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Have you ever seen a dream land? No, a chocolate land? That’s what Manam Chocolate lab and cafe is. It is a brand new addition to Delhi’s ever evolving food scenes, and there cannot be a better place to celebrate World Chocolate Day on July 7, 2025. It is the Disneyland equivalent for the 90s kids who have grown up watching cartoons featuring a chocolate river or have watched ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, a Warner Bros production, at least a hundred times.
If you don’t believe me, let me help you visualise. The moment you enter Manam Chocolate, newly opened in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, you are hit with the aroma of cocoa beans, which is enough to put you in a dopamine-induced coma if you are a chocolate lover like me. On one side, you see big vertical televisions on the wall showcasing the process of beans being fermented and roasted in Manam Chocolate Karkhana in Hyderabad (Yes! There is a factory where you can witness the process of chocolate making up close).
On the right hand side, they have stacked all their products in luxe but vibrant packets. On the left, you are met with an orderly display of a tree-ripened cacao getting transformed into the chocolate bars and powders we know. As you walk ahead, you witness people working with melted chocolate, come across irresistible desserts featuring chocolate as the star ingredients, sit beside the chocolate (beverage) bar, and order a few savouries to clean the palate before diving more into chocolates.
Image Credit: Manam Chocolate
Manam Chocolate: A Dreamland For Chocolate Lovers
You would say that these visuals aren’t enough to label a cafe ‘dreamland’, but wait until you see chocolate flowing through taps behind the counters. Baffled? Amazed? My reaction was the same when I saw an infinite stream of chocolate flowing through a tap while Dhruv Lakhani, Beverage Head, Manam Chocolate, was giving me a tour of the facility.
He told me, and I verified that silver pipes inside the facility, connecting all the stations to the Manam Lab, were temperature-controlled because they were carrying melted chocolate. I thought I could live here, who wouldn’t? (Unless of course you don’t like chocolate, and these people also exist).
Image Credit: Manam Chocolate
Chocolate: An Ingredient With Unlimited Potential
As I sat down to drink hot chocolate infused with orange, which was delicious, I spoke with Ruby Islam, Chocolatier and Head Chef at Manam Chocolate. For those who are unaware, Manam Chocolate does not sell your regular commercial chocolates; they specialise in craft chocolates, made by hand by an industry expert and available in small batches. “To begin your journey with craft chocolates,” Ruby said, adding, “you must understand that there is so much potential with this one ingredient.”
The West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh is the lesser-known but the largest cacao-growing farm. The trees are grown in the midst of areca nut, banana, long pepper, and other tropical flora plantations to lend a depth and flavours to cocoa beans. “Manam Chocolate farms have been in existence for over 70 years, and there is a mix of almost 16 steps (if not more) in the making of chocolate right from the tree to the moulds that you and I love,” the chocolatier explained as the waited laid different creations on a tray in front of us.
Image Credit: Manam Chocolate
Much like coffee beans, cocoa beans are also enriched with different notes. “Going back to the origin of the beans, they go through formulation, then we decide the percentage of chocolate which gives birth to the type of chocolate. Even the kind of sugar you use, defines the notes of the final product. We [at Manam Chocolate] break down the chocolate to a size that it melts in your mouth [because of the temperature of the body], which is a sign of a fine chocolate piece,” Ruby shared with a hint of pride in her voice.
With over a decade of experience as a chocolatier, Ruby, along with an entire team of dedicated chefs, beverage experts, and chocolatiers, has created more than 450 products. They have been working for 3 years. “At the end of the day, I depend on my palate. What tastes nice? Will it intrigue people? Will it make them take another bite?” She asks these questions whenever she creates a new variant of chocolate.
Image Credit: Manam Chocolate
One can find chocolate beverages in all forms - hot, cold, ice, and classic milkshakes, at Manam Chocolate. If you are a chocolate connoisseur, you should taste a variety of bars, including Fig and Dark Milk Chocolate (50% dark milk), Signature Blend No 1 (70% dark), Chocolate Lab No 1 (60% dark), Chai Biscuit (43% malt milk), Salted Praline (43% milk), Mint and Matcha (45% milk), and many more.
Chocolatier Ruby Islam Busts Myths Around Chocolates
While we all love chocolate, they are sweet, at least the store-bought ones and are often associated with cavities. Who would want them? But Chocolatier Ruby explained that the commercialised chocolates have more milk than chocolate and are loaded with sugar and sweeteners. But this is where craft chocolates turn the game in their favour. “When you start isolating the frills and just taste, you will appreciate the dance of civility and urgency that chocolate brings,” she added.
Image Credit: Manam Chocolate
The expert said that a chocolate can contribute to a lot of flavour notes - from vegetables to fruity to floral. “When you eat an orange infused chocolate, your brain registers the notes of the fresh citrusy fruit, and that adds a lot of character and depth to a chocolate bar,” Ruby added while we tasted orange-infused, matcha-infused, and lemon-infused Manam Chocolate creations.
She further explained, “It is important for us to isolate the beans from moisture or aroma because chocolate is high in fat, and it absorbs aromas and notes from the surroundings, just like coffee beans.” A bean is after all 50% cocoa butter and 30% cocoa mass. You must also note that moisture and chocolate are not best buddies as it seizes the fluidity of the ingredient.
Image Credit: Manam Chocolate
Tips From Ruby Islam To Work With Chocolates
Ruby Islam started her career in the industry in 2013, hence, it would be an understatement to say that she understands chocolate. I would rather call her a magician who plays around with the complexities and layers of the ingredient to create surprising and luscious variants. “I like to work around different formats in the form of clusters, pallets, truffles, etc. and layer them with interesting flavours,” the chocolatier said while sharing an insight into her approach to chocolate.
What fruits or ingredients you layer with a chocolate depends on the kind of chocolate you are working with as well as the milk solids present in it. Ruby Islam suggested complimenting chocolate with the citrusy notes of strawberries, blueberries, kiwis, oranges, and raspberries. “Becuase chocolate has an acidic nature, it works with sour-tasting fruits. Therefore, you can also pair it with mangoes and lime,” the expert concluded.
Image Credit: Manam Chocolate
Chocolatier Ruby joked that Manam Chocolate has creations for every mood. “So what if someone walks in the angry mode,” I asked. She shared that for an angry person, there is a drink in the bar that mimics the notes of drinking chocolate milk as a child. “It’s malty, sweet, and has fresh notes of vanilla,” she said. A nostalgic ride through the memory lanes is a short cut to diffuse a person’s anger. If you are feeling gloomy, which is a permanent mood on a rainy day, you can have a cup of hot chocolate or indulge in one of the dark cakes.
But for every mood, you can and must indulge in the Manam Dark Chocolate Cake featuring five layers of sponge and ganache. I know you are already drooling on the screen, but wait till you taste the DMW Cake, a recent creation of Ruby Islam. She loves it because it has three chocolates in one cake - 65% dark, 45% milk, and 36% caramelised white chocolates.
Image Credit: Manam Chocolate
I tried it, and the moment I kept a slice in my mouth, everything disintegrated, putting me in a coma for a few seconds. I could not fathom what I tasted, and I wanted to have more (but shied away to mask my greed). If you are at Eldeco Centre, Malviya Nagar, do pick up Manam Chocolate’s baker collection, a must-have in your pantry if you are a chocolate lover.
Have you visited Manam Chocolate or tried their creations? Well! World Chocolate Day is a good excuse to explore a fantasy land with chocolate all around.
Image Credit: Manam Chocolate
