Kokak Chocolate, San Francisco

While traveling on an errand down 18th Street I noticed a store I had not seen before, Kokak Chocolates. I immediately parked and went in for a visit. 

The store is cozy, with a counter displaying their products. Truffles are the primary offering, and these have artistic designs on top. 

You will also find chocolate bars including an award winning Umami White Chocolate bar.

Casual passers-by may enjoy their hot chocolate offerings, which can be had spicy, classic or as a European Sipping Style hot chocolate.

ChocoCheck focuses on simple dark chocolate, and Kokak has a novel and fun bar that fits the profile: the Artist Palette Heirloom 70% Dark Chocolate Bar. The palette features a frog, which appears to be Kokak's mascot, as "kokak" is Filipino for "ribbit". In addition to the 70% cacao bar, the chocolate palette is available in milk chocolate.

I ordered one of the 70% dark chocolate palettes, plus a classic hot chocolate. With the purchase I was also given a sample truffle. It was a delicious dark chocolate with a wonderful ganache and a design which appears to be inspired by Mondrian.

Kokak is well worth adding to the agenda of your next San Francisco chocolate tour.

K'ul Dominican Republic 80% cacao

This bar has a strong cacao profile, though the bitterness is medium strong. There are faint fruity notes, plummy with a hint of rum raisin. The aftertaste is tart and leaves a puckering sensation in the mouth. 7.3

Ingredients: organic direct trade cacao beans, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter.

kulchocolate.com

Trader Joe's Organic Dark 73% cacao

This bar has a dense cacao flavor with a high degree of bitterness. The flavors are a roasted charcoal taste and an earthy flavor akin to leather. The aftertaste is lengthy and astringent. 7.2

Ingredients: Organic cocoa mass, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter

Utopick Columbia Sierra Nevada 70% cacao

This bar has several dimensions of flavor: an earthy mushroom note, a fruity raisin taste, and a lightly smoked roasted aspect. The bitterness is mild, and the aftertaste is short. 9.0

utopick.es

Fjåk Sjokolade Tanzania Kokoa Kamili 70% cacao

This bar has a rich, buttery texture, leaning towards caramel. There are also fruit notes, on the figgy, jammy side. The aftertaste is clean, and persists with the buttery mouthfeel. 9.2

fjaak.no

Ingredients: Cocoa beans*, Case sugar* & Cocoa Butter* (* Organic)