Taste Test: A Review of the Viral Knafeh Chocolate Bar From Dubai
We try the OG, as well as one local favorite.
(SPOT.ph) If I had a coin for every instance that knafeh chocolate content passed through my feed, I would have enough to buy the dang chocolate from Dubai's FIX Dessert Chocolatier which costs a jaw-dropping 68.25 AED or approximately P1,073.86 for each bar. I could probably even buy a second bar if I also count how many times people have asked: "Where can I buy it?," "Should I just make it at home?," "Have you tried it?," and ultimately: "Is it actually good?"
Too many questions and the FOMO was getting stronger and stronger with each repetitive question. So, for this SPOT.ph Taste Test, I've caved into this chocolate trend to finally see what the hype is all about—and if a local counterpart from Bueno Barks can or cannot hold a candle for half of the FIX pasabuy price.
Also read:
Dubai Knafeh Chocolate: Here's the Deal on the Viral Chocolate Bar
What's in the FIX's Can't Get Knafeh of It and Bueno Bark's Crunchy Kataifi in Pistachio:
Dubai's FIX Dessert Chocolatier is most known for its Can't Get Knafeh of It, a pun on the phrase "can't get enough of it," and probably the intentional goal of owner Sarah Hamouda. This chocolate has a distinct design of yellow-orange and dark green splatters on the surface of the smooth milk chocolate, which encases that distinctive bright green filling made by mixing crispy knafeh, pistachio cream, and tahini paste.
The Dubai chocolate shop's second bestseller is the Mind Your Own Biscoff which, if you've went down the knafeh chocolate rabbit hole, you know there's this unpopular opinion of "Biscoff > pistachio." This chocolate bar switches it up with a white chocolate casing with a milk chocolate splatter design, and inside the bar is a crunchy lotus cheesecake and a layer of caramel.
FIX Dessert Chocolatier exclusively sells the Can't Get Knafeh of It and Mind Your Own Biscoff in Dubai and for domestic delivery only through their website, Deliveroo. It retails at 68.25 AED, or approximately P1,089.11 each bar. If you're purchasing these bars through a pasabuy, the price of each chocolate bar can go up as a 100% markup because of its high demand. One of the better deals we've seen online ranges from P1,500 to P1,800 per bar.
Bueno Barks is one of the first local dessert shops that hopped on the knafeh chocolate trend. This Quezon City-based store has two flavors, the Crunchy Kataifi in Pistachio and the Crunchy Kataifi in Biscoff, both have more or less the same components as FIX Dessert Chocolatier's but with prices that are significantly more affordable.
According to Czarina Waga, owner of Bueno Barks, the Crunchy Kataifi Pistachio Chocolate Bar uses a homemade pistachio cream mixed with pistachio praline, tahini, kataifi (or knafeh), and Belgian chocolate. The Crunchy Kataifi Biscoff Chocolate Bar uses a white Belgian chocolate that encases a filling made with Lotus Biscoff crunchy spread, Biscoff biscuit, and kataifi.
As mentioned, the Bueno Barks prices are relatively cheaper than FIX's but not necessarily that affordable that you can have it as an everyday treat. You've got different chocolate options, too. The Crunchy Kataifi in Pistachio costs P695 for Milk, P750 for Dark, and P695 for White, while the Crunchy Kataifi Biscoff is priced at P675 for Milk, P725 for Dark, and P675 for White.
Both brands have different shelf lives. FIX Dessert Chocolatier's Can't Get Knafeh of It and Mind Your Own Biscoff have recommended consuming periods of three days. This is an important aspect any consumer should take into account since these bars have to travel from Dubai to the Philippines, and from Manila International Airport to your destination—all done without melting into a chocolatey puddle.
On the other hand, Bueno Barks' can last three to four weeks when stored in a refrigerator. In my experience of having it delivered from Quezon City all the way down south in Alabang, it surprisingly stayed firm and in shape.
FIX Dessert Chocolatier vs Bueno Barks: What does the pistachio knafeh chocolate bar taste like?
As someone who's never tried anything similar to a combination of knafeh-pistachio-tahini before, I have to admit there was some expectation of a culture shock, and upon trying it, it was more shocking that it wasn't that shocking. Just to put things in perspective, the taste of knafeh chocolate isn't too alienating that it would cause worldwide division—unlike, say, pineapple on pizza, or mint chocolate.
The knafeh filling used in these chocolates has an earthy and nutty taste profile, and its intensity differs depending on where you buy it from. FIX's has a mild nutty taste, while Bueno Barks' knafeh filling is thrice nuttier and twice crunchier. The latter may feel overwhelming, but if you're someone who loves the sweetness, nuttiness, and earthiness of pistachio (like I do), you're bound to appreciate Bueno Barks' Crunchy Kataifi in Pistachio more (like I did).
When it comes to the chocolate that encases the knafeh filling, FIX's has the right thickness that it won't be a struggle to sink your teeth into. But no matter how mega-satisfying the chocolate snap is, this had a cloying level of sweetness that hurt the throat. There are times when the chocolate overpowered the knafeh filling, completely masking its nuttiness.
Bueno Barks' bar is on the thicker side, and likewise, has a thicker chocolate casing and a thicker knafeh filling compared to FIX's. Since the knafeh filling has a nuttier taste (mainly because of the pistachio praline that FIX doesn't have, I think), the chocolate is forced to be on the sidelines. Not that it's a bad thing—if anything, the knafeh should be the one in the spotlight.
FIX Dessert Chocolatier vs Bueno Barks: What does the Biscoff knafeh chocolate bar taste like?
One of the hotter takes in this whole knafeh chocolate trend is that FIX's Mind Your Own Biscoff is better than Can't Get Knafeh of It. Truth be told, it's not an apples-to-apples situation since the chocolate and filling used are completely different, with the exception of the knafeh. Don't like it sweet? Go for the pistachio, otherwise, Mind Your Own Biscoff.
I thought that the Can't Get Knafeh of It is cloying as it is, but the Mind Your Own Biscoff proved me wrong. The white chocolate, layer of caramel, and crushed Biscoff cookies are enough to give me a sugar rush to last two or three full working days. There's too much sweetness going on in each bite, and not enough of that gingery to counter.
It all goes down to this: I wish FIX's had more Biscoff filling. Thankfully, Bueno Barks' Crunchy Kataifi fulfilled that need.
Bueno Bark has a chunky Biscoff knafeh filling, chunky enough that you can taste the Biscoff's caramel and cinnamon note. Aside from the filling, there's also one whole Biscoff cookie on the bottom side of the chocolate bar, for an extra oomph that no one expects but is very much appreciated.
The final verdict: FIX Dessert Chocolatier vs Bueno Barks
Having tasted both FIX and Bueno Barks' knafeh chocolate bars, it's clear that price-wise, taste-wise, and logistics-wise, Bueno Barks' Crunchy Kataifi in Pistachio is the better option between the two pistachio options, and Bueno Bark's Crunchy Kataifi in Biscoff is the better knafeh chocolate out of all the four options—(chocolate) bar none.
I prefer Bueno Barks' prominent pistachio and Biscoff flavors, and love that both bars' have a crunchier knafeh filling more than FIX's. Of course, it's also a plus that Bueno Barks' doesn't cost twice the average person's daily income.
The only struggle is securing a Bueno Barks order when the order form drops (note: the order form is released every Friday at 6 p.m. on their Instagram page) because it does get sold out fast. But even though there is this added layer of struggle, it's still a lot less difficult than a FIX Dessert Chocolatier pasabuy that has a markup, a short shelf life of three days, and a chocolate that easily melts.
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