Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2014

With chocolate shops popping up left and right across Tokyo these days, it takes something rather special to get noticed. Fitting that bill is the new Akasaka cafe Del’Immo (3-19-9 Akasaka, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-6426-5059. www.de-limmo.jp). Chocolatier Kazuaki Eguchi  opened the café after deciding to widen his skills as a chef and pâtissier. Following on the city’s recent pancake craze, Eguchi has concocted monkey punch (¥1,000), chocolate cakes served with sliced banana, whipped cream and extra chocolate sauce for good measure. There are not one but two varieties of cocoa (both ¥800): one is a fruity, 66 percent cacao Caribbean chocolate with hot milk on the side that customers are encouraged to blend and savor by dunking slices of baguette (¥150); and the other is a bitter 70 percent cacao. The chocolat espresso (¥600) packs a punch and will redefine your understanding of cafe mocha.

Open Mon-Sat 11am-9pm.