BEAN TO BAR for Valentine’s Day

Where to go with a street-style boyfriend
– flavor made in San Francisco.

By DANDELION CHOCOLATE

This chocolate shop from San Francisco was established by a creative founder whose dream is to supply chocolate with the conventional, century-long production method. The first shop in Japan was chosen to be located at Tokyo’s renowned craftsman district, Kuramae, where the atmosphere is alike to the original shop. “Kuramae Hot-Chocolate”, the collaboration with a neighbor tea house, NAKAMURA TEA LIFE STORE, has a fantastic blend of chocolate and Hojicha, roasted green tea.

The shop has the café and its factory united in a open spase. In addition, staffs who are working there are young creative folks in their 20s and 30s. A workshop which is occasionally held at the second floor could be an awesome date spot as well.

The most popular chocolate we often see on store’s Instagram is “Brownie Bite Flight (¥630＋TAX). If this will be the first time for him to visit bean-to-bar,you guys better try and compare these brownies made by three different kinds of cacao beans. The brownie comprises flour, so it’s lighter in sweetness as well.

Deeply appreciate the rich – flavored chocolate.

By green bean to bar CHOCOLATE

Thoroughly devote time on every productive process, the authentic flavor of cacao and its aroma are preserved in chocolate at the shop, green bean to bar Chocolate. The store is well-known for handling distinctive beans. For example, “Alpaca” is a brand-new tablet chocolate made by Peruvian cacao beans which you initially feel bitter taste in your mouth, then savor of fresh herbs, and lastly turns into a delicate floral flavor. Chocolate from this store cannot easily be identified what kind of flavor it is. The trendy dessert in the bar is a cake, “Maranon” (¥750＋TAX), where it partially composes Alpaca chocolate. The cake acquires an exceptional balance of the outside layers’ crispiness and its soft chocolate mousse and ganache inside.

Recently, a lot of young adults who are interested in craftsmanship visit the store to observe the production of chocolate at the counter table. Some stay there for several hours.

The chocolate being produced in the picture above is a limited product for Valentine’s Day, BERRY LOVE/BONBON CHOCOLAT (4 pieces for ¥1,800＋TAX). The blue bonbon in the picture represents “an encounter”, and the red bonbon denotes “a maturity of love” in which both two colors are included in a set. The chocolate is rich-flavored where it has slight rum and whisky flavors.

Explore the perfect chocolate matches with his favorite liquor.

By Minimal

At the store, Minimal, workers explore all over the world to spot unique cacao beans with their own feet. At last year’s International Chocolate Awards, a tournament to determine the best chocolate in the planet, the store won the gold prize on the best bean-to-bar chocolate shop in Asia/America continents! The store is specialized to purposely leave some cacao beans at its original form in chocolate to preserve beans’ crispiness. The gold-medalist on the conference, “Fruity Berry Like” (made of Vietnam beans, ¥1,200＋TAX), obtains a very juicy black currant flavor melt in your mouth when you bite it. Despite the fact that the chocolate does not use any fruit or its essence, it is unbelievably fruity and can be a great gift for him on Valentine’s Day!

If you want to chill out with him at the café space, “Choco Tablet & Coffee Set” (¥371＋TAX) is highly recommended which is available on weekdays. You’ll love the paring-set of Minimal’s chocolate and the special coffee from Maruyama Coffee. According to the store’s philosophy, “Chocolate isn’t a snack, but it is a luxury grocery item to be enjoyed with drinks such as a coffee or a wine.”

An unprecedented collaboration fascinates customers as well. Last year, the store invented an app corresponding with a chocolate package that you can listen to music, and they also generated exclusive products for Valentine’s Day with Kirin, a beer manufacturer. They are currently planning for subsequent collaborations, so make sure you stay tuned!

Questing all over the world for your beloved tablet.

By CACAO STORE

The owner, a big devotee of chocolate, strongly desired to open a bean-to-bar, and eventually, his dream came true. The original tablet chocolate produced in the shop cannot keep up its supply due to its immense demand. Additionally, some tablets which are imported from abroad won't be restocked when they are sold out, so you’d better visit the store as soon as possible!

Beside a café menu, you’re also permitted to eat what you purchased in the shop at the café. The sweets such as cakes and baked snacks and the lunch including salads and tartines arranged from the main store, THEOBROMA, are must-have dishes in the café. Moreover, the store’s concept is “Bean-to-Bar & Chocolate Bar”, so abundant wines are reserved which matches well with a chocolate: it’s a great night spot to revel in drinks with him! In the café, the floor under its counter table is filled with tiles which are inspired by a chocolate.

If he is in two minds to select a particular chocolate, “Chocolat Set” (¥600＋TAX) which include four tiny pieces of tablets could be a favorable choice to order. The designs of all tablets are unique and you can have fun just by looking. and you can definitely share each flavor with him. When you take a short walk from Shibuya to Tomigaya, this is the place to chill out.

Where you wanna feel free to go for a simple chocolate
date with him.

By MAGIE DU CHOCOLAT

The 29-year-old chef who was trained in both Western and Japanese confectioneries craved to share its intriguing bean-to-bar manufacturing methods and cacao beans’ intrinsic tastes to people, and then the shop is just opened last December. A specialty of the store is the various, distinctive flavors in Westernized sweets such as soufflés, chocolate sandwiches, ganache, and of course tablets.

The most popular dish in the shop is the store’s originally invented sweet, ”MAGIE DU CHOCOLAT Papua New Guinea 35” (¥417＋TAX), which comprises half-souffle and half-ganache into a single piece, and the espresso made by cacao beans so-called “Cacao-presso” (¥750＋TAX) composes great blend of sweetness and bitterness. You can either casually or formally visit the store where they offer both atmospheres.

The reason of holding the store in Jiyugaoka is because the area is very balanced where new buildings and shops are developing and appearing while local cultures are still highly appreciated by the residents. Even though the shop has been open for less than 2 months.it’s already visited by a lot of customers!

Japanese bean-to-bars are already perceived as noteworthy spots in overseas that will undoubtedly continue growing in the future. Rather than just giving a chocolate to him, why don’t you share your time and chocolate at a bean-to-bar with him on this Valentine’s Day!