TV presenter Daphne Oseña Paez craved Purple Yam Yum and Jasmine Blossom during her last weeks of pregancy, while stylist Michael Salientes liked his Lychee Noir and Coco Cocoa. Rustan’s EVP Anton Huang prefers Ivorie Jack, while I’m partial to mounds of Grand Marnier, which resemble miniature replicas of Bohol’s Chocolate Hills.
We’re raving about Machiavelli Chocolatier, which started in 2004 when physical therapist Raul Matias decided the healthcare scene wasn’t doing it for him.
Bored with his corporate managing job in Orlando, Florida, Raul followed his love for chocolate and studied under Belgian master chocolatiers in New York, Orlando and Vancouver.
To supplement his craft he took courses at Valrhona’s Ecole du Grand Chocolat in France, and volunteered in various chocolatier shops during peak season.
Four years later, friends of his — designer JC Buendia and perfumer Joel Cruz — encouraged him to come home and set up shop in Manila.
In May 2008, Raul thought of marrying chocolate with couture by offering guests at Buendia’s fashion show samples of his chocolate. They were a hit. People started talking about them, until Anton Huang had a taste and invited Raul to talk about setting up shop at Rustan’s.
But it was Nedy Tantoco who thought of giving him a space at Rustan’s Essenses, Makati’s leading beauty retailer. The idea turned out to be a good one, as Raul’s chocolates stood out from among beauty products, right by the entrance.
Machiavelli Chocolatier formally opened in April 2009, and as bloggers wrote about the exciting new discovery, sales doubled in the typically slow month of July.
Among the best-sellers are what he calls “Eurasian fusions” like Yema de Manila (based on the leche flan), Purple Yam Yum (a runaway hit described as “ube ice cream wrapped in chocolate”), Ivorie Jack (jackfruit puree in dark chocolate) and Dusty Negros (Muscovado caramel praline dusted with French cocoa powder).
Prices come per piece from P50 to P75 each, based on grams, and you can customize your selection depending on your box of choice.
One thing that really caught our eye as both a visual person and chocolate lover are the chocolates with Klimt-like prints. Raul says he works with a graphic designer to come up with unique edible prints that look too good to eat. It’s possible to order customized chocolate, such as the ones he made for a christening with the child’s name printed on them.
Clearly, Raul is one artisan who understands packaging. His dark purple box with the brown bow and logo in gold stamp were approved by no less than Anton Huang.
As for the name, Raul pays tribute to his favorite author Niccolo Machiavelli, “who was ahead of his time and the only one who had the nerve to say, ‘It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both’ and ‘Politics have no relation to morals,’” Raul says.
To these he answers, “It is better to have chocolate than love, if you cannot have both” and “Chocolates have no relation to morals.”
See for yourself at http://www.mach-chocolatier.com/
Discover more of Machiavelli Chocolatier’s exciting flavors only at Rustan’s Essenses, Glorietta 4, Makati. Call 483-9854.