A collision of trends: Matcha and Dubai Chocolate

We’ve all seen it online. Content creators snapping a thick chocolate bar in half to reveal a creamy, vivid green pistachio core, followed by that satisfying “ASMR” crunch.

The Dubai Chocolate Bar, as it came to be known, dominated TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. It soon inspired countless imitations, right down to the signature green-and-gold splatter design.

Behind this viral sensation is, surprise, a Filipino. Chef Nouel Catis, a Dubai-based chocolatier originally from Dipolog, developed the knafeh-inspired pistachio chocolate bar for Fix Dessert Chocolatier in 2021.

Fast forward to today, Catis has joined forces with The Matcha Tokyo Philippines, a Japanese-origin café known for its high-grade matcha, to create a limited-time menu that fuses the distinct flavors of matcha and Dubai Chocolate. Partnering with Sonny Mariano, executive chef of The Matcha Tokyo Philippines, Catis designed a lineup of desserts and drinks that will no doubt excite both matcha purists and dessert adventurers.

The menu, just launched in October 2025, will be available until the end of the year in select branches across Metro Manila, Bacolod and Iloilo. And we were among the first to try all five creations.

The Hojichai with Langue de Chat (P95) delivers roasted Japanese hojicha blended with milk and perfumed with South Indian cardamom and cinnamon. The smooth, spiced, and comforting drink comes with a buttery langue de chat cookie on the side to complete the experience.

Meanwhile, the Iced Matcha Dubai Chocolate Latte (P395) transforms traditional matcha into a chilled, velvety indulgence infused with Catis’s signature Dubai Chocolate with knafeh sprinkled on top. The experience is a balance between earthy, nutty and creamy. The Matcha Butter Mochi (P290), on the other hand, is chewy and golden-baked, infused with premium Japanese matcha and topped with a pistachio-kunafa crumble. It is nutty, buttery and slightly toasty.

The Dubai Chocolate Cookie with Matcha Soft Serve (P550) is a crowd favorite: a molten-centered cookie loaded with Dubai Chocolate spread, served warm under a swirl of smooth matcha soft serve. We tried sprinkling the ice cream with knafeh from the iced latte, and it resulted in a much more rich, indulgent dessert. The cookie, though, tended to harden because of the coldness of the ice cream.

Finally, the showstopper and my personal favorite: The Habibi Matcha Cake (P420 per slice|P1,200 whole), which merges dense chocolate cake with ceremonial-grade matcha. Moist, bittersweet and perfectly balanced, it is best eaten with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

As a bonus, The Matcha Tokyo is also releasing two special-edition chocolate bars from Catis’ own brand SNA’AP: the Matcha Dubai Chocolate Bar, a Dubai-inspired kataifi chocolate bar with notes of lychee and raspberry, and the Hojicha Dubai Chocolate Bar, featuring roasted kataifi, cashew nuts, and silky hojicha. Both bars reimagine the viral original (now in refined, square form) and deliver the same luxurious crunch that started it all.

Each creation shows how matcha’s clean, earthy flavor can hold its own against Dubai Chocolate’s rich intensity. A collaboration that proves viral trends can also deliver real craftsmanship.