Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Cafe: The Answer to your Chocolate Cravings

I was a kid again. 

Complimentary Ritter Sport

      The world will be doomed without chocolates. And I'd rather not imagine any further how life will turn out without the brown (and sometimes white), smooth, and velvety, melts-in-your mouth goodness of chocolates. As a child during Halloween, my hand dug deep in a sea of candies to look for that mini pack of M & M's or foiled Hershey's Kisses. Luck was undoubtedly by my side if I knocked on the right door and received an individually-wrapped pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.Yet at the same time,even a piece of Cloud 9 can already get me all hyper and smiling.  As I've grown up, my cravings became bolder and I became more open to the sinful world of chocolate and cacao innovations. I adore a chocolate in any form may it be as a ganache, fountain, pie, shot, fudge, mousse, fondue, soufflé, and more. Chocolate is the ultimate 'go to' in stress, in in moments when one can't think of the perfect gift, in days of misfortune, and in times when all you really need is that perfect sugar fix. 

The Boutique Entrance
(Image from the official facebook page of Maitre)

   Thankfully, several food entrepreneurs in the country possess the same reverence for chocolates. Nothing gets a chocoholic more enthusiastic than a myriad of chocolate shops spawning throughout the metro. Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Cafe in Jupiter St. (in between Whistlestop and Starbucks) is one of them. It's a chic and romantically designed boutique that sells popular European chocolate brands such as Lindt, Ferrero, Nutella, Toblerone, Frey, and Ritter Sport. They also sell baskets and boxes of assorted chocolates, bouquets of Ferrero, jars and small individual packets of nutella, chocolate candies, and an array of homemade chocolate gelato creations.  My eyes widened. I was indeed a kid again. Though I couldn't let enough of that kid out in such a stiff and quiet ambiance like that of Maitre's. I didn't want to look like I'd gone cukoo. It's a place probably best for intimate dates.

    The menu presented a list of ingenious chocolate desserts, chocolate drinks, and even chocolate-infused dishes.

Golden Euphoria - Ferrero Hazelnut Crunch Cake (P 250.00)

      This is the cake that was made for the Ferrero fanatics like myself. A moist chocolate sponge cake is layered with a delicate and creamy hazelnut mousse, and covered in a rich and dark chocolate ganache. Expect a high level of sweetness yet a perfectly balanced one. The crunch of the Ferrero tucked in between luscious, velvety layers of chocolate textures is a pleasant surprise, cleverly mimicking the layers of a Ferrero Rocher. An exquisite, indulgent, and highly desirable cake that truly satisfies one's chocolate pangs. 

Sweet Revenge - Lindt Molten Lava Cake (P 250.00)
Dark chocolate molten lava cake made from Europe's finest Lindt Excellence Dark 70%, filled with oozing sweet and vengefully spicy chocolate served with vanilla ice cream.

       I giggled upon seeing the cheesy chocolate art that Maitre attempted to convey. A sweet presentation to some, but a little too mushy for my taste. Nonetheless, the description on the menu made me expect a lot from this dessert. Yes, it's Lindt-laden and we are all aware of how decadent the brand is but somehow it did not make Maitre's version my favorite. The lava cake was rich, warm, and spiked with hints of chili powder that tickled the tongue, complemented by the cool vanilla ice cream. Definitely an adventure in the taste buds,  however it left vague impressions on mine. It was good, but not mind-blowing. The rich taste of the chocolate was not as heavily exuded in the lava cake as I wanted it to be. I did not like the artificial, almost gelatinous texture of the lava. A hit or miss dessert. If you feel adventurous, this may be worth ordering however, CPK's classic version (although commercial) remains to be my favorite. :)

CPK's Chocolate Lava Cake

        Maitre is a promising Chocolatier shop that's definitely passionate about bringing the best in chocolate. There are still tons more unique Maitre offerings that I can't wait to try such as their gelatos, toblerone crepes, chocolate nutella waffle, and fondue! A good after-meal dessert place that I'll surely come back to for those chocolate cravings. 

Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Cafe

2A, No 28. Jupiter corner Astra St.

Bel Air, Makati

8978559