There are quite a few players in the bar-to-chocolate business in Tokyo (see my review of Green Bean to Bar Chocolate). Minimal is one of these with a well-established presence and multiple locations across town. In 2019 they opened a bakery cum chocolate cafe called Minimal The Baking that attracted my attention since they were offering pairings between chocolate and tea (and also sake, which is offered also at Green Bean to Bar Chocolate, however the option of tea was particularly attractive since I do not drink alcohol).
The visit
Their store is located just 50 meters from the South Exit 2 of Yoyogi-Uehara Station.
It is a small place.
With very minimal decor and furniture. Just space for a couple of parties. Luckily when I arrived all the seats were available.
They have a very focused range of chocolate cakes.
For my pairing I had tea and two baked chocolate bars with different types of cacao (normally would be one, I doubled down). One bar was from Ghana beans and some others (they call it “High Cacao”) and another was from Colombia bean and was more fruity.
Overall I was a bit disappointed. The chocolate products were too dry in my opinion (I like more creamy creations) and I am not sure the pairing thing added anything to the experience.
The check
Tje pairing cost 1210 yen, plus other 660 yen for the additional piece of chocolate (around 17 USD in total).
Siamaya (fusion of Siam, the old name of Thailand, and Maya, the ancient population famous, among other things, for eating chocolate) is a Chiang Mai company that was founded, back in 2017, by two foreigners, Neil Ransom and Kristian Levinsen, and two local residents, Tangkwa and Bow Wannapat, with the idea to produce and market quality chocolate.
The catalyst for this initiative was the work of agricultural professor Sahn from Maejo university in Chiang Mai that had been teaching farmers in Chiang Mai valley how to grow high-quality cocoa beans. Chocolate cultivation in Thailand was unheard of until 20-30 years ago. Now it is a reality and Samaya is an artisan company handcrafting each bar starting from the beans. It is a story that has so many parallels with their Vietnamese counterpart Marou.
During my time in Chiang Mai in early 2020 I really came to love this chocolate and I visited both their new shop in the Old City (I was there on the first week of operations) and I took their factory tour.
Shop and cafe in the Old City
The new flagship shop underwent a soft opening in February 2020 and it couldn’t be more centrally located in the Old City: it is just a stone-throw away from the Three Kings monument. The store underwent a major remodeling shortly after; pictures are from the original set-up.
The main attraction in the store of course is their bars. Along with classic dark and milk chocolate they have bars using Thai ingredients such as Thai Tea, bullet chili, coconut milk, and even durian. In collaboration with Chaseki, they also launched a high-grade matcha bar. Their line up is completed by cacao nibs, powder, and coated nuts.
In the store they also sell mini-bars (23 grams) ideal for a tasting collection.
They also offer cold and hot chocolate drinks.
I tried their cold chocolate drink with cacao that was massive. However the cacao did not fully fused with the drink. I was advised that the hot chocolate is more satisfying. They have plan to expand their cafe offering.
One important feature of their approach is that they offer a free tasting of the different flavors.
A 75-gram bar costs 180 THB, very reasonable for this kind of artisan product. The matcha bar costs a little bit more at 200 THB.
The dink was also very reasonably priced at 65 THB (just 2 USD).
On another occasion, I also visited their factory outlet and the adjicent factory.
Their outlet is really their office, but they have all of their bars lined up and available for purchase. Also tasting is possible.
The matcha and durian bars are award-winners.
The factory tour that I attended was led by Kris and was fascinating. It began with some basics about cocoa beans.
Then we followed Kris inside their factory (really an artisan workshop) where all the processes take place. We were shown the machines and the chocolate at various stages of production.
The tour lasted around 1 hour and I booked it with a message on their Facebook page. The normal cost at that time was 800 THB per person.
Where in Chiang Mai: See tripadvsor page. Details of the tour may have changed since my visit.
Chiang Mai has a love affair with chocolate. One of its manifestation is a charming cafe called Khom Chocolate House.
The visit
The cafe occupies a small house in a quiet street of the Old Town (North Western quadrant). Half of the space is the baking space and half is customer space. Everything is well organized.
Water and wifi are available for customers free of charge.
And a few gift sets are for sale.
But their specialty is fresh drinks and baked products. I had their triple shot with cold chocolate from dark, milk, and white bars. It was very nice to go through the variation of the three shots.
But they have also creative beverages like the chocolate “Margarita” shown above made out of French dark chocolate.
I also tried the Thai cold chocolate that had a fruity background.
Their chocolate mousse cake was excellent (from Belgian chocolate).
Finally I tried their home made bonbons. The orange chocolate and the “sweetheart” (the one heart-shaped in the picture) with a hint of liquor were my favorite.
Everything in the shop is made by the owner, Ms Khom.
The check
During my first visit I had two drinks and they cost me 210 THB (6.75 USD). Very reasonable.
A chocolate drink and the cake cost me 224 THB (7.20 USD).
The bonbons cost 35 THB each (1.15 USD).
I liked everything about this experience. The drinks were cleverly designed, the cakes and the bonbons were exquisite, and the environment was very warm. It deserves a mention in my list of my favorite chocolate cafes in Asia.
Where in Chiang Mai: 4/2 Singharat rd. soi 3. See the Facebook page.
This page is about great chocolate cafes in Asia (sometimes I call them chocolaterie that in French indicates a chocolate shop usually run by the producer). To qualify, the venue must have seats and have a range of original products. Most of these places are “bean to bar” operations, where the maker supervises every step of the process beginning with the choice of the beans. I have also included dessert cafes that have a special attention to chocolate. They are ranked, but they are all pretty awesome. Follow the in-text links for a full review.
1. Maison Marou – Ho Chi Minh City
Maison Marou in Ho Chi Minh City is the flagship outlet, cafe, and laboratory of Marou Chocolate, a brand founded less than a decade ago by two enterprising Frenchmen and using single origin beans from Vietnam. Their cafe showcases some of the stages of the production, their full line up that keeps growing, and some outstanding cakes.
2. Green Bean to Bar Chocolate – Tokyo
As the name Green Bean to Bar Chocolate suggests, this workshop adopts the philosophy to manage all the production process, from bean to bar. Their cakes are nothing less than extraordinary. You do not want to miss their eclair. It is located in the swanky Naka-Meguro.
3. Yu Chocolatier – Taipei
A great French-style chocolate shop, Yu Chocolatier also impressed by the hospitality of his staff. Pay attention to his seasonal creations.
4. Khom Chocolate House
Khom Chocolate House is a charming little cafe in Chiang Mai that offers a number of original drinks, cakes, and bonbons. It works mostly with French and Belgian chocolate. Ms Khom is the pulsing heart of the shop and adds her personal warmth and friendliness to the experience.
5. Cacaotier Gokan, Osaka
The spin-off of the famous Gaokan pastry shop in Osaka, Cacaotier Gokan is all devoted to chocolate using handpicked ingredients from around the world. While the first floor with its bonbons and bars looks like a boutique, the second floor of the venue is a lovely tea room with a retro flavor. The platter with the cake samples when you order is a showstopper.
6. 2am: dessert bar – Singapore
While not focused on chocolate, Janice Wong’s 2am: dessert bar in Holland Village in Singapore deserves a mention because chocolate is indeed a fundamental ingredient of many of the artistic desserts on the menu. The cake called Chocolate H20 is a classic and a must-have.
7. 17°C – Seoul
There are a lot of chocolate shops in Seoul and I may add more to this list as I continue to explore. For now, 17°C stands out especially for its seasonal drinks and a chocolate bingsu.
First of all, I would like to acknowledge that I was first made aware of this little gem by watching a video about the area posted by Paolo from Tokyo, a very reliable youtuber from Tokyo who knows what he is talking about. Check out his videos.
The visit
I slowly arrived at the shop from Daikanyama Site Station, but you can as easily reach the place walking from Naka-Meguro Station (actually the latter is recommended because technically Daikanyama is not a metro stop, which makes thing more complicated, and the walk along the canal from Naka-Meguro Station is certainly more pleasant).
The storefront facing the street bordering the canal is in a nice light blue.
Inside they have many chocolate products for sale. “Green bean to bar” means an artisan production from the beans to the finished product. They seem to handpick quality beans from various locations and mold them in delicious chocolate bars and more.
I was particularly interested in their fresh pastry creations that were nicely displayed at the counter. The desserts were clearly inspired by French classics, but with a twist. The shop is directed by Chloé Doutre-Roussel, a Parisian chocolate connoisseur.
This place is not only a shop, but also a cafe.
I ended up ordering their special eclair (“special” because I have never seen it in this nice shape), a chocolate pudding, and, an iced tea.
The two chocolate desserts were just perfect, with the right balance between sweetness and bitterness (at least for my taste).
The check
I spent 1,485 yen (13.5 USD): a very honest check for thirty minutes of bliss in this place.
In my opinion, Green Bean to Bar Chocolate is one of the great chocolaterie you can find in Asia.
Stop reading if you do not like chocolate or sugar is not your thing. Also, I urge moderation. But if you have a sweet tooth, these three desserts are to die for.
1. Le Bec’s chocolate cream pudding
Épicerie & Caviste 62 Le Bec sells some great sweets. My personal favorite is their chocolate pudding: I am not sure what chocolate they use (probably milk), but the result is a delicious pudding with chocolate flavor emerging at any bite. Check: 35 RMB (5 USD).
Where in Shanghai: 62 Xinhua Lu, by Panyu Lu.
2. Yuzu and chocolate cake from Baker & Spice
Baker & Spice is a popular bakery and cafe chain in Shanghai. All of their cakes are pretty good, but the yuzu and chocolate cake is a stunner. The yuzu offers a nice counterbalance to the chocolate natural bitterness. Check: 35 RMB (5 USD).
Where in Shanghai: 195 Anfu Rd, Xuhui and many more locations.
3. Valrhona chocolate cake from 325 Roof
Valrhona is a French premium chocolate manufacturer and is a premium ingredient for pastry. Roof 325, the rooftop restaurant perched on top of the Shanghai Museum, has an outstanding cake made from Valrhona chocolate. One of the interesting things is that the cake has two layers with two distinct textures. The restaurant location on top of what used to be the Race Club House is another highlight. Check: 68 RMB (around 10 USD).
Where in Shanghai: Shanghai History Museum, 5/F, 325 Nanjing Xi Lu
Gokan is one of the most famous pastry shops in Osaka (see review). Recentlt, they spun-off a new business, Cacaotier Gokan, specializing in chocolate desserts and cakes. I tried it in my summer 2019 trip to Osaka.
The visit
I noticed the new shop by accident, just passing by.
Downstairs they have a boutique selling various types of chocolate.
Upstairs they have a tea room where you can sit down and enjoy cakes and drinks. As in their main shop, the waitress presented me with a tray with samples of the desserts available.
I had one of their mousse and a hot chocolate (served at the right temperature). Very nice.
Before leaving I noticed one of their original creations: tea with cacao flavor. Sadly I did not have space in my baggage for the purchase.
The check
The hot chocolate and the cake cost me 1,350 yen (12.50 USD). Not cheap, but clearly they want to position themselves as luxury chocolate.
Where in Osaka: 2 Chome-6-9 Koraibashi, Chuo Ward. In Japanese: 大阪府大阪市中央区高麗橋2丁目6-9. Website: cacaotier-gokan.co.jp (in Japanese).
Gokando (Resort Cafe and Sweets, because nowadays nobody wants to just be a cafe) is a popular dessert cafe at Hakata Station, more specifically in the Marui commercial complex. If you take the train from Hakata station, chances are that you may pass by.
The visit
This is the kind of visit I feel guilty about. The excuse was documenting decadent Japanese parfaits.
This was what specifically lured me inside, a chocolate parfait with 8 layers of forbidden pleasures…
This was in reality. As advertised. It was huge. And it was good.
In Japan actually I saw people, including minute women, eating this kind of stuff.
The check
If I had known the price, probably I would have skipped it. It was 2,000 yen (18.50 USD).
Where in Fukuoka: Hakata Marui 1F, Hakata Station. In Japanese: 福岡県福岡市博多区博多駅中央街9-1 博多マルイ 1F. Website: gokando.jp.
In Seoul there is no shortage of cafes for dessert fanatics. 17℃ stands out as it is a real chocolaterie specializing in chocolate treats. 17℃ apparently is the perfect temperature to store and serve chocolate bonbons.
The visit
From Hongik University metro station, it was a pleasant 5-10 minute walk along Hongdae main road.
On a sunny weekend afternoon, the place was packed, but I got on of the last remaining tables inside.
I had a cup of their soft serve ice cream. As good as it gets.
I also had their seasonal drink: a cold brew with dark chocolate, Kyoto Uji matcha, and ice cream. This was the drink that convinced me that green tea and chocolate go well together.
They also sell chocolate products.
The check
The check was 12,500 Won (10.30 USD), with the drink accountimg for 8,500 Won.
Highly recommended for chocolate lovers.
Where in Seoul: 38, Donggyo-ro 29-gil, Mapo-gu. In Korean: 서울특별시 마포구 동교로 29길 38. Website: https://17dossi.modoo.at/ (Korean only).
I am writing this post mostly because I wrote a review of Awfully Chocolate in Mainland China. While in Singapore I had a chance to go with friends to Ninethirty, the flagship restaurant operated by Awfully Chocolate in its home country.
The visit
It was past 10pm on a Saturday and the restaurant was packed. Contrary to classic Awfully Chocolate locations, Ninethirty is a full-fledged restaurant and on Saturdays is open till 1am. There was a very nice young vibe.
Personally I stocked up on Awfully Chocolate milk that is not available in China. It is just chocolate milk, but it has the right density and I enjoyed it.
Somebody in the party had the original all chocolate cake.
The check
The chocolate milk was 8 SGD a pop.
Ninethirty is definetely a good venue where to have a post-dinner dessert with friends.
Where in Singapore: 31 East Coast Road. Website: www.ac9thirty.com (with link to menu and reservation system).
