Hanshin Nishinomiya’s Valentine’s event has started!
I bought a few things, so I’m going to show them to you!
目次
Chocolates I bought at Hanshin Nishinomiya
Here’s what I picked up↓
Ta-da!
GODIVA
With three shops in Nishinomiya alone, this Belgian-born luxury chocolate brand probably needs no introduction.
Bouquet de GODIVA Selection, 6 pieces 3,942 yen (tax included)
The design is full of hearts, flowers, and cute little fruits. And if you hand this to someone, there’s that reassuring feeling you’ll get a “Oh! It’s GODIVA!” kind of reaction.
This one has 6 pieces, and each one has a completely different flavor. With every bite it’s like, “Hm? Oh? Whoa!?” Your mouth turns into paradise. The cassis, berry, and passion fruit flavors have a grown-up tartness that I really loved. After actually trying it, I finally understood what people mean when they say GODIVA is luxury.
Pâtissier es koyama
This is the super-famous shop in Sanda, known for the endlessly popular Koyama Roll. You often hear people say, “I want to eat Koyama Roll,” right? This is the chocolate made by that very Koyama.
Volvo Cacao, 14 pieces 2,268 yen (tax included)（planned quantity: 30）
Just seeing limited to 30 is enough to get me excited. They’re really particular about cacao, using things like cacao nibs and husks. This container makes such a nice “pakopo” sound when you close it.
Since it’s a crisp sablé, the moment you bite in, it’s crumbly and crunchy. Then the bittersweet cacao flavor slowly spreads out, and even though it feels refined, it’s so satisfying! Straight into happy time. Apparently it’s inspired by the Spanish sweet polvorón (tap to view).
ROYCE’
A classic Hokkaido souvenir! It’s so famous that the chance of buying it at the airport is probably around 80%（according to Shacho-mi）.
Potatochip Chocolate, 190g 864 yen (tax included)
A product that achieved the great human feat of combining chocolate and potato chips.
Sweet and salty is justice! When you put it in your mouth, whether the chocolate side goes down first or the potato chip side goes down first is a fateful choice. I’m firmly on team potato chip side down!
- ポテチ面を下63.9%(23票)
- チョコ面を下36.1%(13票)
Crunch! Crisp! Then the chocolate melts in slowly. It’s in that “can’t stop, won’t stop” zone. Sure enough, they were selling quickly even while I was there reporting. Rather than Valentine’s gifts, maybe people are just buying them for themselves at home.
Rokkatei
Another famous Hokkaido shop! Their butter sand cookies are the classic, but…
Valentine Yuki ya Konko, 8 pieces 1,080 yen (tax included)（planned quantity: 44）
I found this Valentine’s limited “Yuki ya Konko” chocolate sweet with a really cute name.
There’s a heart in the middle. It has that reliable appeal of sandwiching white chocolate inside.
The slight bitterness of the cocoa cookie and the mellow sweetness of the white chocolate were just right. This would absolutely go well with coffee.
GODIVA（I got a sample when I bought something）
When I shopped at GODIVA, I also received a little chocolate sample! According to the staff, it’s a “sample chocolate given to customers who make a purchase,” and quantities are limited, so it ends when they run out.
Carré Milk Chocolate Cacao Nibs
They handed me one at the shop and said, “Please have one if you’d like,” so I gave it a try.
It has a fun crisp snap to it. There are crunchy “cacao nibs” inside. The two textures make it really enjoyable! Thoughtful touches like this are nice, aren’t they? Of course, depending on stock and timing, you might not receive one, so consider yourself lucky if you do!
So that’s 4 kinds of chocolate plus one sample introduced. Next, let’s go take a look at the shop!
A roundup of popular chocolates spotted in-store（26 kinds）
The shop still had so many chocolates lined up that you’d wonder, “Which one should I buy?” From here, I’ll introduce 26 recommended chocolates that are “great to give” and “great to eat yourself”.
Who would you give which one to?
Genty & Linford S, 18 pieces 1,620 yen(tax included)
I used to really admire medal-shaped chocolates. The box feels luxurious, too. Sold at Goncharoff.
Leaf Memory Color Box (Valentine’s limited item), 20 pieces 1,944 yen(tax included)
A limited item packed with lots of different flavors. It included flavors like blueberry and yogurt. Sold at Mon Loire.
Heart in Heart, 130g 1,782 yen(tax included)
Even the outer shell is chocolate. Sold at Mon Loire.
Calme, 25 pieces 1,080 yen(tax included)
