The New Indian Express ·
Inside Manam’s chocolate bar
Have you ever walked into a chocolate factory and felt like a child again, eyes widening at every shelf, wondering which chocolate you should taste first? Now imagine that factory not only making chocolates and desserts, but turning them into warm, cold, creamy, and surprisingly refreshing drinks right in front of you. That is the feeling at Manam Chocolate Karkhana in Banjara Hills, which has added another chocolatey feather to its hat with the new Manam Chocolate Beverage Bar.
Tucked into a compact 100 sqft corner between the retail shelves and the live production kitchen, the Beverage Bar may be small, but it is hard to miss. An L-shaped counter puts the Chocolate Beverage Barista right at the centre, making the preparation part of the experience. Terracotta accents, inspired by Manam's chocolate tablets, line the bar, while a ceiling mural by artist Namrata Kumar depicts cacao being harvested in the farms of West Godavari.
We started with the Chilli Milk Chocolate, a hot blend of 45 percent milk and 67 percent dark chocolate. The Guntur chilli arrives gently, leaving a little warmth behind without taking over the chocolate. Next came the Orange Iced Chocolate, made with 60 percent dark chocolate and orange juice. Unlike a thick, sugary chocolate drink, this one was lighter, with a citrusy freshness that allowed the chocolate's fruity notes to shine.
The Malted Chocolate Shake brought a sense of familiar comfort, with 43 percent milk chocolate giving it a smooth, malty sweetness. We also tried a customised version with a hint of Guntur chilli, adding a gentle kick to the indulgent shake. The Blueberry Oat Iced Chocolate, made with 66 percent dark Idukki chocolate, was lighter and more refreshing, with subtle blueberry notes complementing the deep chocolate flavour.
For Ruby Islam, head of product and innovation at Manam Chocolate Karkhana, the idea came from wanting people to understand that Indian craft chocolate can go well beyond conventional sweet flavours. “We wanted the world to know that Indian craft chocolate has its own unique flavour notes. It moves away from sugars and the base vanilla flavour, and can have so many different integrations with spices, fruits, nuts, and ingredients that you would not have thought about.”
And then there is Craft Your Own Beverage, perhaps the most fun part. Guests can choose from 14 chocolate couvertures, decide whether they want their drink hot or cold, and pick from dairy, oat, coconut, almond, or soy milk. The baristas guide them through the options, helping create a drink tailored to their palate, with every combination made fresh to order.
Speaking about what it takes to get each drink right, Ruby explains, “Two primary things that we work on over there. One is how the drink feels in terms of texture, because with different ingredient integrations, it could sometimes get grainy or curdled and not have a very smooth finish. The first thing we look at is whether the chocolate emulsifies well with the ingredients. The second is whether you can call out flavours without them being masked by sugar or becoming too milky, so we want to be able to call out the ingredients that go into it.”
And just when you think you have had enough chocolate, there is always another flavour to discover, more combinations to customise, and a whole menu of drinks waiting to be explored at Manam’s Chocolate Beverage Bar.