This week we hopped on to the talk of the town, Manam Chocolate Karkhana. This ambitious project of Chaitanya Muppala, the young scion of city’s esteemed sweets brand Almond House — has already won a place in the hearts of city folks for introducing craft chocolate in India’s confectionery and dessert space. We entered this massive 10,000 square ft establishment on a weekday afternoon and were startled to see the good turnaround of the crowd, proving it’s a rage!
Eager to learn more, we were given a mini tour of the place that started with a wide display of indulgent confections. Cakes, bonbons, truffles, nama, fudge, gianduja, brownie, entremets and snackable bars to nibs caught our fancy. Chocolate fondue fountains dripped a cascade of rich creamy chocolate that can be used to top ice creams, gelatos and marshmallows! Next, their gift section was another treat to our eyes offering pralines, biscotti, cookies, spreads and barks, each packed with delicious surprises!
To know the story behind these totems of joy, an interactive screen showed us the farm to bar process where cacao pods from India’s largest cacao growing region, West Godavari go through various steps like harvesting, pod breaking, fermentating, drying and finally sorting the finest pods. They’re then brought to Manam where we saw them going through roasting, winnowing, grinding, refining, cinching, tempering and finally being moulded into luscious chocolate bars.
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Tempted by this journey, we entered their café. It was dotted with indigenous plants from West Godavari to immerse visitors in the nostalgia of lush fields that are the home of star ingredient — cacao. We perched on a round built-instone seating space in the al fresco café. The enclosed seating offered lush views and better socialisation. Soon a deck of hot and cold brews arrived to add to moments of camaraderie! The Single Estate Pour Over had a more pronounced flavour enhancing our sensory experience while the Cold Drip with Cloud had a mellow and comforting taste.
The hot chocolate came with a pinch of salt, quite literally as we sipped their Sea Salt Hot Chocolate! The unique offering had a salty undertone that harmonised with a slightly sweet taste which added more depth to the flavour profile compared to its more sweetened counterpart, the Hot Chocolate. Next, we got our hands on a bunch of savouries that were international in appeal yet close to home. For instance, Millet Tacos with Rava Fried Fish blended India-proud grain with Spanish and Mexican cuisine staples like guacamole, pico de gallo and salsa rioja.
Next the Tofu Crostini was another innovation where creamy tofu pesto was smeared on bread topped with cherry tomatoes. But our heart went out for the Prawn and Mango Curry made in Calicut style. It had soft juicy prawns bathing in the creamy and slightly tangy curry served with red matta rice cakes! The delicious curry with rice made us wipe our plate off ! We finished off with savouries on a healthy note taking spoonfuls of Superfood Salad that had a mix of avacado, mesclun, pecan nuts, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds. It was garnished with balsamic dressing for a smooth texture.
As we neared the finale, the tempting Pecan Caramel Entreament fulfilled us with rich, nutty and caramelised notes embedded in a glass mousse. However, the winner was the mono portion of Birthday Cake. Its caramelised white chocolate, vanilla and brown chocolate blend took us to our childhood days when gathering over birthday parties was a cherishable affair, ending our tasting session on a memorable note!
Rs. 2,500 for two. At Banjara Hills
Mail: priyamvada@newindianexpress.com
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