Your Sweet Spot

Grace Dew ($6, clear package of six); ($8, pouch of eight); ($14, box of 14)

Opened in 1947, Japanese-style confectionery Minamoto Kitchoan now boasts worldwide popularity, with more than 200 stores in Japan alone, along with a string of shops in cities that include London, Taiwan, Singapore, New York City and Los Angeles.

Locally, it can be found on the ground floor of Ala Moana Center, where you’ll be greeted with its tantalizing displays of delicate, Japanese-style sweets, as well as European-influenced chocolates.

Under Minamoto’s Western-style chocolate brand, there are items such as Chocolat Japonais ($2.50), which come in six different Japan-inspired flavors, including miso and sesame, shoyu, citron, cherry blossom, green tea and Japanese pepper — all covered with either milk or dark chocolate.

“It’s Japanese ingredients with European chocolate,” manager Yayoi Akana says. “The combination is very interesting.”

KEEPING IT FRESH

One thing that Minamoto has been noted for is its use of fresh fruit. It incorporates fruit into its sweets in order to give a natural, full flavor. A prime example of this are the Grace Dew sweets (prices vary). They’re like elevated fruit snacks, featuring various flavors: mango, orange, melon, grape, cranberry and banana. “These are real fruits inside,” Akana says.

Minamoto Kitchoan

Ala Moana Center
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.

947-0870
Monday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.