I’ve always been a huge fan of Green Bean to Bar Chocolate in Japan. I first visited them many years ago in Tokyo, then in Kyoto, and now in Fukuoka. They continue to produce beautiful chocolate, technically perfect with gorgeous flavour profiles. They are priced accordingly too.
All of their bars are open for tasting, and I strongly recommend trying them all. While many makers can source the same beans, the decisions they make during the chocolate making process have a huge influence on the final flavour. So, even though you’ll find several makers using the same origins as they use, they taste different at Green Bean to Bar. The chocolate made from beans from Kokoa Kamili in Tanzania were just transformed into an explosion of yuzu, chocolate and almond that lingers long after the piece melted in my mouth. So good.
They don’t offer a hot chocolate using their single origin chocolate, but rather their powder, which they also sell. There are two options, their classic and the spicy made with cinnamon (not chili), both thickened with cornstarch. Neither is the best showcase for their chocolate, in my opinion, but still worth a sip.
However, you can order the drink with a small tasting platter with a few samples of their products which is a very nice accompaniment.
The café in Teijin is beautiful and a perfect place to rest your weary legs after a long day of visiting Fukuoka, an amazing city that deserves the same kind of attention as Tokyo and Kyoto. I ‘d love to live in Fukuoka, and likely walking distance from their cafe. Although that might be a bad idea for my budget, and waistline. But no matter. Those bonbons are like medicine. Sign me up.
Green Bean to Bar, Nishitetsu Tenjin Class 1F, Fukuoka. Open daily from 11am to 9pm and follow on instagram @greenbeantobar_chocolate
