Filipino Creator Of Viral Dubai Knafeh Chocolate Bar Comes Home For His First Collab In Manila

Chef Nouel Catis's eyes light up when he talks about pistachios and knafeh, and that's not surprising because this is the guy—a Filipino, born and raised in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte—who is the mastermind behind the Dubai chocolate knafeh, that crunchy, chocolatey dessert that’s taken over our social media feeds for months. It’s surreal to think a Filipino sparked this global craze, and now he’s back home, teaming up with Amado Forés of AF Hospitality to bring his magic to a mano, Ramen Ron, and Steak & Frice. Their collaboration feels like a love letter to heritage, innovation, and the kind of joy only dessert can deliver.

The Filipino who conquered Dubai

The collab started when Forés heard that it was a Filipino behind the Dubai chocolate knafeh. “I found it so intriguing,” says Forés, “that a Filipino invented this rage happening worldwide.” Nouel Catis, who’s spent 16 years in Dubai, didn’t just make a dessert—he started a movement. The chocolate bar first became viral in December 2023, yet today fast food chains, fancy patisseries, even home bakers are still riffing on his pistachio-knafeh-chocolate combo, keeping the hype alive way longer than anyone expected. “I thought it’d last two, three months,” Catis says, shaking his head. “But people keep reinventing it.”

The dessert itself is pure nostalgia, a nod to Middle Eastern knafeh—those delicate, crispy kataifi strands—mixed with pistachio and chocolate. Sometimes tahini sneaks in, but the OG version that went viral was Catis's brainchild called Can't Get Knafeh Of It, originally sold by Fix Dessert Chocolatier. Catis later opened his own brand, SNA'AP Chocolates, where he still sells the the pistachio-knafeh crunch. “It’s modern, but it hits like a childhood memory,” he says. Launched just last October, SNA'AP is a dessert trendsetter, and it's easy to see why—every bite feels like a celebration.

Chef Nouel Catis's brick-and-mortar store, SNA'AP Chocolates, in Dubai | Photo: SNA'AP Chocolates on Instagram

Meeting of minds 

Catis's story feels like it was written for the movies. Growing up, his mom ran a restaurant in Diplog, but his cooking? “Nobody liked it,” he laughs. Baking was where he shone, and it carried him to Dubai, where he battled culture shock to become a pastry consultant. He’s worked in hotels, cooked for first-class airline passengers, and now runs SNA'AP, where he blends his Filipino roots with Middle Eastern flair. “I want to create instant joy,” he says, and truly, his passion’s infectious.

Then there’s Amado Forés, the guy who started AF Hospitality in 2019 and given us a mano’s soulful Italian dishes, Ramen Ron’s cozy Japanese bowls, and Steak & Frice’s bold comfort food. “I make food that pulls at [heart] strings,” he says. 

Chef Nouel Catis with Amado Forés and the AF Hospitality team | Photo: AF Hospitality

A passport to dessert heaven

Their collaboration, running from April 11 to June 11, 2025, is as fun as it is delicious. Instead of just slapping the Dubai chocolate on a menu, they’ve dreamed up three desserts, each tailored to one of Forés's restaurants. And here’s the kicker: they’ve got this Dessert Passport thing going. You get a stamp every time you try one of the desserts at a mano, Ramen Ron, or Steak & Frice. Collect all three, and you score a free SNAAP chocolate bar—milk or dark, if they don’t run out. “It’s like a passport to Dubai,” Catis jokes.

What’s even cooler is that part of the proceeds goes to MAD Travel’s AgroForestry Program with Dumagat Cacao Farmers. “Nouel’s so generous,” Amado says, his voice warm. “He was all in on giving back.” It’s not just about dessert—it’s about making a difference.

Chef Nouel Catis with the Dubai chocolate soft serve he created for a mano | Photo: AF Hospitality

Desserts that feel like home

Each dessert is a little masterpiece, built on what makes these restaurants special:

At a mano, it's a  Dubai Chocolate Soft Serve. This is a mano’s popular burrata soft serve to which is added dark chocolate and pistachio-knafeh crunch. It comes in a chocolate-dipped waffle bowl, sprinkled with pistachios and kataifi. “I wanted to keep their famous soft serve but add my touch,” he says. It’s creamy, crunchy, and just decadent enough to feel like a treat.

Take a closer look at that luscious soft serve | Photo: AF Hospitality

At Ramen Ron, there's a Dubai Chocolate Mochi. Ramen Ron’s mochi is already a fan favorite, and Catis has taken it to another level. He fills it with milk chocolate and pistachio namelaka—a fancy word for silky cream—then tops it with pistachio sauce, kataifi, and pistachios. “It’s like biting into my chocolate bar,” he says. Imagine that chewy, melty moment, and it’s pure comfort with a Middle Eastern twist.

Get this Dubai Chocolate Mochi at Ramen Ron | Photo: AF Hospitality

At Steak & Frice is a Dubai Chocolate Crepe. Steak & Frice’s crepe gets a glow-up with pistachio-knafeh crunch and pistachio diplomat cream, drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with kataifi. “The crepe’s already popular, so I did a spin on it,” Catis explains. It’s bold, indulgent, and feels like something you’d crave after a juicy steak.

These aren’t random choices. “We picked each restaurant’s fan favorite,” Nouel says, and I love how they’ve honored what people already love while adding his Dubai flair.

You won't be able to stop thinking about this Dubai Chocolate Crèpe | Photo: AF Hospitality

Nouel Catis is a beautiful contradiction

Catis is a man who balances two worlds. “I’m a Dubai-based heritage chef,” he says, and those are not just words—it’s who he is. His Dubai chocolate knafeh takes a traditional Middle Eastern dessert and makes it new, but it’s still rooted in memories. “Heritage connects to your core,” he tells me. Just think of your own childhood, how a single flavor can bring it all rushing back. His desserts do that—they’re emotional, like the “Ratatouille moment” in the movie where a single bite unlocks a deep and cherished childhood memory.

But Catis is no traditionalist. He’s an innovator, always pushing boundaries. SNAAP’s all about bold moves—new pastries, award-winning chocolates. Even this collaboration, with its clever twists on beloved desserts, proves he can honor the past while chasing the future.

You can win one of these limited-edition chocolate bars by completing the passport dessert experience | Photo: AF Hospitality

When cultures collide

Forés gets it. “Cultures are coming together,” he says. "This chocolate, for example, is inherently Dubai, but the hands and heart that made it are Filipino." His restaurants do the same—serving Italian, Japanese and American with a Filipino soul. It can be hard to put into words, but you can sense it. “You don’t need to add toyo [to a foreign dish],” he laughs, “but you can feel a Filipino made it.” He and Catis found common ground in their love for food that tells a story.

Their shared vision made this collaboration click, even though Catis is in Manila for just a week. “The challenge was adapting his famous chocolate bar to our desesrts,” Forés admits. They nailed it. The new desserts feel like they’ve always belonged to the respective restaurants' menus.

Are you ready for this dessert trio? | Photo: AF Hospitality

A taste of joy

For Catis, this is a homecoming. “Returning home to showcase what I’ve done in the Middle East is special,” he says. Partnering with Forés feels right—it's a chance to show the Filipino community what he’s built. "It’s also about happiness and nostalgia,” says Forés. “[These desserts] may not be what you had in your childhood, but you feel it's in the childhood of someone else.”

So if you're planning to grab a Dessert Passport and hop from a mano’s soft serve to Ramen Ron’s mochi to Steak & Frice’s crèpe, think about how you're not just chasing dessert. You'll be tasting a story—of a Filipino who made it big, of a restaurateur who believes in heritage, and of two guys proving that when you mix cultures with heart, you get something unforgettable.

Catch this collaboration from April 11 to June 11, 2025, at a mano, Ramen Ron, and Steak & Frice. Check out afhospitality.com for more information.