- Points I liked: The level of chocolate is exceptional - Caution: Be careful not to overeat - Parking available - Rule: For dining in, secure a seat first This is a Western confectionery shop located in Fukuchiyama, run by a pastry chef with experience winning at the chocolate world championship. I visited on a weekend afternoon. The shop is housed in a splendid white building. Upon entering, there are baked goods, and in the front showcase are the cakes. To the left is a slightly dim space. The lighting and atmosphere are stylish and chic, and it seems that chocolates are sold here. It appears that dining in is possible, so I secured a seat first. There are around 9 tables on the 2nd floor and about 2 tables on the 1st floor, all stylish Western-style table seats. After securing a seat, I returned to the 1st floor to choose a cake. There are about 20 types of cakes, all beautifully shining. There seem to be many chocolate-based cakes. I decided to order a chocolate-based cake. Once ordered, the staff brought it to the 2nd-floor seat, so I waited there for a while. - Caramel Poire (580 yen): Bitter chocolate with caramel. Inside is a European pear. The chocolate mousse is moist and rich in sweetness. The combination of this chocolate mousse and European pear is excellent. The base is a chocolate cake, with a center of raw caramel chocolate, creating differences in taste and richness. - Cacao (601 yen): Caramel mousse in the shape of cocoa, with layers of chocolate mousse and orange mousse inside the bitter chocolate. Different flavors and tastes of chocolate are well harmonized, allowing you to feel a gradient of sweetness. Inside the cocoa-shaped caramel mousse is a milk chocolate-coated crunch, adding a crispy accent. The sweetness, bitterness, citrus, and texture that spread when eating all layers together are wonderful, truly a high-level chocolate cake. As expected from a shop owned by a world champion. The level of chocolate is consistently high. Despite that, the prices are kept reasonable. I was very satisfied to be able to enjoy delicious chocolate after a long time.

I was recommended by a friend to come here. I often visit my favorite restaurant in Fukuchiyama, but this one is quite far so I finally made it. They are famous for their chocolate, but since I'm not a fan of chocolate, I mainly had cakes and puddings. The balance of acidity, sweetness, and chocolate was really good and very delicious. I was looking forward to having shaved ice, but the direction was a bit difficult for me.

I visited the Western confectionery shop Mountain in Fukuchiyama. I stopped by during a motorcycle tour for a break. The Poire dessert looked like a brown Western pear and was cute (lol), and the taste was also incredibly delicious! I became a fan. I also enjoyed the gentle texture of pistachio and chocolate. Thank you for the meal.

I heard that there is a good sweets shop in Fukuchiyama, so I went there. Mountain-san has a dazzling array of baked goods, wagashi, macarons, and more. What's especially nice is the variety of financiers they offer! It's a dream come true for financiers lovers. I also bought a croissant, and I thoroughly enjoyed the texture and aroma of the layered part! Next time, I want to buy some wagashi to take home~

I visited around 1 pm and there was only one other group inside the restaurant, with about two groups of people having tea on the terrace. I bought a whole cheesecake for 2540 yen and a cocoa drink for 272 yen. I'm going home to make some coffee now. The cheesecake was very light and delicate. The cocoa drink was delicious with the chocolate mixed in. Thank you for the meal!

This was the smoothest chocolate terrine I've ever had. I purchased it at the physical store, which was stylish both inside and out. Due to time constraints, I got it to go this time, but they also have a café space that I'd like to visit someday. The price was 2970 yen including tax, and PayPay is accepted. It seems they also offer online shopping.

In Fukuchiyama, the Western confectionery shop near Sandanike Park offers excellent cakes, baked goods, and bread. Located in front of Sandanike, it stands out in northern Kyoto. The store also has terrace seating, making it a great location! The chocolate soft-serve ice cream that appears in the warm season is worth a special trip to try!

I was guided by a friend from Fukuchiyama to visit Yoka Mt., known for its pastries. Fukuchiyama is known for being prone to floods when it rains a lot, and apparently Yoka Mt. has also suffered damage several times. So, they recently moved to their current location... although according to Tabelog, it was in 2016. As for the details of the shop, I will summarize them in a separate article or blog... I had cake at the café. It's a cafeteria style, so you reserve your seat in advance. Then, you line up at the showcase with the takeout customers. The cake I wanted to eat right in front of me was sold out... apparently, the cakes sell out by early afternoon. So, I ordered Poire. It's a cake shaped like a pear. It's a soft mousse cake, so it didn't stand up when cut haha. Inside, there's something like pear confiture. The combination of chocolate and pear was delicious. The cocoa cake my friend had in the back. It looks like cocoa, too. It seems to be for cocoa lovers. Chef Mizuno has won the world championship with chocolate, but they also offer cakes other than chocolate. The cheesecake seems to have been on the menu since the previous generation. I ordered tea as well. They have a wide variety of teas, showing their dedication.

I am in Kyoto, Fukuchiyama. The highest title match in the shogi world, the "Ryuo Tournament," will be held at Fukuchiyama Castle for 2 days starting from November 8th, 2022, attracting attention. It seems that Ryuo Sota Fujii will be playing! If you come to Fukuchiyama, you must visit the dreamy patisserie loved by sweets lovers, "Western Confectionery Mountain." Chef Naoki Mizuno, who won first place in the World Chocolate Masters 2007 in Paris, France, runs the shop. Crossing the Yuragawa River and looking up at Karasugatake, this shop appears, resembling a western-style mansion or a white castle. The large parking lot is constantly filled with cars coming and going. The first floor, with a grand atmosphere like an inn, houses the patisserie and chocolaterie. The second floor is a cafe space. The elegant and serene atmosphere is enchanting. The dazzling cakes in the showcase make it hard to choose, as they all look delicious! Speaking of Chef Mizuno, it's all about chocolate! ◉ Balance 570 yen: Chocolate mousse with a tonka bean fragrance, accented by mango and passion fruit acidity. A summery sweet and sour flavor. The chocolate mousse melts in your mouth. It goes well with iced tea. ◉ Caramel Poire 540 yen: Bitter caramel and dark chocolate mousse with Western pear. Chocolate and orange, chocolate and berries are classic, but pears also go well! The form is stylish. ✩. * ˚ ◉ Iced Tea 440 yen: There was also decaffeinated black tea. It's not just the patisseries in the heart of Tokyo and Osaka that shine. The Western-style mansion in Fukuchiyama is a lovely sweets castle. Thank you for the feast! (୨୧ ❛ᴗ❛)✧

I visited this place for my son's birthday, and it was absolutely amazing, so you can't go wrong. Prices are inclusive of tax. [Picture 1] [Picture 2] **[Cacao]** 601 yen Last time, this was the only item I had to give up from my list of things I wanted to eat (due to my stomach and wallet situation) and went home. The feeling of cutting it with a knife was even smoother than I imagined, with a perfect softness that doesn't melt or collapse. It controls all aspects of acidity, sweetness, bitterness, richness, and melting in a way that feels like magic. There is salt around the edges! As you can tell from the **[Apricot and Salt]** Bonbon Chocolat by Naomi Mizuno, the amazing way salt brings out the delicious relationship between salt and chocolate. [Picture 3] **[Mango Tart]** 570 yen The mango-flavored cream is rich! The mango is sweet and juicy, and the tart is also superbly delicious. The thickness of the almond cream is like a dream for almond cream lovers. In the middle, there is a fun surprise of mango jelly hidden inside small rounded white chocolate. [Picture 4] **[Royal Milk Tea]** 570 yen One bite. The tart contains Earl Grey leaves, which are kneaded in. Firstly, the presence of the tart is prominent, followed by the gentle pursuit of white chocolate and black tea mousse, resulting in the completion of the Royal Milk Tea flavor. **[Cacao]** starts with mango, then the taste of the tart is added, but it was the complete opposite of that. **[Ice Chocolat]** 900 yen One bite. It seems to be generously using rare cocoa pulp (the pulp of the cocoa fruit). The whipped cream on top and the chocolate shaved ice are all finely foamed. There were cocoa nibs that were crunchy. Although everything disappears with a fizz, making it delicious, I felt like I wanted something extra in terms of texture. It seemed like the cocoa nibs alone were not enough. I thought that maybe there was no sense of having eaten with just that, but my husband and son, who ordered it, said they felt satisfied. The drinks we ordered together were cheap and delicious, all for less than 500 yen. My daughter said the iced coffee was delicious. The **[Peach Hot Tea]** 480 yen that I chose came in a pot with enough for 2 and a half cups in a cup. I thought it was delicious peach tea, but it seems to be an original product, and you can buy tea leaves at the store. When I got home, I had to have this **[Pan O Choco]** 270 yen. It was superb.

As a finale to our summer visit to Fukuchiyama, or rather as a last energy boost before heading back, we decided to come here for something sweet. This stylish Western-style establishment has a convenient parking lot on-site, which is very helpful for visitors who have come from afar. [What we ate] Me: Cocoa; Wife: "Ice" Chocolat [What we drank] Me: Blended coffee; Wife: Lemongrass & Ginger. The Cocoa dessert truly allowed us to savor the full flavor of cocoa. It had a bitter and complex richness that was delightful. The "Ice" Chocolat was also surprising. The ice part was not made of typical frozen water but rather bitter chocolate frozen into ice form, giving it a unique texture without any watery taste. It was a delightful way to experience cocoa. It was a soothing and uplifting end to our journey. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

After lunch, we crossed the Yuragawa River and took a 20-minute walk to have dessert at Western confectionery Mounten. It was scorching hot outside, so by the time we arrived at the store, we were on the verge of heatstroke! Once inside, the air conditioning was blasting, truly a lifesaver in that heat ((o(*>ω<*)o)) There were spacious and relaxing seating on the second floor, so we chose our cakes on the first floor, ordered iced tea, and brought them to our seats (o^^o) I chose the Caramel Poire, a cake with bittersweet caramel and dark chocolate mousse with added pear. It's a delicious cake with a perfect balance of sweetness, bitterness, and acidity (⸝⸝⸝›௰‹⸝⸝⸝)ﾝﾏｯ~♡ My partner chose the Balance, a luxurious cake with chocolate mousse scented with tonka beans and added mango and passion fruit. I also tried a bit of this, and it was as delicious as the Caramel Poire ♪ The store was constantly bustling with customers coming in for eat-in or takeout, showing its popularity. It was a fantastic store beyond the scores on Tabelog ❤️ Thank you for the meal m(_牛_)m.

I went there~ It took about 2 hours using the highway from my home to reach the Fukuchiyama shop that was established by Hideyoshi Hashiba. I arrived at the shop around 10:30, but since the opening time was 11:00, the parking lot entrance was still closed. There was a park parking lot next to it, so I waited there. About 15 minutes before opening, I moved to the front of the shop's parking lot, and just as I arrived, the entrance opened and customers started gathering at the same time in an orderly manner, keeping a good distance. We were about the 3rd group in line. As soon as the shop opened, we entered. Inside, on the right side was the cake and baked goods, and on the left side was the chocolate section. I headed straight to the right side and was the only one there, so I was able to choose the cakes first. I chose the following: Balance (570 yen), Poire (662 yen), Caramel Poire (540 yen), Chocolat (520 yen), Croissant (292 yen), I shared all of them with my husband along with the iced coffee and iced tea (440 yen each). Except for the croissant, which was buttery and sweet, the other 4 items were all about chocolate. The Chocolat had a rich and creamy mousse texture with a variety of fruits and sauces as accents, making it not boring at all. All of them were mild and smooth chocolate cakes with a balanced acidity. The croissant had a lovely buttery aroma and a strong sweetness, which was a perfect match for our taste. Definitely a must-buy souvenir! The cashier seemed to be a new staff member that day, as they made mistakes three times and had to redo everything, eventually being corrected by a senior staff member. It felt like a fresh start in many ways. Although it was pouring rain on the first day of Golden Week, the weather was perfect on this day, and the slow pace of customers was a relief. The laid-back atmosphere was quite pleasant, maybe it's the local vibe. Regarding customer service, aside from the new staff member, there were many inexperienced staff members who seemed to only engage in minimal communication. For dining in, you pay on the first floor and then go up to the lounge on the second floor. The lounge had old but comfortable large chairs and sturdy tables with enough spacing between them. There were terrace seats on both the first and second floors, but they were still closed, and it seems they will reopen around June. While waiting for the cakes to be served, I went back to the first floor to choose some chocolate souvenirs. Both cakes I bought, which I enjoyed after returning home, were the delicious Anzu to Shio (1870 yen) that was too good during Valentine's and the new Chocolat Pierre (2020 yen) with a smooth ganache that had a refreshing taste. The ganache was of high quality, and once you open the box, it's hard to stop eating. Be careful not to finish it all at once before paying. When I returned to the second floor, my husband was setting up the cakes for a photo shoot. The elderly lady who brought the cakes seemed to be quite old. She delicately rearranged the petite gateaux on the plate, asking my husband about the combinations while boldly grabbing them by hand, which was a bit nerve-wracking as the cakes almost fell or her fingers almost touched the sides. It was heartwarming to imagine that she might be Chef Mizuno's mother or a relative. As long as the taste is good, it's fine since we're not looking for top-notch city service. But if a cake really fell, of course, we would ask for a replacement. The next morning, I had the croissant and Pain au Chocolat (324 yen). Knowing that the croissant was glazed and couldn't be reheated, I still bought it. The texture was a bit soft, but the buttery aroma was nice. The Pain au Chocolat had the same texture, but the chocolate was too delicious, dangerously good. As expected from a shop that has been ranked as the world's best chocolatier. It's hard to choose between Teramachi Goshonan and here for the top two in my personal ranking of Pain au Chocolat. I thoroughly enjoyed the craftsmanship of using chocolate throughout. I definitely want to revisit around autumn before the snow season for the next year's Valentine's event.

It was soooooo my type, I felt like I could eat as many as I wanted (*´ω｀*)(*´ω｀*)＊ The refreshing aroma of apricot and salt milk chocolate...♡ The fruity apricot is enhanced by the Dead Sea salt ♡ Truly, the second-generation chef patissier Naoki Mizuno, who won the overall championship at the World Chocolate Masters 2007, created this masterpiece (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))♡ The Tabelog rating (as of February 2022) is 3.50!

Mountain! Chocolate in Fukuchiyama, which has won the world championship, is truly outstanding. I used to think that chocolate was just okay, but the apricot and salt chocolate was exceptional! It's not easy for me to go buy it, but if I ever visit Fukuchiyama, I will definitely make a stop at this place.

This is a popular patisserie in Fukuchiyama. The pastry chef, Naoki Mizuno, who won the World Chocolate Masters in 2007, is in charge here. I visited around 12 o'clock on a weekday and was able to enter without waiting in line. I tried the Caramel Poire (¥500) with a blend coffee (¥387). Inside the rich chocolate, there were crunchy slices of Asian pear. The chocolate was both sweet and elegantly bitter, very rich in flavor. It was a well-balanced cake and absolutely delicious! Thank you for the meal!

After having lunch at "Menya Somi's," I searched for sweets on Tabelog and found a place called "Western Confectionery Mountain." It seemed to be about a 30-minute walk from there, so I decided to go and have some dessert, also getting some exercise after the meal. The shop is located near Sandanike Sports Park in Inosaki, Fukuchiyama City. When I arrived on a weekday at lunchtime, many people were coming one after another by car to make purchases. While I was eating in, I noticed that there were always people around. For dining in, it seems you choose your cake from the showcase and then select a drink at the counter. I chose three cakes: 1. A rich chocolate mousse with a hint of tonka beans and liqueur, accented with mango and passion fruit for a special touch perfect for a sophisticated occasion. 2. A Mont Blanc with a crispy cookie base, creamy brulee, and a rich chestnut cream with a hint of rum. 3. A fluffy souffle cheesecake, a staple of Mountain! After paying, I went to the second-floor seating area, but there is also a first-floor and terrace seating available. The cheesecake was light and not too sweet, the Mont Blanc had a rich chestnut flavor, maybe slightly on the sweeter side? The chocolate cake had a moist texture, with a great balance of sweetness, bitterness, and acidity. It was a delicious meal!