Xocolat

Heart2Heart super loves this place in Katipunan! Owned by my cousin in law, Val Lopez

Check out the Philippine Star today and read about how Val Velasco Lopez puts so much chocolate, detail and LOVE into everything she does

Here are more photos and information about the place which did not fit in the article 🙂

It’s in an old house of a 90 year old lady who is the Aunt of Val’s bother in law. This house used to be Xocolat’s commissary to service their Podium branch. They put a few seats outside and many people were coming – so eventually they had to convert the place to restaurant cafe and now the commissary had to move to another location. What a nice problem to have! 🙂

Val used to make handmade fountains and handmade pottery together with a German guy 20 years ago. He put up a factory in Cagayan de Oro and they were making pottery and beautiful fountains like this. This is right as you enter the gate of the house

Bohemian look and feel at Xocolat – live the fabric and lanterns hanging on the outdoor seating area by the front of the house

Plenty cute signs all over the place. Each of these are made by Val! Can you tell how detailed she is and how she customizes everything?

More outdoor seating on the left side

And finally the entrance

And here she is 🙂 Val Velasco Lopez. She has three other partners in the business – Rina Puno Avecilla ( Polly ) Pinky Yap Ortiz and Trish Malvar ( who is based in Singapore ). Val told me that she does the creative side of the business – the graphics, the design and R&D of the restaurant including the dishes. She tells me she loves pork and chocolates yet I wonder why she is so slim!! Where does it go? She also owns the Bead Shop which has 10 branches already. I keep telling her to open in Makati but she refuses because she is so hands on with all her businesses. She cannot imagine running a business that she cannot visit or be present in, hence we have to go all the way to Katipunan or Podium to dine at Xocolat. It’s worth the trip

Love this chair by the entrance 🙂 Again another handmade and one of a kind fountain made by Val! She is very meticulous about everything and this is true in everything she does. She likes things that are handmade and made from scratch rather than just buying things commercially.

Cake counter 🙂

This is Xocolat’s version of ensaymada. I still have to try this but this is one of their bestsellers

I am overwhelmed by everything inside – so many stories to tell!

Even the sitrrer is customized

This sign on the bathroom is made by Val and her sons using the wrappers of chocolates!

These antique dolls are from the collection of the owner of the house. Val found it when she was fixing the house and instead of keeping the in a box, she displayed them so nicely in this cabinet. Some find them scary, I don’t 🙂 well maybe if it were at night and I were all alone in the house! haha