There’s a new sweets store in town, with a luxury chocolate crepe you can’t get anywhere else.
Luxury chocolate brand Godiva has grown in leaps and bounds since it first appeared in Japan in 1972. Now there are hundreds of stores around the country, scattered across all 47 prefectures, and in recent years, they’ve been honing in on the local market with special Japan exclusives, including desserts you can only get at one location — Godiva Dessert in Harajuku.
Recently opened on 15 July, this newest branch of Godiva Dessert acts as its flagship store, and because it’s set in the crepe kingdom of Harajuku, you can bet it has crepes on the menu.
At this branch, however, you’ll find an exclusive crepe you can’t get anywhere else — the Special Crepe Harajuku, priced at 1,276 yen (US$9.04).
Our crepe-loving reporter Mr Sato, who’s continually trying to keep up with youth culture trends in Harajuku, headed out to try this exclusive dessert, and as soon as he laid eyes on it in person, he knew it was going to be a chocolatey experience.
After admiring the many layers of chocolate in front of him, the next thing he admired was the metal stand it was served in — the perfect contraption to prevent any hand-holding, so that the crepe would stay firm and cold for longer.
The chocolate-filled crepe looked picture-perfect, with cacao used in every ingredient, including the dough and the toppings. The mound of hardened melted chocolate on top was also said to be a Harajuku-exclusive topping, making this one very special Godiva dessert.
It was hard to know where to start, but Mr Sato eventually decided to begin by picking up the logo-adorned chocolate piece on top. However, when he picked it up…
▼ …the chocolate mound beneath came up with it, like a wig being unceremoniously lifted off an aristocrat.
Mr Sato hadn’t expected to eat this much chocolate as his first bite, but at this point it looked like he didn’t have a better option.
So he decided to nibble at the wig-shaped melting chocolate, in an attempt to stop his blood pressure from hitting the roof straight away.
After enjoying the wig-like chocolate appetiser, Mr Sato was able to start delving into the chocolate whipped cream and ice cream.
The good thing about Godiva ice cream is that it’s not too sweet, so the refined flavour and refreshing aftertaste makes it easy to eat, despite the richness.
▼ The chocolate ice cream was cool and comforting.
The combination of chocolate cream and ice cream was a decadent one, providing a depth of flavour that was impeccable.
After digging his way through the top section, it was time to get a taste of the crepe itself. However, that’s when he realised a problem — how would he actually eat it?
With hardly any gap between the crepe and the paper wrapping, Mr Sato couldn’t decide whether to risk dirtying his fingers by attempting to pluck it out, or opt for a more destructive option.
▼ In the end he gave in to his destructive urges and tore the wrapping like an excited child ripping into a present on Christmas Day.
With the crepe now sitting firmly within his fingers, Mr Sato was able to bite into it, and when he did, his taste buds were flooded with delicious flavours. The crepe itself had a lovely, chewy, texture, while the diced fondant chocolate pieces inside were soft and sweet, creating a nice contrast to the cold ice cream.
The dough is made from an interesting mix of ingredients, including eggs, wheat, gelatin and soybeans. This makes for an incredibly delicious treat, and despite having eaten a wide variety of crepes in his lifetime, Mr Sato left the store feeling it was the most delicious crepe dough he’d ever eaten.
So next time you’re exploring Harajuku and wondering which crepe you should purchase from all the hundreds on offer, you might want to make a beeline for Godiva Dessert. If you’re feeling more adventurous, though, you can always walk down the street to Kura Sushi, where there are sushi crepes on the menu!
Store information
Godiva Dessert Harajuku Store / ゴディバデザート 原宿店
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 4-31-11, re-belle HARAJUKU 1F
東京都渋谷区神宮前4丁目31番11 re-belle HARAJUKU1階
Open: 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Website
Photos © SoraNew24
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