European chocolates are like red wine, full bodied, rich, and an explosion of flavor, indulgent in…read moreevery sense. Asian chocolates, on the other hand, tend to be lighter, less sweet, more delicate and subtle on the palate. Frenchian chocolates felt like they sat comfortably between both worlds. They were pleasant to eat, not as heavy or intensely rich as traditional Belgian chocolates, yet not bland or lacking in flavor either. The sweetness was well balanced, and the flavors were enjoyable without being overpowering. I probably would not go out of my way to purchase them again, but for those who prefer chocolates that are not too sweet or too bold in flavor, these would suit their palate well. Overall, I had a good time tasting them. Happy Valentine's Day!

It's awesome to have a local chocolatier in our area, and what surprised me is to learn that they…read morehave an alternative sweetener that makes it healthier and appropriate for those who may be controlling their sugar levels. The chocolates are beautiful and really are eye catching, with different colors and shapes and great flavor profiles. For example, the earl grey chocolate has the essence of tea but is not overpowering with floral notes and certainly a great treat. I was able to sample several pieces with my kid although we primarily visited this shop to pick up the viral dubai chocolare (at least during the time when dubai chocolate flavor was getting hyped up). The service from the associates have always been great, as I've visited randomly since this location is close to Jamboree Rd and in the same plaza as a self car wash spot. It may be a bit pricey but it certainly is a unique chocolate boutique shop with lots to offer. It may sound very corporate, but I feel like this is the type of chocolate you would want to order to gift a bunch of office team members or to distribute as client gifts during the holidays. All in all, great shop with great chocolate!

My favorite chocolates are made in Switzerland, Belgium, and Japan…read more So I was pleasantly surprised to find a Läderach Chocolate shop while walking around South Coast Plaza. They were handing out samples of their hazelnut chocolate bars, and after one bite, I knew I had to step inside to look around and try some more. Such luxuriously rich and smooth chocolate morsels that melt so exquisitely in your mouth (where you can taste and smell the layers of quality ingredients contained in each piece). Really took me back to my last trip to Switzerland when I overindulged in chocolates and fondue (and it was so very worth it). Pricing is by the pound if you get items a la carte. Truffles and pralines are $84 per lb (works out to be average of $3 per piece) and their chocolate bark bars (aka FrischSchoggi) are about $60 to $64 per lb. Otherwise there are prepackaged boxes at set prices ranging from about $20 to $150 and more. Today I sampled the hazelnut chocolate bar, pava praline square, a white chocolate espresso truffle, and a champagne truffle. I ultimately decided to purchase the pava praline set (comes with 8 pieces) and 5 pieces of the white chocolate expresso truffles. Total was just under $40. Truffles came in nicely designed, minimalistic boxes. They are located on the second floor of the Bloomingdale's wing of South Coast Plaza, above Sephora.

We have been resisting buying from here for a while now, because it's pricey. We didn't want to…read morestart something that's hard to sustain. However, we finally caved in! Now we come, taste test and buy almost each time we're at South Coast Plaza. Most of the ones we've tried we love. We especially like the popular milk chocolate with hazelnuts, the blonde chocolate, the one with strawberries.

Incredible!! These delectable delights by Amy Jo are simply works of art!! They're beautiful and…read morestunning inside and out! And Amy Jo is wonderfully sweet and pleasant to work with. I was looking for something last minute for Valentine's day and she was able to take time out of her very busy day (right before Valentine's!) to look for something that could work for me. Thankfully, she had a single extra of her special Heart available and it turned out to be perfect! These are clearly highly-sought after and I was super lucky to have been able to get one! Thank you Amy Jo!! :)

This. Is. Why. I. Support. Small. Businesses…read more The care, attention, and personal details that had gone into my order... sigh, it's what makes you think, "Hell yeah, I know some beautiful, tasty AF chocolates will soon be devoured." Mary Jo is the consummate professional. When I spoke to her on the phone about my order and expectations I immediately got why she receives rave, five-star reviews. She's passionate about being a true chocolatier. A dear friend who was the recipient of my gift sent me this picture below and you can't deny how gorgeous the presentation is -- and it's only showing half of the order. She said the bars, bonbons, and turtles were rich and delicious. I can't wait to place another order.

Every time I'm in the OC and I'm looking for a place for a sweet treat, Maison de Croissant was…read morealways high up on the suggested search results list. Only recently was I able to visit and try their croffles and other sweets. Did NOT know that this was inside the H Mart food court in Diamond Jamboree. Parking is horrendous and the driving there is horrendous as well. Probably the easiest and least horrifying option just to automatically default to is to just park in the overflow lot right next to the plaza. There's no indicator for the parking garage so on a particularly busy day, you can head all the way to the top, find nothing and navigate through the hell crowds trying to leave. Ambiance is a very casual, counter order business in the food court. There's seating there, but we ate really close by. Definitely something you have to eat immediately or the texture will not be optimal or it might get soggy. We got the tiramisu croffle and they toasted it and put it together for us there. The lady working there packed it up nicely in a to go box and we got some cookies (regular ones and almond crisp ones). It's a bit sweet, but they're dessert pastries so that makes sense. Goes great with a brewed cup of tea. Croffle had a nice semi-chewy texture and the tiramisu flavor added a bit of a coffee taste to it. Good balance of the cream and croffle. The cookie wasn't too bad either. Overall not a bad to go dessert spot.

This bakery is located inside the H-mart. In addition to the bakery items, they have a drink menu…read moreand fresh taiyaki and croffle also. A croissant for under $3.00 is a good deal. I usually come on weekdays and parking is available. Please come and create your own adventure.

Wow! Only 25 reviews for this wonderful place? How can that be? I was so excited to finally go to,…read moreJ Sweets. I had been wanting to try their treats for years but never got around to it. Probably because everything is so pretty. It's like when we all grew up with the wonderfully scented and pretty bar soaps that you just never wanted to use. J. Sweets is like that for me. Look but no touching. Weird I know. Not anymore though! Now that I know just how tasty J. Sweets candies are, all I have to say is "GET IN MY BELLY!" J. Sweets is located inside of the Mitsuwa marketplace right at the back entrance into the food court. We arrived around 6:30 pm right before the dinner rush. Luckily there was still plenty of parking available. I was quickly but kindly approached by a lady at the counter. I wish I got her name. She was super sweet, patient and very knowledgeable of everything that they offered. She wasn't a pushy salesman at all. In fact, she made me feel very welcome. She showed me around their small space packed with all kinds of desserts. Although space was tight and limited, everything was neatly stacked so as to not look like a mess. I told her I wasn't sure what I wanted to buy but that I don't like very sweet anything. She had me try a piece of milk chocolate with caramel. The chocolate sample was amazing, smooth, decadent, sinfully rich without the use of excessive sugar. You can tell they use high quality ingredients. What we bought; 1) I purchased a dark chocolate bar without liqueur - after that tester she gave me, I couldn't resist and I don't regret spending the money on it either. Wow. This is one of those things you hide from the household in hopes that nobody finds it. LOL. Jk. Or am I? 2) mochi cream in strawberry shortcake and double mango. I loved them both. Again, you can really tell the quality in the ingredients used to make their products. Next time I go back, i will definitely buy some Hattendo cream buns, some of their other chocolates that have liqueur, and the mixed packs. J. Sweets was such a special trip for us and the customer service was wonderful. We cannot wait until we go back and stock up on treats again.

After stopping here for some chocolates given as part of a Yelp elite event, I realized I hadn't…read moreupdated my review of this place in ten years and it deserves a higher rating than what I gave back then. I've patronized this place several times over the years and have been very happy with the chocolates they sell (Royce brand, from Japan). And the gaufres are a favorite. Aside from the Yelp "giveaway" on my latest visit, I also purchased some other boxes of chocolates and cookies as gifts for upcoming birthdays in my extended family. The women working here were amiable - full of smiles - and very helpful in assisting me in choosing the perfect boxes of treats. The quality of the chocolates is exceptionally high. If the box has the name Royce on it, you're going to be happy with what's inside. As with most Japanese products, the packaging is done with care and presentation is visually appealing. You'll find J Sweets at the rear entrance of Mitsuwa in Irvine.

Just got served the best chocolate strawberries by this great kind man named Omar. The place looked…read moregreat and the staff was even better. Definitely recommend and should definitely give it a go.

Chocolate Bash was such a good late-night dessert stop. We…read moretried the fresas con crema flight with original, cookie butter, and the limited May dulce de leche~ all super fresh strawberries with that creamy, chocolatey mix that just hits. The cookie butter one was my favorite. Also got the lava cake and it was SO good~ warm, super rich, and honestly just really comforting with ice cream. The s'mores Belgian milk chocolate was another favorite, melted and not too sweet at all. If you go, definitely don't skip the cookie butter strawberry cup. And I love that they let you build your own crepes, waffles, and mini pancakes with premium spreads like hazelnut and pistachio. Easy dessert spot for late-night cravings or a chill date night~

My son's favorite cheesecake in town!! The drinks/coffee are also among the best we've tried. Now…read moreit has gotten more popular every time I go there is a queue outside, love this place

I originally just had a craving and wanted to go buy a cake--specifically heading there for the…read more*Greenteatella*--but the owner told me it's only available on weekends . Instead, he recommended the *Creamtella* and their matcha beverages. I was absolutely blown away; who would have thought that *Cheesetella's matcha drinks would be this delicious?! There is a wide selection of matcha drinks available in-store. The owner mentioned that they use high-quality matcha (I'm guessing he meant ceremonial grade?), and he even showed me their preparation process--specifically how they whisk it to achieve that smooth, "mirror-like" finish! Matcha Einspanner Personally, I prefer this kind of simple flavor profile: matcha blended with a rich, thick cream topping. It offers a satisfyingly subtle tea aroma with every sip--a true delight for any matcha enthusiast! Strawberry Matcha w/ Pistachio Cream If you love strawberries and enjoy sweet flavors, you'll likely enjoy this one. However, since I'm not personally a huge fan of the combination of strawberry jam and matcha, I felt just "okay" about it--though it is a tasty drink! The pistachio cream topping definitely earns some extra points here! Creamtella The combination of cream and cake gave me a whole new appreciation for their pastries. The cream perfectly counteracts the cake's tendency to be a bit dry; together, they make for a truly perfect pairing! You absolutely *must* give this a try!! It gets a huge thumbs-up from me! Chocotella This one is fairly standard and straightforward. The small chocolate pieces add a nice textural element, and the flavor is a definite plus--especially if you're a chocolate lover! However, the cake itself leans a bit toward the drier side--much like their original plain flavor (which is why I still highly recommend going for the versions with added cream!) To be honest, the first time I tried their cakes, I wasn't particularly impressed. Later, I saw posts suggesting that heating them up before eating makes them taste much better. But this time, the *Creamtella* truly blew me away, completely changing my opinion of the brand. And the matcha drinks are just the icing on the cake! The owner is genuinely a wonderful person--so friendly and enthusiastic! Since it's just him and one other employee working in the shop, making the drinks takes a little time, so please be patient! ^_^

Located in a plaza just a block from the 405 and John Wayne Airport, I made a special trip to this…read moreplace after a friend treated me to some cookies she got at their Santa Monica location. This location is much closer to home, so I visited one afternoon when craving their cookies. The interior is modern, classy-bougie, with 4 tables and a large cushy chair. I ordered two cookies, the chocolate chip walnut and peanut butter chocolate, along with an iced horchata latte. I sat at one of the tables, opened the box my cookies were presented in, and found myself in cookie ecstasy. The cookies are fat mountains of deliciousness. Slightly crisp outside and soft inside (note: even softer if taken home and warmed up). The chocolate chip was crammed full of chips and the walnuts were in tiny bits to keep the cookie's texture soft. The chocolate cookie was also enormous and had an abundance of peanut butter chips. Both were superb. The horchata latte had just enough ice to keep it cold. It had a bold flavor of cinnamon which I loved. Staff here were friendly, efficient, and speedy. I like the vibe of this place but like their cookies even more.

Food: - Vietnames coffee: strong! and on the sweeter side…read more- Ube coffee: decent balance of ube and coffee flavors - Peanut butter cookie: large and packed with peanut butter chips; pricier than other large cookie stores Parking/ambiance: - Located in a strip mall, plenty of parking - Helpful employees

I hadn't been to SOCO/OC Mix in a few years and decided to stop in and check it out, to see what's…read morenew and different. I spotted Moulin and, having enjoyed a few of their other locations, decided to grab some coffee and a pastry. The staff were pleasant and efficient. I ordered a café au lait and chose an apple tart to go along with it. I think there was a table inside but a lot of tables outside in a courtyard area, some specifically designated for Moulin customers. There is a window behind the front counter which allows a peek into the kitchen where the pastry chefs are at work. The coffee was smooth and made with a good roast; there was plenty of foam on top and it was immediately drinkable. The tart was fantastic. A perfect crust with delicious thin-sliced apples in a yummy goo underneath (not sure what the flavor was but I loved it). The sweetness was spot on - somewhere between "Asian sweet" and "American sweet". The "sweet spot" of sweetness. This location of Moulin, like all the others, is sure to please you. Thanks to Yelper Amy B. for alerting me to this location of the Moulin chain.

Finally tried this place! I was told this location at the OC Mix is smaller than their other two…read morelocations. There was one table inside only, but you can sit outside since it's really nice at the OC Mix. They have a delicious chicken pesto sandwich, and I also loved the coeur chocolat framboise. I actually got the second to last one, and by the time I left, they ran out. The strawberry jam crepe was also yummy too. Nice workers here, and they have a variety of French imported goods. The display case of pastries is so tempting!

Very helpful and nice gifts. Beautiful displays, great selection of all kinds of confections.read more

No Royce chocolate in San Diego, so stop by since I was in the area ! My first time having Royce…read morechocolate was in Vegas so I definitely had to pick up some ! Unfortunately they were low stock and late shipment for their Nama chocolates. There was only the matcha and champagne flavor. Decided to go with the matcha flavor. It was super good. This location also carries mochi!