IRENE SINO CRUZ
The Chocolate Chamber started as a traveling trunk show. Building on the success of the Chocolate Heritage Trunk Show, its multi-city U.S. tour, TCC is moving beyond one-time showcases to create deeper, more sustained engagement. Now it’s building something lasting. In 2026, the Cebu-based brand will expand across the United States through pop-ups and cacao experiences that bring Filipino chocolate-drinking traditions to American audiences—in restaurants, cultural spaces, and diplomatic settings.
After a year of events in major American cities, the heritage brand is deepening its presence with pop-ups, cacao soirées, and cultural collaborations that place Filipino chocolate at the center. “I want to bring our Filipino chocolate-drinking tradition to the world, sharing our unique identity through our humble tablea,” says TCC Founder Raquel Toquero-Choa, known as The Chocolate Queen.
Utah opens the 2026 chapter from February to April with A World of Tsokolaté: Chocolate Beverages that Celebrate Global Traditions. Hosted with Taste 117 Artisan Chocolate, the pop-up invites guests to slow down and taste how different cultures honor cacao. The experience pairs global chocolate beverages with Taste of Seven, a collection of chocolate bars inspired by Maria Cacao’s legendary journey. ““Taste of Seven is deeply personal. Each bar reflects a chapter in Maria Cacao’s journey—stories of the seven rivers, people, and memory translated into chocolate,” says Ms. Toquero-Choa, known as The Chocolate Queen.
Los Angeles becomes a natural stage for TCC’s purpose-driven Cacao Soirées. During these events, she will curate intimate evenings where chocolate meets cuisine, conversation, and craft. These gatherings connect chefs, hospitality partners, and the Filipino American community through a shared table and shared heritage.
New York hosts TCC during Filipino Food Month in April. Pop-up activations at Chelsea Market and a cacao beverage station with the Philippine Mission to the United Nations will introduce Filipino chocolate-drinking traditions to public and diplomatic audiences. It’s a quiet but confident assertion: Filipino cacao belongs in global conversations—not as an exotic aside, but as a tradition with depth and dignity.
Las Vegas marks another milestone. TCC will present the pure, unsweetened tablea to the American market, alongside the wider release of Taste of Seven, a collection of bars inspired by Maria Cacao’s mythical journey through rivers and memory. In an industry often shaped by sugar, and shortcuts, TCC offers cacao in its truest form—uncompromising, expressive, and rooted in origin.
“These initiatives across Utah, Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas are just the beginning. Our next steps focus on deepening presence, strengthening partnerships, and growing the conversation around heritage chocolate,” reveals TCC managing partner Edu Pantino.
These plans build on momentum from the recently concluded Chocolate Heritage Trunk Show, which traveled through New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Utah. Diplomats, chefs, educators, artists, business leaders, and media encountered Filipino cacao through tastings, workshops, art exhibitions, and education sessions.
Some of the most meaningful moments happened beyond the spotlight. In Utah, the Cacao Soirée – Beyond Chocolate Dinner for Charity gathered guests to support cacao farmers in Cebu affected by earthquakes and floods. The evening showed how chocolate, when handled with care, can nourish communities as much as it delights the palate.
This is the heart of TCC’s work. The brand’s growing U.S. presence isn’t driven by scale alone, but by intention. It balances craft chocolate production, experiential dining, and education in a single ecosystem that honors farmers, culture, and creativity. Each partnership with consulates, cultural institutions, universities, and hospitality groups strengthens a network built on trust and shared values.
As 2026 approaches, The Chocolate Chamber’s vision is clear. Filipino cacao has always belonged on the global stage. What TCC offers now is an invitation: to taste slowly, to listen closely, and to discover how a humble tablea can carry the story of a country, one cup at a time.
