Auro’s Gorgeous New Chocolate Café Breathes Tropical Life to BGC

Auro Chocolate Café 
G/F One Maridien Tower, Bonifacio Global City
Open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Sunday

(SPOT.ph) If you ordered a space-age Interagalactic Hot Chocolate Bomb from Auro Chocolate during the pandemic, glimpsed their beautifully illustrated chocolate bar wrappers, or visited their café beside IKEA, then you know that this local brand delivers nothing but chocolate excellence. Now, they bring that same talent (and A+ chocolate) to BGC with their new outpost—which boasts stunning interiors and drool-inducing food.

Also read: The Best Local Brands With Swoon-Worthy Bean-to-Bar Chocolate

Check out Auro Chocolate's gorgeous new hangout cafe in BGC:

Auro Chocolate has already garnered international awards for its premium tree-to-bar chocolate, produced sustainably through partnerships with local farmers. The brand, a play on Au (the chemical symbol for Gold) and Oro (the Spanish word for Gold), features rich, bold, and unique tropical flavors that aim to highlight Philippine culture.

“The business used to focus on wholesale,” says co-founder Kelly Go, who started the brand with her husband Alvaro Ramos, alongside friends, siblings Mia Ocampo and Mark Ocampo. “Because we were impacted by the pandemic, we wanted to explore other ways to reach our consumers.”

The first attempt to expand the business was their grab-and-go café beside IKEA, which has been open since 2022. “The proof of concept worked, so we decided to look for other places and decided to open our flagship store in BGC.”

Auro Chocolate Café’s newest outpost is just a short walk from High Street and easily accessible from Fort Strip and One Parkade. Its curved glass windows and rich orange walls are visible from meters away, drawing your eye in with its welcoming, friendly, indoor-outdoor set-up. “We wanted to bring a tropical experience to Manila,” continues Go, who says that Manila’s café and restaurant scene was already very urban, consisting of places with very neutral, minimalist, white-and-gray spaces.

“We were inspired by the concept of the fiesta,” adds co-founder Mia. “The Philippines has always been such a colorful country. We used different fruits, our agriculture, and even our festivals like MassKara and Sinulog to inspire our interiors and our packaging.”

As you step into Auro Chocolate Café, you are welcomed by a fun retail space featuring Auro Chocolate’s signature products as well as products by their local partners. One of the brand’s advocacies is to direct the spotlight on other Filipino entrepreneurs and small businesses to create a community of collaborators—many of whom are slated to be featured in the café’s lineup throughout 2023. A tree sits at the middle of the retail space, designed by Rita Nazareno, whose keen eye and dedicated artisans and makers are responsible for the lighting fixtures in the café.

You can place orders for Auro’s drinks and multitude of pastries at the brightly decorated bar and grab a seat at the mindfully situated bench right by the entrance—the perfect spot to sip a cup of coffee (we recommend the Dark Mocha) and have a chat with your friends before heading back to work.

If you’re in the mood to eat in and grab a chair, there’s an intimate, split level indoor seating area decked with undulating curves, natural materials, and fun splashes of color all around. The seating area’s accent wall is decked in illustrations by artist Raxenne Maniquiz, featuring local flora. An outdoor area is also available for those who prefer to enjoy their treats al fresco—not only is banquette seating available to café-goers, but there is also a wide-open green space situated next to the building with comfortable benches scattered all around.

Auro Chocolate may be known for its premium chocolate, but the café’s menu goes beyond just that. The flagship features an expansive, versatile all-day brunch menu that blends cacao with savory dishes and features your staple pastries, Viennoiserie, and beverages. Spearheaded by Chef Leti Moreau of online dessert shop Simone & Amelia, the menu primarily features Filipino dishes with a twist as well as a cocktail list inspired by Tiki Bar culture.

“When we were doing our food research, we discovered that Tiki Bar culture in Los Angeles in the 1930s was supported by a mostly Filipino staff behind the scenes. They committed the drinks to memory and added in their own culture to them,” explains Go. The café honors these unsung Pinoy heroes with a fun coterie of cocktails employing puns that Filipinos love—more on that shortly.

For breakfast or brunch, you can't go wrong with the Fried Chicken & Ube Waffle (P520). This hearty plate pairs excellent crispy fried chicken juiciness with a Filipino spin on your classic waffle, flavored with ube. The result: pure comfort, especially when paired with its toasted coconut milk latik and cacao tablea syrup. Of course, no café is complete without a serving of croissants. Get a dose of savory and sweet with Auro’s Almond Croissant (P200) and Glazed Ham and Cheese Croissant (P200)—both flaky and best taken fresh out of the oven.

If you're looking for a more substantial bite for lunch or dinner, you'll be glad to know Auro Chocolate Café's got rice bowls with Filipino flair. The Chorizo Fundido (P430) is bound to please. Exploding with garlic flavor and salty richness, the chorizo is paired with red pepper garlic rice and melted fontina cheese; cherry tomatoes and saba banana counter the chorizo with some slight sweetness. If veggies are your middle name, try the Ginataang Kalabasa (P390). The curry spices provide a distinct zing to the coconut milk sauce that complements the squash and French beans here. Doesn't hurt that they've also got a cauli rice option.

Come the later hours, it's all about unwinding—and alcohol always helps. Consider the Alak-San (P550) to start things off; this tropical tipple will transport to the beach its mix of two shots of Don Papa rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut cream, and cinnamon syrup. A good cocktail calls for nibbles: try the Chicharron Manok (P320), a delightfully crunchy-meets-kunat snack with an avocado and herb sauce. Alternatively, there's the Crispy Pata Croquetas (P350), a crunchy tapas-inspired dish that bursts with flavor and creaminess with its bechamel-sauce filling.

Of course, dessert is well-represented at this chocolate café—perfect as a meal-ender or with coffee on a drab afternoon. The soft-serve (P150), flavored with Auro extremely rich-tasting chocolate, is a fan favorite that's perfect when it's hot out. Meanwhile, the Choco Peanut Butter Bar (P115) provides you with salty sweetness on a shortbread cookie—not unlike nostalgic candy bars.

Don’t leave without a tub! The Ooey Gooey Chocolatey Caramelly Tub Cake (P350) comes in pints you’ll want to keep in your refrigerator at home for chocolate emergencies. And if you’re after chunks and chunks of chocolate, try the Triple Chocolate Cookie (P120), which provides you with a solid dose of softly textured, chocolate chunk goodness. Whichever your choice, be sure to get a cup of joe to go with your sweet treat—like the good-enough-for-dessert serving of Dark Mocha (P200).

Auro Chocolate Café is the perfect pit stop if you’re jonesing for breakfast all day, if you want to pick up a few treats or a cup of coffee before heading to work, or if you’re looking for a dessert spot in the BGC area that will not disappoint. It’s also a wonderful place to bring balikbayans and visitors from outside the country to give them the real-deal experience of Filipino culinary culture. Big bonus—it’s also a great spot for pasalubong shopping.

Photos by Toto Labrador

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