Chocolatey Choco-late de Batirol

Choco-late de Batirol.  A cozy garden hideaway.  It's the perfect place to enjoy a cup of freshly-made choco-late done the traditional way.  This cafe has always piqued my interest but this is the first time we actually stopped to take a look.  It's easy to miss since it's located right before one of the exit gates (Scout Hill) of Camp John Hay in Baguio City.  I think this sort of look and concept would be hard to pull of at any other location but the hills and climate of Baguio make it look like some sort of fairy cottage ensconced in a pretty rainforest.   

Quaint signage.

We caught them 5 minutes before their closing time so we weren't able to sample any of their hearty Kapampangan fare.

Wooden artifacts and ecycled materials.

It's really enchanting at night... or creepy depending on how you look at it since the surrounding area is pitch-black except for this place.  It really calls out to you.  They usually have sprigs of fresh flowers on each table but they cleared them out before I could take a picture.  No biggie.  We were there for a cuppa choco anyway.

Barista with his"batirol" and "molinillo".

Part of the menu.

I had the Kahlua Choco-late, Yuri (hubby) had the Traditional Blend, and Ku (brother-in-law) had the Baguio Strawberry Blend.  I got to taste all three.  I should've tried theirs before I drank mine because mine packed quite a punch and was on the sweet side because of the Kahlua.  Yuri's had the most balanced flavor.  Ku's was similar to Yuri's Traditional Blend except it had the wonderful aroma of fresh strawberries wafting up from the clay mug.  It added another layer of flavor in the most subtle way.  Ku's was the best out of the three.

All in all their their choco-late is thick and earthy.  It's perfect for the cold weather since it warms up your insides real quick.      

A word of caution though for lactose intolerant sufferers like me.  I wouldn't go there on a first date if you know what I mean.  It doesn't help that the mixing process with the use of the "molinillo", which acts like a whisk, incorporates A LOT of air into the choco-late mixture. ;-)