The Chocolate Factory Khao Yai (Slightly overrated)

The Chocolate Factory @ Khao Yai  (Slightly overrated)

Think... modern cafe...western food. It is not surprising to find many tourists visiting this place for brunch/dinner or to purchase chocolates back home as souvenirs.

Name of Cafe: The Chocolate Factory Khao Yai
Layout: Restaurant at level 1 and 2, Dessert cafe located at level 2 whereas The Chocolate Factory Gift Shop is located at level 1. This is also where you will locate the small chocolate factory kitchen.
Communication: Some of the staffs there speak English but they are not perfect. But don't worry they have English menu.
Operating hours: 0930am~ 1000pm (Monday- Sunday)
Location: https://goo.gl/maps/BffWu5ZPftpdddNX7
Address: ตำบล ปากช่อง อำเภอ ปากช่อง นครราชสีมา 30130 ( in Thai)
Tel: +66 92 443 8881

Overall review:
A decent place to have brunch/ dinner with your family. This restaurant provides a very relaxing and soothing ambience. A great place to catch up with your friends and chit-chat over wine/ beer.

Despite the huge variety of food available, the western food served here is below average.  The food here is also considered expensive to the natives Thai mainly due to this place being a tourist attraction. Price Range: 220 baht to 800++ Baht.

If anyone hears the name "The Chocolate Factory". I believe you would have pictured a big kitchen where all the baking, mixing and packing is carried out.

Well, to my disappointment, the chocolate sales corner cover most of the floor space at level 1. You will then chance upon a glass window where bakers are diligently making chocolates in the shape of a high heel shoe. I would say kids would loveeee to see these intricate chocolate designs but nothing to me was fascinating about this "factory". The kitchen is honestly, a bit small for a "factory".

Are we supposed to eat the heels first or? How does it work? A pretty quirky souvenir to give back I suppose. *laughs*

The amount of chocolate produced by the factory is... I would say not a lot. Unlike the Sapporo white chocolate factory in Japan where you see batches and batches of chocolates being baked and packed into intricate boxes. That is what I would call a real chocolate factory. Haha!

I would, however, recommend this place for a great place to chill and catch up with friends over chocolate desserts, western cuisines and alcohol. A great place also to satisfy kids' dying love for western food especially when Thai food is mostly just spicy. You can also buy chocolates as souvenirs back home. Honestly, their chocolates and food are really so-so. Haha! So...you have been warned~

I do not mind paying more for good food. I feel that they are charging more due to the ambience but I find the quality of food really lacking. As such, I will not go back here if I revisit Khao Yai. I would still recommend people to come here for the first time to enjoy the modern cafe vibe. It really has a good ambience. It is rather hard to find a decent cafe with a modern setting in developing Khao Yai.

We ate at both the cafe and restaurants. Refer to pictures below.

Venue: Restaurant at the Chocolate Factory Level 1
(Serve mains, drinks, alcohol and desserts)

Mains: Australian Lamb rack with grilled vegetables and rosemary sauce.
Rather decent but the meat is slightly tough and the flavour could be richer.

Appetiser: Rockmelon with Parma Ham and olives. Honestly, the rockmelon is damnnnn juicy I never regretted ordering this. However, I find the pairing of the salty parma ham and olive not really blending with the sweetness of the rockmelon. Guess what? We just end up eating them separately!

Wood Fired Pizza Stove 

Snacks: Parma Ham, Tomato, Mozzarella Cheese, Mascarpone. I have removed the parma ham on top to show you a picture of how the fillings look like. Honestly, the curved sides are rather burnt and it was hard like rock at the ending. Whereas, the filling was very moist, soggy and watery. So it was rather hard to eat. So I will pass on this. Pardon the background noise below.

Mains: Seafood Tom Yum Kung. Spicy, slightly sour, generous in the ingredients especially the mushroom and prawns and fish slices. I would say this is one of the dishes which I will recommend here. Overall, still pretty decent.

Prawn Aglio Olio Pasta - still ok i guess

Pasta. A little too rich to my liking.

Fried Calamari. This is really crunchy and crispy! Gone within a minute! A must order. The sauce is sweet and carries a nice fragrant! Excellent for pairing with the fried calamari.

Orange juice was rather sour

Forgot what mixed drink this is. it was pretty bad. 

Apple juice is really great. Lots of ice and very refreshing. A definite thirst quencher in sunny Khao Yai.

Ice coffee abit plain

Venue: Desserts at The Chocolate Factory Cafe Level 2
(Serves mainly drinks and desserts only)

Coffee Latte 

Chocolate Dome. Fruits too dry to my liking but the chocolate is pretty intense. Rather thick so I would somehow still recommend it. 

Chocolate Dome Hot Sauce. Pouring it over the chocolate dome is rather satisfying! See the dome melting in an instant and reveal the surprise inside. A must-order to see it. My dad and mum were amazed to see how it works. haha!

“Ultimately the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation.”– Oscar Wilde

Last visit: 8th February 2019 (Chinese New Year Period)
Date posted: 25/4/2019
Follow me @ my Instagram📷