As i slowly creep into the late 30s, my tolerance for sweet stuff has reduced significantly and i would have likely given the chocolate lounge a miss if not for the one item that caught the attention of both Alex and I.
Hot chocolate; which we had been craving for after having a real good one from a can on our first day in Hokkaido! That explained the happy expression on Alex's face as there's the unmistakable aroma of chocolate floating in the air.
Window seating would always be a good choice if one wishes to relax and chill. For those who are unaware, that's the iconic clock tower of Shiroi Koibito Park. I guess many people might not know what' Shiroi Koibito is as for many Chinese in Singapore; we know it simply as the delicious snack called 白色恋人!
For someone who wasn't initially keen in visiting the headquarters / factory / park, i am glad i did as it's like a real-life version of a happiness-filled 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.
Chocolate Lounge was said to be famous for its parfaits but i am fixated on having the ishiya original tea set which consisted of a range of signature desserts and two drinks; a good enough portion for the two of us.
Ishiya Original Tea Set - prettiness aside, there's one issue. Alex doesn't have a sweet tooth and those who know him well will know that once he decides a thing is overly sweet, he will presume the rest is the same and stop putting things into his mouth.
Lucky me as that's exactly what happened; he took a bite, condemned it's too sweet and left me to clear up everything! I did manage to persuade him to take the soft serve ice cream as i had a big-sized one less than an hour before.
Mifuyu and white baumkuchen cake; literally kit kat cookie lookalike and something similar to a circular layered cake. Both failed to impress as their lookalikes (kit kat and layered cake) tasted better.
i-gateau; given my lack of knowledge about cakes and pastries, i can only draw references from what i had before in my life. After a taking a bite, i have an inkling of what it tasted like.
Kueh Bahulu; this Japanese / French version didn't disappoint. Lightly toasted, it was coated with a caramelized, slightly crunchy layer although i personally found the texture a bit too dense.
White Roll Cake; texture was almost like an impossibly soft piece of white bread and i could have forced myself to clean it up if not for the zesty passionfruit aftertaste that didn't seem to gel well with the cake.
I don't know whether there was any miscommunication here as the menu clearly stated we can pick two chocolate drinks but the person taking our order said the chocolate was limited to the felchlin chocolate milk kind. Strange to me as the other four kinds cost the same price if purchased via the ala-carte menu.
Frankly, the chocolate did appear light and Alex almost made a bet with me that it would taste weak! I would have gone ahead with the bet if not for the fact that i still have that little bit of confidence for the chocolate lounge.
Boy was he wrong; shortly after taking a whiff of the hot chocolate, he claimed that it was as if he had sneaked into willy wonka's factory! Texture wise, it wasn't the expected rich and thick hot chocolate type although as a whole, i was 100% pleased with the mild, aromatic smoothness.
To make the hot chocolate taste better, drip a few drops of the orange liquor that accompanied the cup of hot cocoa. Maybe because i didn't put in enough, i was unable to discern the differences.
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Location
Chocolate Lounge, Level 4, Chocolate Factory building,
Shiroi Koibito Park, Miyanosawa 2-jo 2-chome,
Nishi-ku, Sapporo 063-0052, Hokkaido, Japan
Nearest Subway Station
Miyanosawa Subway Station
(Tozai Line)
Website
Menu
As above.
Pricing
Ishiya Original Tea Set - 2,376 yen (inclusive of tax). Do note that entrance fee for the factory tour is needed before you can access the chocolate lounge.
For my 8 days, 7 nights Hokkaido itinerary in summer, click here.
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