Hyperlocal Tokyo

I bought the limited edition Galette Chocolat Epice as a Tokyo souvenir. I was expecting something sweet and chocolatey, but it was actually quite bitter and spicy. It was delicious in its own way, though, and I found myself craving more and more. Haha.

Visited in May 2024. This shop is located near the Gin no Suzu (Silver Bell) in Tokyo Station. It has a chic atmosphere and focuses on chocolate, but of course, I ordered ice cream. They have soft serve and sorbet, so I went with the sorbet. For flavors, I chose the signature chocolate and, based on my personal preference, marron (chestnut). The chocolate ice cream was delicious, but when asked if it stood out compared to other chocolate specialty stores, I'd have to say I'm not sure. However, the marron was absolutely amazing! It was a slightly sweet marron paste ice cream with a hint of brandy (?), making it incredibly elegant. The sweetness of the marron combined with the subtle bitterness of the cocoa was truly delicious. I'm also curious about the framboise (raspberry), so I definitely want to visit again!

I purchased a 6-piece patisserie selection as a small gift for someone. Since I had some time before giving it, I wanted something with a longer shelf life. However, the one offered had an expiration date of 11 days. I was told there were no options with a longer shelf life. I asked if they could add a ribbon or something, but they said the box was the final packaging. Three days later, I passed by the Kawasaki store and noticed that they had a beautiful gold ribbon on the box and the expiration date was 18 days out. I ended up buying a new one there. Both stores are directly owned by the company, but I was surprised to find a week's difference in expiration dates and the presence or absence of a ribbon. I tried the first purchase, and everything was delicious.

I visited during the ice cream election at Tokyo Station. The cacao flavor is strong, a chocolate soft serve that is truly Pierre Marcolini. The heart-shaped raspberry chocolate is also a highlight.

They have marron gelato, which I took out. I've had their chocolate soft serve a few times and remember it being pretty good, so I had some expectations. Hmm, it has a faint marron glacé flavor with some bits of marron. It's way too sweet. The viscosity is high, maybe there's too much corn syrup? It makes me thirsty. The chestnut flavor isn't really brought out, which is a shame. It's no match for Sadaharu Aoki's marron. A cobbler sticks to his last. Here, the chocolate soft serve is the safe bet.