Mad about FOOD

Since 1997, The Chocolate Kiss Cafe has been "serving the good stuff" in UP Diliman. It all began as a family homebaking venture, but when Ang Bahay ng Alumni was built, the baker-sisters (who are both UP alumni) decided to take on the bigger challenge of setting up a full-blown restaurant operation on campus. Good decision.

Recently, I accompanied my youngest sister, a sophomore English student in UP, to her boarding house and then treated her to lunch at what she fondly calls Choco Kiss. It was only our second time to dine there and, just like the first time, the place was jampacked. I scribbled my name on the waiting list and waited…and waited. By the time we were seated, I was famished–so quite understandably I wiped out my platter of hickory smoked spareribs (P190), which came with steamed rice and buttered corn kernels.

The pork ribs were perfectly seasoned and grilled, then basted with a very tasty hickory sauce. The meat was so succulent and tender, though maybe not fall-off-the-bone tender as in Racks but I still loved it for its "bite."

My sister chose from among the pasta dishes and ended up ordering the creamy carbonara (P165). I got a forkful and agreed that it’s really creamy–not lumpy like the others I’ve tasted. The bechamel sauce had big chunks of ham, bits of bacon and a sprinkle of parmesan. It’s simple yet satisfying.

Then the moment we were waiting for arrived–dessert! At Choco Kiss, there’s a charming display of cakes that can whet anyone’s appetite, even if one has had a full rack of ribs. Good thing there’s the Chocolate Kiss Suite (P65)–a sampler of your choice of 3 small cake slices. So we had devil’s food cake, carrot cake and dayap chiffon cake.

The devil’s food cake is the signature and bestselling cake in the cafe. When one hears Chocolate Kiss, one thinks of its devil’s food cake–it’s what the cafe is famous for. So I didn’t pass up the chance to try it. Described as "deep rich chocolate cake with chocolate fudge filling and marshmallow frosting" it’s a yummy way to end a good meal.

As a carrot cake lover, I found Choco Kiss’ a bit too moist–it was more like…soaked. Plus the cinnamon flavor was overpowering. What I liked about it, though, are the carrot shreds which are bigger than usual. Well, surprisingly, my favorite among the three is the dayap chiffon cake–a delicate sponge cake with a caramel filling, marshmallow frosting and a mild citrus flavor. I don’t know why but the cake somehow reminded me of my youth. As Anthony Bourdain would say, "Oh yeah, it’s good!"

Lunch time at the Chocolate Kiss can be crazy, noisy and even crowded with all those people chatting away and enjoying the food. If you go between noon and 1 p.m., the waiting list can be a bit long. But the food certainly makes up for it. I’d even say it’s worth the long wait.

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