Filipino chef who helped create viral Dubai chocolate launches Abu Dhabi flavour

Salted caramel and halwa combination captures the capital’s distinct flavours and identity, says Nouel Catis

The Abu Dhabi chocolate can be 'celebrated by all ages, especially Emiratis', says chef Nouel Catis. Photo: Carlo Malapote

Abu Dhabi is getting its own chocolate flavour. Chef Nouel Catis, who helped create the viral Dubai chocolate, has launched the Abu Dhabi chocolate, a salted caramel and halwa treat that he hopes will capture the capital’s distinct flavours and identity.

"When you take a bite, what you experience right away is very Abu Dhabi," Catis tells The National. "Even the older generation of Emiratis who tried it said it reminded them of home. So instead of creating a bar like Snickers or Twix that's commercial, this is really more of a cultural bar."

The chocolate was a year in the making and the final flavour is a mix of spices, from cardamom to saffron, as well as tahini and date syrup. There are also hints of balaleet, the sweet and savoury Emirati dish that's traditionally enjoyed at breakfast. All of this is ensconced in a thick, salted caramel bar topped with 24-karat gold flakes.

CommentDubai chocolate is elevating the UAE's brand, one bite at a time

Read More

Bars of Abu Dhabi chocolate are priced at Dh100. Photo: Carlo Malapote

"The older generation will relate to the flavours, but the chocolate salted caramel casing also makes it relevant to the younger generation," Catis says. "I want this to be not only for a certain generation, but celebrated by all ages, especially Emiratis.

"So when you take a bite, it's like you're sitting in a coffee shop in the afternoon, with a dallah coffee pot in one hand and a piece of halwa in the other. That's the kind of feeling I want to evoke with this chocolate bar."

Priced at Dh100 ($27) for a 200g bar, the Abu Dhabi chocolate is available from Friday and will initially be sold only at home-grown restaurant Rain Cafe.

The Abu Dhabi chocolate is a part of a series of city-themed treats the Filipino chef has been releasing through his Sna'ap brand, which he founded a year ago. But he says this chocolate is special, because it's also his homage to a city he lived in for eight years.

Chef Nouel Catis helped create the viral Dubai chocolate. Photo: Nouel Catis

Catis, who worked for years as an in-flight chef for Etihad Airways, launched his own culinary consulting company in 2018 in Dubai. It was there that he was approached by entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda to bring her idea of a dessert inside a chocolate bar to life – and the viral Dubai chocolate was born.

"Abu Dhabi has been the cradle for whatever success I've achieved," he says. "So the chocolate is really my giving back to Abu Dhabi what it deserves in terms of chocolate."