The Dubai Chocolate Hype Is Here to Stay—Try These Desserts by the Filipino Chef Who Created the Bar

(SPOT.ph) It was around last year when videos of chocolate bars flooded our feeds like crazy, each stuffed full with a thick, batter-like filling of pistachio, tahini, and crisp kataifi pastry. We're talking about the viral Dubai chocolate bar of course, originally created by Dubai-based Filipino chef Nouel Catis. The chef is in the Philippines and has left quite the gift for local fans of his famous confection, in the form of three must-try desserts available just until mid-June at Steak & Frice, Ramen Ron, and a mano.

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Dubai chocolate desserts by Chef Nouel Catis

Chef Nouel Catis—yup, the creator of the viral Dubai kataifi chocolate bar himself—has collaborated with the folks of AF Hospitality for three new desserts available for a limted time at their restaurants in Manila. The partnership, Catis shares, began with AF Hospitality founder Amado Forés reaching out to him on social media. "That was last year in August," Catis explains. "And that just trickled down into a group chat and becoming more of the synergy that you have seen today, which is having all those three desserts with my Dubai chocolate spin."

"I just found it so unique that someone Filipino did something so viral worldwide," Forés tells SPOT.ph. "He was so generous—he got to share his knowledge and everything with us." Catis worked with the head chefs of the three concepts under the group, among them pastry chef Chico Glendale Orcine, to incorporate the telltale Dubai Chocolate elements of high-quality chocolate, pistachio, and kataifi into AF restaurants' signature desserts.

At casual-elegant steak house Steak & Frice, you’ll find the Dubai Chocolate Crêpe (P550)—a mammoth plate of chocolate crêpes with fillings of pistachio-kataifi crunch, dark chocolate, and pistachio cream. These are then topped with roasted kataifi and pistachios for pops of crunch that work beautifully with the crêpes' silky filling. Generous (perhaps intimidating) as the portion might appear, the resulting dessert is surprisingly balanced in both richness and sweetness—a quality Catis always aims for in all his creations.

Ramen Ron, meanwhile, spotlights their famously pillowy daifuku with the Dubai Chocolate Mochi (P280/one piece, P800/three pieces). "There's no other dessert that really captures the essence of Japan," Catis says of the dessert—and it truly is heavenly stuff. Sink your teeth into the delicate mochi wrapper and you're met with a velvety interior of milk chocolate and pistachio namelaka fillings. Adding richness and textural contrast on the outside are a coating of dark chocolate, pistachio sauce, roasted kataifi, and crushed pistachios.

Last but not the least, Italian dining spot a mano is home to the Dubai Chocolate Soft Serve (P670). This gossamer treat begins with the restaurant's fan-favorite burrata gelato soft-serve, which in itself has a subtly salty, subtly sweet quality that's hard to beat; it's swirled into their chocolate-dipped housemade waffle bowl before a dark chocolate shell is poured over. Joining the party, too, are a pistachio-kataifi crunch, crushed pistachios, and roasted kataifi—be sure to get a little bit of everything in your spoonful for the best sensation.

Pro tip: make sure to pick up a Dessert Passport on your visit to any of the AFH restaurants—that's a mano, Ramen Ron, or Steak & Frice for ya. You get to collect a stamp every time you order one of the limited-edition Dubai Chocolate desserts; complete the card and you get a complimentary SNA’AP Chocolate Bar by Chef Nouel himself (available in milk and dark varieties), until supplies last! The bars are also available for direct purchase at P650 a pop.

These Dubai Chocolate treats are only available until June 11, with a portion of the proceeds from sales going to MAD Travel’s AgroForestry Program with Dumagat Cacao Farmers—talk about a win-win-win.

"This moment brings with it both excitement and a hint of nervousness—but above all, immense pride," Chef Nouel says of the collaboration. “Returning home to showcase the culinary creations that have revolutionized how desserts are enjoyed in the Middle East is truly special. Creating viral sensations has become second nature in my process, and now my mission is to elevate our beloved Filipino desserts in the same significant and impactful way, introducing them to wider popularity and appreciation."

Steak & Frice is at LG/F Central Square, 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City. Ramen Ron is at Edades Tower, Rockwell Center, Makati City and G/F Central Square, 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City. See a list of a mano branches. For more information, check out AF Hospitality's Facebook page.