Sinfully's "kisses" come in Caribbean, Italian and French. Photo by Karen Flores, abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines - Many people consider chocolate as a mood-booster, but Reto Klauser believes that the confection can do a lot more than that.

"When you allow the chocolate to slowly melt in your mouth, it produces brain and heart activities similar to the feeling of passionate kissing," said Klauser, who cited research that links chocolate with serotonin, a brain chemical that contributes to feelings of well-being and happiness.

The general manager of Makati Shangri-La made the claim as he led the launch of "Sinfully," the hotel's first off-site patisserie at the high-end Greenbelt 5 mall.

Its main attraction, not surprisingly, is the "kiss," a lip-shaped chocolate with a glossy candy-coated veneer.

In the store, customers can choose from three kinds of "kisses" -- Caribbean (white chocolate filled with star anise), French (dark chocolate filled with raspberry), and Italian (dark chocolate filled with amaretto and coffee).

Of the three, the Caribbean kiss is "most Filipino" because of the star anise, said Christine Espiritu, a services associate for the store.

She added that the patisserie may come up with a Filipino kiss soon, depending on the demand for the confection.

Area executive pastry chef Anthony Collar, for his part, mentioned the right way to eat chocolate: instead of biting into it, you should let it roll in your tongue, just like a nice lip lock.

This, he explained, is because cocoa butter melts at body temperature.

Other offerings

Aside from the "kisses," Sinfully offers 18 varieties of pralines, which Espiritu claims are all freshly made every day.

These pralines are made in front of Sinfully's customers. Photo by Karen Flores, abs-cbnNEWS.com

Each small piece is priced at a hefty P50. Sets of 6 and 10 -- even 100 -- come in satin-lined boxes.

The shop also sells different kinds of breads, pastries, macarons and jams. Customers can choose from 15 kinds of cakes for nearly P2,000 each, or have one made especially for them for an even steeper price.

It takes three to five days to prepare a customized cake, which costs at least P5,000.

According to Espiritu, their shop aims to make high-end desserts more accessible to Filipino mall-goers, particularly those who are intimidated with the lavishness and grandeur of the hotel ambiance.

With its beautiful handmade chocolates and tasty treats, the patisserie hopes to be a huge hit.

E-mail the author at karen_flores@abs-cbn.com. Visit her food blog at http://asliceofkeix.blogspot.com.