#EverydayMadeSpecial: Weaving Chocolate Dreams at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat by Chef Ely Salar

International award-winning and multi-certified pastry chef Ely Salar brings his mastery of chocolate gained from years of experience from his long stint in Canada to Manila with Patisserie Le Choux-Colat at The Podium. From decadent Entremet Cakes and Gâteau de Voyage to artisan slabs of pure chocolate from their Chocolate Bark Series and soothing chocolate-based beverages, Patisserie Le Choux-Colat makes everyday special with their elegant chocolate creations. 

Located at the second level of The Podium, Patisserie Le Choux-Colat is easy to spot with its classic art-deco inspired design theme fused with local elements and elegant Spruce Green color motif... 

...showcasing the meticulous and intricate attention to detail of Chef Ely Salar using the finest and freshest ingredients for his lavish creations. Chocolate dreams do come true, and Chef Ely Salar continues to weave indulgent stories made with premium local cacao grown from his farm in Leyte. It's a story that began when Chef Ely and wife Jiannina searched the metro for fine desserts to enjoy with friends that eventually led to that lightbulb moment, maybe it's time to offer something truly special and indulgent. With a wealth of experience gained from his experience in Canada, Chef Ely decided to make that leap and pursue his passion for chocolate. What began as an exclusive online and social media driven enterprise (check out their online ordering site at https://form.jotform.com/) during the long days of the quarantine experience quickly became the next hottest thing in the metro, eventually leading to its very first location at The Podium. 

Now with its very first brick and mortar branch, Patisserie Le Choux-Colat is where you can indulge in all your sweet chocolate cravings and fantasies...

...masterfully created by chocolate dream weaver Chef Ely Salar. And his creations first feeds the eyes before the palate for a sensory experience like no other. Trained in the classic French style, Patisserie Le Choux-Colat is a visual feast...

...starting with the Petit Gateaux selections...

...to the intricate collection of Gâteau de Voyage with its tempting variants...  

...to the elegant Entremet creations. Each decadent dessert at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat by Chef Ely Salar is a work of art elevating your experience from that very first glance all the way to the last satisfying bite. Some serious self-restraint is needed to hold you back from diving through the glass chillers at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat. 

The Chocolate Petite Gateau (P 450) is a miniature version of the Original Chocolate Entremet with silky smooth chocolate mousse on moist chocolate sponge cake with delicately crisp hazelnut wafer crunch draped in a luscious dark chocolate mirror glaze. The richness of the different chocolate layers from the cake to the mousse and dark chocolate mirror glaze lingers on the palate, delivering sinful notes and pure chocolate pleasure like no other dessert you've tried. That's right. You'll only find it here at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat. 

The Coffee Créme Brulée Petite Gateau (P 450) is another inspired creation by Chef Ely Salar with coffee cremeux, chocolate coffee sponge cake, vanilla bean custard and milk chocolate feuilletine crunch for the distinct notes of coffee and chocolate in a seamless blend...

...while the Yema Cacao Petite Gateau (P 450) becomes yet another indulgent expression Chef Ely Salar's mastery of chocolate with soft vanilla sponge cake, cacao nib sponge cake, tablea cacao panna cotta, yema mousse and yema dark milk chocolate crunch covered in a rich yema chocolate mirror glaze topped with an elegant cacao bean-shaped praline. 

The Strawberry Dark Chocolate Petite Gateau (P 490) rounds out the tempting options of miniature creations with layers of chocolate fudge cake, dark chocolate ganache, strawberry coulis, feuilletine and praline crunch topped with fresh strawberries for chocolate dreams come true at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat. And that's just the proverbial tip of the iceberg when it comes to Chef Ely Salar's meticulously crafted indulgences at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat. There's more...

The Gateau de Voyage Season Two collection of Chef Ely Salar includes the (L-R) Calamansi Bavarian (P 180) with calamansi pound cake, vanilla bean Bavarian cream, candied calamansi and white chocolate; the Tablea Nut Brittle (P 180) with tablea chocolate sponge, salted caramel nut brittle and tablea chocolate cremeux and the Carrot Cream Cheese (P 180) with moist carrot sponge cake, white chocolate cream cheese, glazed carrots and milk chocolate praline for a dessert trifecta of distinct and unique notes from the different combinations. The calamansi cuts through the richness for that delicately balanced finish while the natural yet subtle sweetness of the carrots complement the chocolate in a surprising manner you'll want yet another bite. But it's the Tablea Nut Brittle that does it for me with the pure bold notes of chocolate.

In case you missed the first edition, the Gateau de Voyage Season One collection features the (L-R) the Chocolate Rocher drawing inspiration from the popular Italian chocolate and hazelnut confectionery with moist fudge cake, feuilletine crunch and dark chocolate truffles for contrasting textures and flavors; the Almond Praline with vanilla pound cake, almond praline, caramelized whipped ganache and toasted almond flakes and Banana Chocolate with banana sponge cake, white chocolate streusel, banana ganache and dark chocolate ganache for a delectable medley of fruity, nutty and chocolate options. The almonds come through with each bite followed by rich chocolate flavors while the fruity sweetness of bananas becomes even more intense with the different layers of chocolate. If you love Ferrero Rocher, the Chocolate Rocher by Chef Ely Salar is your top pick. And it's a masterful blend of textural contrasts and rich flavors that make the Chocolate Rocher one of Patisserie Le Choux-Colat's popular variants. 

In addition to Chef Ely Salar's chocolate creations, you'll find slabs of pure chocolate bliss with the Chocolate Bark Series at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat. One of Chef Ely Salar's store-exclusive offerings, these artisan products are sold by the gram following the practice of master chocolatiers in Europe. 75% Tablea Dark Chocolate Almond, Milk Chocolate Praline, White Chocolate Cookies and Cream and Dark Chocolate Wafer Crunch, pick your slab... 

Made from local chocolate from Chef Ely Salar's very own cacao farm in Leyte, the El Fortunella Farm, the Chocolate Bark Series by Patisserie Le Choux-Colat is probably the purest form of chocolate goodness. The White Chocolate Cookies and Cream (P 250/100 grams) uses homemade chocolate cookies for that delectable crunch blended with the luscious white chocolate couverture for that chocolatey punch and sweetness. The Dark Chocolate Wafer Crunch (P 250/100 grams) brings the deep and bold notes of dark chocolate with the textural finish of the wafers for another tempting combo.

But it's the 75% Tablea Dark Chocolate Almond (P 270/100 grams) that just hits the spot with its bold and more pronounced chocolate notes with a mildly bitter finish for a flavorful depth. For serious chocoholics, the 75% Tablea Dark Chocolate Almond is the ultimate chocolate fix. The very first flavor in the Chocolate Bark Series, Patisserie Le Choux-Colat brings chocolate bliss in a variety of shapes and forms to suit any mood or craving.

Why wait for cheat day? The Milk Chocolate Praline (P 250/100 grams) offers more delicate notes with a creamier finish for another must-try at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat. At Patisserie Le Choux-Colat, you don't have to wait for a special occasion to indulge in chocolates. As they like to say at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat, it's about #EverydayMadeSpecial.

The assorted shards from the Chocolate Bark Series by Patisserie Le Choux-Colat lets you indulge anywhere for that quick chocolate fix. A few hundred grams for take-out is always a good idea. 

What to pair with your dessert at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat? Why hot chocolate of course.

Chef Ely Salar brings a nostalgic spin to Patisserie Le Choux-Colat with the Traditional Tsokolate (P 180) made with pure homegrown Dark Chocolate Tablea prepared with the traditional Batirol. Each soothing sip brings smooth and rounded flavors to the palate like a comforting hug, just what you need to make an ordinary day perfect.

And the best part, the Traditional Tsokolate at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat is rich and sweet as is with no need to add milk, cream or sugar. 

And if you prefer something fancier, go all-out with the Signature Tsokolate (P 230)...

...topped with chocolate sauce and homemade roasted marshmallow for that lavish finishing touch. The chocolate base made with homegrown dark chocolate tablea delivers all the comforting flavors with the Traditional Tsokolate and Signature Tsokolate, enough reasons to visit Patisserie Le Choux-Colat at The Podium. 

You could say Chef Ely Salar is elevating the dessert game in the local culinary landscape with his luxurious offerings aimed and directed at lovers and fans of fine chocolate. He's probably the only one that's taking this passionate love for chocolates to the culinary mainstream starting online and following it up with a brick and mortar establishment inside The Podium. Now there's a special place for chocoholics to indulge with no judgement at all with the sinful pleasures of chocolate at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat. Dreaming up flavors and textures woven with silky smooth chocolate just sends a whole lot of good vibes. And who doesn't love chocolate?    

One of the popular attractions at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat is watching Chef Ely Salar and his team replenish the stocks in the glass chillers... 

...giving shoppers a better perspective on the premium and fresh ingredients, meticulous skills and the art behind each ornate chocolate creation. 

Observing Chef Ely Salar and his team draping the lavish creations with pure chocolate is an experience in itself at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat...

...with his luxurious creations sealing the deal. You can hold back as much as you want but eventually, you will give in. 

The Original Chocolate Entremet (P 1,720) and the Yema Cacao Entremet (P 1,650) with its alluring mirror sheen calls... 

...as Chef Ely Salar prepares sampling portions of his specialty creations. 

Chef Ely Salar prepared a special Original Chocolate Entremet smaller than the Petite Gateau as well as bite-sized portions of the Gateau de Voyage featuring all six variants. A sampling portion for the Mango Magnifique Entremet Cake was also served with sweet mango gelee cubes in vanilla diplomat cream, vanilla citrus sponge cake, streusel crunch and mango mousse covered in white chocolate mirror glaze delivering contrasting fruity notes smoothened by the white chocolate.    

Pure and unrestrained chocolate bliss in a variety of inspired and inventive creations, all in one place... 

...it's the closest thing you'll find to chocolate nirvana in the metro. At Patisserie Le Choux-Colat. 

Online or their very first brick and mortar establishment at The Podium, you're never too far from getting your much needed and well-deserved chocolate fix. Just look for the elegant spruce green structure at the second level of the mall, and you're on your way to real chocolate indulgence at Patisserie Le Choux-Colat for a chocolate dream come true...