. Cuts your travel time by a lot though. You know you are in Baguio when you see this Lion Head along the Zig Zag road.
