From Well-Being to Sake! 6 Valentine’s Chocolate Recommendations from Our PR Team
Hello! This is PR Sunny-chan.
Valentine’s Day is approaching once again this year! It feels like we just wrote our New Year’s resolutions, but time flies…!
In the PR industry, we have been continuously promoting Valentine’s-themed products for various brands since last year in preparation for the Valentine’s Day sales season.
Today, SUNNY SIDE UP has carefully selected six products from those we handle PR for to introduce the highlights of each brand’s offerings!
① Gong cha
Earl Grey Chocolate Tea + Pearl ICED/HOT ¥480 (tax included)
Sales Period: Until February 14, 2022 (Mon)
Available Stores: All Gong cha stores in Japan
* Excluding Gifu Matamaru store
* Delivery available in ICED only at ¥580 (tax included) (HOT and milk foam topping on other drinks not available)
Gong cha Japan is selling “Earl Grey Chocolate Tea + Pearl” as a limited Valentine’s season menu item until February 14, 2022 (Mon). Elegant “Earl Grey Tea” flavored with citrus bergamot, “Chocolate Tea” with the rich aroma and deep flavor of cacao, and “Strawberry Milk Foam” that melts lightly and smoothly. We’ve added pearl (tapioca) to this “Earl Grey Chocolate Tea” created by the harmony of these three ingredients.
Please enjoy “Earl Grey Chocolate Tea + Pearl,” a special menu item from Gong cha available only during this season, as a treat for yourself or to accompany time spent with loved ones.
★ Recommendation from Our Team
This menu item, which was extremely popular during last year’s limited-time sale, returns with a fresh new look. Each cup is freshly made on the spot, and the finishing “Strawberry Milk Foam” features a sweet-and-sour flavor with a hint of saltiness and a smooth, silky texture. For the first time at Gong cha, we’re adding stencil art to the topping. One of six Valentine’s-themed motifs will be featured on top of the “Strawberry Milk Foam.” The design will be a surprise when you visit.
(Gong cha PR Office: Toda)
② RAU
Bonbon Chocolates Inspired by Color-Evoked Landscapes
Iro-Iro (2 pieces: ¥864 / 6 pieces: ¥2,484 / 9 pieces: ¥3,564)
Store Locations:
① Ikebukuro Seibu Department Store (Toshima Ward)
② Futako Tamagawa Takashimaya S・C (Setagaya Ward)
③ Abeno Harukas Kintetsu Main Store (Osaka)
④ Osaka Takashimaya (Osaka)
⑤ JR Kyoto Isetan (Kyoto)
⑥ Kyoto Takashimaya (Kyoto)
Sales Period:
Until February 14, 2022 (Mon)
“RAU,” launched in Kyoto in December 2019, is a patisserie brand with the concept “Scenes, in Form.” Using exceptional technical skill, they express scenes through confections—picturesque landscapes that come to mind, memories evoked by scents, and emotions conveyed in ancient poets’ waka.
Each bonbon chocolate from RAU CHOCOLATE is named after a color, with nine colors representing flavors inspired by landscapes evoked by the colors envisioned by the chef. Please fully enjoy the palette of cacao flavors and aromas in “Iro Iro,” filled with various colors and tastes.
★ Recommendation from Our Team
RAU’s bonbon chocolates have no duplicate flavors, so you can enjoy them with excitement without getting bored.
Beyond their refined appearance, each piece has a delicate flavor that allows you to savor the landscape embodied in each color as it gently unfolds in your mouth.
Our top recommendation is the yellow LEMON. The distinct lemon acidity pairs perfectly with the slightly bitter chocolate. We recommend this as a luxurious, sophisticated Valentine’s gift for adults. Please take this opportunity to visit during this special Valentine’s pop-up!
(RAU PR Office: Hayashi)
Website: https://rau-kyoto.com/
SNS: https://www.instagram.com/rau_kyoto/?hl=ja
③ Hotel Chocolat
Velvetiser ¥12,000 (tax included)
Sales Period: Year-round
Hotel Chocolat started as an online chocolate shop in the UK in 1993 and currently operates over 120 stores throughout the UK. While expanding restaurants and cafes offering cacao cuisine beyond chocolate, they received requests from customers to “easily recreate Hotel Chocolat’s authentic hot chocolate at home,” leading to the development of the Velvetiser.
The Velvetiser, developed through trial and error, eliminates the annoyances of making regular hot chocolate, such as burnt milk or thin film formation. By slowly rotating the uniquely developed “whisk” to stir, it incorporates air into the milk while finishing it fluffy and smooth.
Hotel Chocolat’s chocolate is made with the concept “More Cacao, Less Sweet,” using recipes with less sugar and higher cacao content. High-quality cacao is said to improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and enhance immunity through gut health, making it one of the ingredients gaining attention amid the recent health-consciousness trend.
Additionally, a recent Valentine’s trend shows increasing “self-reward demand.” In addition to gifts for loved ones, why not choose the heartwarming Velvetiser as a “well-being” reward Valentine’s gift for yourself for all your hard work?
★ Recommendation from Our Team
With increased remote work, you can easily make barista-quality hot chocolate at home without going to a café. Furthermore, by customizing with nut milk instead of regular milk or adding cinnamon, you can enjoy hot chocolate you can’t get at cafés! Simply add the dedicated chocolate flakes and milk, and in just 2.5 minutes, you’re done—so even on busy mornings, a cup of hot chocolate warms both body and soul!
(Hotel Chocolat PR Office: Mizusaki)
https://hotelchocolat.co.jp/
④ Shibuya Scramble Square
JEAN-MICHEL MORTREAU “Panier de Chocolat -Petit Douceur-” ¥2,268 (tax included)
Sales Period: February 3 (Thu) – 14 (Mon), 2022
Location: Pop-up Space “Space 1”
A box designed to resemble a basket of chocolates, meaning “small sweets,” filled with chocolates that allow you to enjoy the marriage of liqueur flavors and cacao. The liqueurs used are distilled spirits beloved by JEAN-MICHEL MORTREAU. These chocolates are made with organic ingredients.
★ Recommendation from Our Team
Shibuya Scramble Square offers a wide selection of well-being Valentine’s chocolates. The JEAN-MICHEL MORTREAU “Panier de Chocolat -Petit Douceur-” featured here is a liqueur box that allows you to enjoy the marriage of Western liquor flavors and cacao. The first-floor pop-up space features shops with limited Valentine’s appearances until February 14 (Mon), so if you’re looking for Valentine’s gifts, please visit Shibuya Scramble Square.
(Shibuya Scramble Square PR Office: Yano)
https://www.shibuya-scramble-square.com/
⑤ GINZA SIX
Daiginjo Chocolat 2 pieces ¥5,076 (tax included)
Sales Period: Currently available
FRANCK MULLER PÂTISSERIE’s original sake cup filled with smooth, melt-in-your-mouth nama chocolate, “Daiginjo Chocolat,” is now available. This luxurious sweet for adults combines the deep richness of well-balanced Belgian couverture with the rich aroma of “FRANCK MULLER Junmai Daiginjo.”
★ Recommendation from Our Team
Among the various Valentine’s products lined up this year, we especially recommend FRANCK MULLER GENEVE’s “Daiginjo Chocolat 2 pieces” for sake lovers. Limited quantities are available and advance reservations are required, so early checking is recommended for those interested. Other limited-time offerings include popular “pistachio” flavor sweets and Valentine’s-exclusive afternoon tea. Why not visit GINZA SIX to experience these products available only now?
(GINZA SIX PR Office: Arakawa)
https://ginza6.tokyo/
⑥ Tokyu Plaza Ginza
Granny Smith Apple Pie Coffee × Black Thunder “Black Thunder Apple Pie”
Price:
・Takeout: 1 slice ¥540 (tax included) / Whole ¥4,150 (tax included) *Whole requires reservation
・Eat-in: 1 slice ¥800 (tax included) *Includes sauce and ice cream
・Online shop: Whole ¥4,150 (tax included)
Sales Period: February 1 (Tue) – February 20 (Sun), 2022
Apple pie specialty shop “Granny Smith Apple Pie Coffee” and the popular chocolate bar “Black Thunder” have collaborated to create “Black Thunder Apple Pie,” available for a limited time during the Valentine’s period from February 1 (Tue) to February 20 (Sun), 2022.
This marks the first collaboration between “Granny Smith,” a homemade-style apple pie specialty shop using plenty of domestic apples, and “Black Thunder,” the popular chocolate bar with lightning-level deliciousness!
This apple pie features whole Black Thunder bars arranged generously on homemade custard cream, topped with plenty of apples and two-colored crumble before baking.
The apple pie is finished to allow you to directly experience Black Thunder’s characteristic crunchy texture and the exquisite balance of cocoa cookie bitterness and chocolate sweetness.
★ Recommendation from Our Team
Please enjoy the “lightning-level” deliciousness of Black Thunder balanced beautifully with the refreshing acidity of Jonathan apples and egg-rich homemade custard cream—a flavor available only during this season. This special apple pie, collaborating with “Black Thunder,” which has many male fans, is a product we highly recommend as a memorable Valentine’s gift.
(Tokyu Plaza Ginza PR Office: Hattori)
https://ginza.tokyu-plaza.com/shop/detail.html?_id=523
How was it?
We’ve gathered a diverse lineup of chocolates, from well-being options perfect for this year to sophisticated adult choices using sake 🍫
Why not choose something for your loved ones, family, or as a reward for yourself?
Cold days continue, so please stay warm 🧣 See you in the next article!
