At 3 o'clock on Sunday, I was walking through the arcade of Sanjo Shopping Street to avoid the heat, when I noticed a chocolate shop selling gelato. I decided to stop by for a bit. They only had one flavor of gelato, which I found refreshing. It was a simple and straightforward menu, which made my decision easy and enjoyable. Since it was hot outside, I was grateful to be able to sit on one of the stools inside the shop. As expected from a chocolate shop, the gelato was rich and delicious.

Premium cocoa cookie milk and dark milk have a milky taste. I prefer the dark one. Both have a crunchy cookie sandwiched in between, with a generous amount of chocolate filling, and they are delicious. Perfect for a gift.

It was just past 2 o'clock on a holiday. I knew that the shop had moved, but I decided to go in because there was a sign outside saying "Hot Cocoa Available" and it was cold. A lovely woman started by melting the chocolate and took more than 5 minutes to make it very carefully. Considering the effort she put in, the price of ¥300 including tax might be too cheap.

Now this place has become the main store. I was wandering around Sanjo shopping street and wanted to buy something to give to someone, so I bought it here and took it home. Of course, I also bought some for myself - the Premium Cacao Cookie Milk Dark. It is a crispy cookie with a strong chocolate flavor, so it is satisfying to eat. It also lasts a while, so it may be perfect as a souvenir too.

I went to Dar K on December 4, 2021! It's a chocolate shop located in the shopping street of Sanjo in Kyoto. The owner, Keiichi Yoshino, left a major foreign financial company (Morgan Stanley) in 2010 because he wanted to work with people. He came across a cacao farm in Indonesia and aimed to improve the local livelihood, leading to the opening of the shop. The original store in Sanjo, Kyoto, was moved to Kitaoji in October 2016, and then back to Sanjo in March 2021 for Dar K's 10th anniversary. I bought a cut-size Gâteau Chocolat, showing a strong commitment to cacao beans as raw materials. The chocolate in a wooden box was the most popular, so I got a set of 12 pieces for 2,700 yen. It includes dark, milk, tropical cacao, and citrus cacao flavors. The aroma of cacao is amazing! They roast the cacao beans on-site, peel them by hand to remove bitterness, and add cream and sugar. By not adding unnecessary ingredients, you can taste the rich aroma of cacao. I also got a set of 3 types of truffles with 6 pieces each for 2,300 yen. The Indonesian beans are roasted strongly, leaving a fruity aftertaste. The flavors include plain, hojicha, and raja. The cashew nuts were surprisingly popular! I regret not buying more in bulk. Due to the recent impact of COVID-19, the Tokyo and Kyoto Station stores have been closed. Yoshino's heartfelt feelings about closing the two stores were expressed on the blog, and it resonated with me. I will continue to support them! - Giorno's Sweets & Wine Diary

After having lunch, I resumed my chocolate shop hopping. The third shop was Dari K. They had moved from their previous location. Located in the middle of a shopping street, with Kyoto Keizo nearby. I purchased 3 pieces of truffle chocolates as they don't last long.

When I visited SUN CACAO in Kurashiki, I finally tried the "DARI K" that caught my eye! The cocoa sandwich cookies have a delicious sweetness from cocoa and cookies. They also have truffle, plain cocoa, and Rajaganaash coated with cocoa nibs. The hojicha from Kyoto's Wazuka town has a deep aroma. They are all delicious! The sweetness of happiness spreads throughout your mouth.

The nearest station is Omiya Station in Kyoto, and there is a shop located near Nijo Castle, Kamigawacho, and Sanjo Street. This shop was selected as one of the top 100 sweets stores in 2018, previously located in Gion Akishino. The shop is very passionate about using cocoa from Sulawesi Island in Indonesia to create various sweets. I first tried their cocoa latte in the store, and it had a very distinct cocoa flavor with a long-lasting aftertaste. I also had their whole Gâteau Chocolat at home, and it was a very rich chocolate cake that really highlighted the power of cocoa. Their dedication to cocoa really shows in the high quality of their products. I think I'll go try their raw chocolate next time! Thank you for the delicious meal.

The cocoa here is incredibly delicious. It ranks in the top three of chocolate specialty stores in terms of taste.

I purchased a set of assorted chocolates including orange, milk citrus, raspberry, raisin, and matcha flavors. Each flavor was elegant and delicate, almost too good to pair with coffee. There was a variety of flavors, making it difficult to pair with whiskey. I noticed that the packaging description did not match the actual contents (probably due to a color mix-up). The set is stylish, making it a good choice for a gift rather than for personal consumption.

Expensive but delicious. The parfait is tasty with jelly and chocolate mixed in.

A shop where you can clearly taste the flavor of cocoa. The chocolate cake is simple yet delicious, with the quality of the ingredients shining through.

◼️Specializing in Bean to Bar, where they handle the selection of cocoa beans all the way to the production of chocolate bars, mainly sourced from Indonesia. ◆Limited edition cocoa nib truffle "Raja" from Saloso 2023. The truffle is filled with cocoa nibs, surrounded by a rich and fragrant chocolate. It melts in your mouth, leaving a lingering cocoa nib texture. The box reads, "A chocolate with the aroma of home-roasted cocoa for someone special." Cocoa nibs are crushed cocoa beans with the shell and germ removed. ◼️Shop◼️The main store was moved to the Sanjo store for its 10th anniversary. The owner, Keiichi Yoshino, has a unique background as a former financial analyst. They also have a store at Salon du Chocolat in Paris. The name "dari" means "from" in Indonesian, and the "K" represents the shape of Sulawesi Island and Kyoto. It symbolizes changing the world through cocoa from Sulawesi and Kyoto. ◼️◼️Purchased at Salon du Chocolat 2023 at Shinjuku Isetan.

When we first met, she was in her mid-20s and now she is in her late 30s. Time has passed and I have become a grandfather blessed with adorable grandchildren. All that's left is to complete my end-of-life planning. I organized a yakiniku party with three former female colleagues from my previous job. One of them, a woman from Kyoto, gave me this, perhaps knowing or unknowingly about my love for chocolate. It was a very thoughtful gift. I opened and tried it at home over the weekend. The premium cacao cookies Dark had a strong cocoa aroma. The round cookies had "Dark" written on them, and when I looked from the side, I could see the chocolate sandwiched inside. It looked delicious. I thought it would be soft, but it had a surprisingly hard texture. I bit into it with a crunch. The chocolate was firm. At that moment, a cocoa scent tickled my nostrils, it was fragrant, sweet, and had a hint of bitterness. Just like the name suggests, it was dark. It was so delicious. There were six pieces in the pack, and my wife ate one, but I finished the rest. Thank you for the treat.

Seven-Eleven exclusive "Pistachio & Milk Truffle" was introduced by the radio personality Kiriou on this morning's CBC radio program. I made sure to remember the name of the store and found it at two different locations. This was my first time trying Dali K's chocolates, and I had never heard of them before listening to this radio program. It is a chocolate that contributes to society responsibly, without any discounts, by ensuring that the other party understands the store's philosophy and granting a license. These three pieces are not just regular truffle chocolates. They have a subtle fragrance and a perfect level of sweetness when you bite into them. It's a sophisticated taste. I thought it was a thoughtful chocolate for Valentine's Day, considering sustainability. Thank you for the treat.

★Uses Indonesian cocoa★