Bean to Bar Chocolate Specialty Store: Dandelion Chocolate Factory & Cafe Kuramae

©Dandelion Chocolate Japan

Hello, this is the staff of The Gate Hotel Ryogoku. Today, we would like to introduce Dandelion Chocolate Factory & Cafe Kuramae, a store specializing in bean-to-bar chocolates in Kuramae.

What is Bean to Bar?

Recently, the term “bean to bar” has become increasingly common. Bean to bar refers to a method in which the entire process from the cacao bean to the finished chocolate bar is carried out in an integrated manner. They have focused on the secret behind the ultimate taste of chocolate, which is different from the chocolate you usually eat.

About Dandelion Chocolate

Dandelion Chocolate’s Beginnings and Focus

It all began when Todd Masonis and Cameron Ring of San Francisco rented a friend’s garage and built a chocolate laboratory. Their love of chocolate led them to seek out traditional recipes and immerse themselves in chocolate making, and in 2013 they opened a factory in San Francisco.

Since then, they have gradually built a name for themselves by traveling to Dominica, Venezuela, Madagascar, and other countries to negotiate directly with producers in order to focus on cacao beans, and by modifying their production machinery and streamlining their operations.

Today, the company’s San Francisco factory still purchases single-origin cacao beans, selects them, roasts them, tempers them, grinds them, blends them, molds them, and packages them, all by hand, carefully crafting each chocolate piece by piece. This bean to bar method is the same method that is conducted at Factory & Cafe Kuramae, the first store outside of San Francisco.

Chocolate is made by hand in the back of the store.

The taste of real chocolate is the result of a commitment to cacao beans.

As mentioned above, Dandelion Chocolate’s commitment to cacao beans is second to none. The flavor and aroma of cacao beans vary depending on the region where they are grown, the climate, and the producer, so they purchase only the very best cacao beans they can find and create chocolates that make the most of the characteristics of each cacao bean. Whenever new beans arrive, they go through a process of trial and error over and over again until they produce chocolate that they are satisfied with.

Compared to chocolate that is produced with a uniform taste at a stable cost, this process takes much more time and effort, but it is proof that their chocolate artisans are constantly in pursuit of the best every day.

About Factory & Cafe Kuramae

Dandelion Chocolate’s first overseas branch

This is Dandelion Chocolate’s first overseas store. Factory & Cafe Kuramae is a chocolate factory and shop on the first floor and a factory with a cafe and workshop space on the second floor.

Even before entering the store, many visitors will be drawn in by the delicious aroma of chocolate wafting outside, even if they are wearing masks. You can enjoy their special chocolate menu while watching the production process up close.

Access to the store

It is a 15-minute walk from The Gate Hotel Ryogoku. If you come by train, it is a 6-minute walk from Exit A5 of Kuramae Station, which is next to Ryogoku Station on the Toei Oedo Line.

S’mores and brownies! The perfect menu for chocolate lovers!

The store sells a variety of products made with bean to bar chocolate made in the factory. In the café space, you can enjoy sweets made with luxurious chocolate.

When we asked the store staff for their recommendations, they told us that the most popular item is the “S’mores,” which looks delicious with its outstanding combination of marshmallow and chocolate, and the “Brownie Bite Flight,” which allows customers to compare three different types of single-origin chocolate brownies from different regions.

All of these items can be purchased for takeout, but the “Chef’s Tasting,” a beautiful dessert plate using cacao beans from five different regions, is available only in the restaurant.

The menu displayed next to the counter. They all look delicious.

Although not shown in the photo, there is also an extensive drink menu.

I enjoyed plenty of chocolate!

I ordered the Kuramae Hot Chocolate 690 yen, which is a Kuramae exclusive and flavored with hojicha (roasted green tea), and s’mores 550 yen.

The s’mores are crispy on the outside and fluffy marshmallow on the inside. The rich chocolate ganache melts in the middle. In addition, crispy graham crackers are placed underneath.

The Kramae Hot Chocolate has a subtle hint of hojicha (roasted green tea) and is not overly sweet, giving it a clean and refreshing taste. Despite the sweetness, it goes perfectly with dessert. It is truly a moment of bliss.