Theo and Philo: Local Artisan Chocolate

Theo & Philo Artisan Chocolates offers quality local chocolates with interesting twists. These chocolates also have a nice packaging. Each flavor has its own design. Colors dominantly used are red, white, blue, and yellow/gold (colors of the Philippine flag).

Inside, the chocolate is wrapped in silver foil sealed with a golden Theo and Philo sticker. I noticed that one kind of foil was thinner with diamond patterns, and the other had no patterns but was a bit thicker.

They use local produce – they source their cacao beans from Davao and their sugar from Bacolod.

I bought three variants: Dark chocolate with Calamansi (local lime), Dark chocolate with Ginger and Mint, and Dark chocolate with Siling Labuyo (chili).

In general, I like their dark chocolate. It’s not really sweet but also not too bitter – and that’s how I like my dark chocolate.

Here are the three variants that I bought:

Dark chocolate with Calamansi (local lime)

This is my favorite among the three. It has a fruity citrus sweetness with hints of sourness mixed into the chocolate. You can occasionally spot the zest in the chocolate too. I also tasted some sweet crystals in it(sugar maybe?).



Dark Chocolate with Ginger and Mint

What makes this dark mint chocolate different from others is that it has ginger. The taste was dominantly mint but bits of ginger are there too that gives a familiar kind of spice in an unfamiliar setting.



Dark Chocolate with Siling Labuyo (chili)

Looks like a normal chocolate bar, yes? But unlike the other two, this one had an undeniable spicy kick. I like that it’s not the kind of spiciness that stays in your mouth (and hard to get rid of) since I am not a fan of super spicy food. It gives just enough hotness. Among the three, I think this one is the most unique.

I bought my Theo & Philo chocolates from the Team Manila store in Mall of Asia. Since they only had some flavors available when I went there, I’m gonna check if they have the Barako coffee, 70% dark chocolate, Pili nuts and Pinipig flavors on my next visit.