Melbourne-based chocolatier Koko Black opened a new flagship store on the corner of Chapel Street and Toorak road in South Yarra today.

The room has six-metre-high ceilings and is furnished with Australian timbers and custom-made lighting and furniture.

Also at the flagship is the first ever Koko Chocolate Bar, where customers will be able to order Koko Black’s signature hot chocolates in flavours such as classic Belgian, chilli, orange and mocha. Purpose-designed milk wands automatically steam the hot chocolate to between 70 and 75 degrees.

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But it’s not just hot chocolates – you can also order from the range of “Chills” (essentially a frappe).

“With summer coming up, not everyone wants a hot chocolate,” says chocolatier and head of product innovation Remco Brigou. “We don’t use any artificial flavours. So for the strawberry one we use real strawberry puree, plus white chocolate and vanilla ice-cream. It’s really refreshing.”

You’ll also find croissants, cakes, cookies, freshly churned milkshakes and Koko Black’s new ice-cream and sorbet flavours.

“We’re also selling a chocolate sorbet with strawberry gum. The ice-cream is rolled in chocolate shavings that we shave on the spot as well,” says Brigou.

“We want to highlight the native Australian flavours and the origin of where they’re coming from. There’s no dairy in it, yet it’s very creamy.”

At the centre of the space – which was designed by Melbourne architecture firm DesignOffice and design practice Studio Round – is a zigzagging brass pendant light, and beneath that, a custom-designed counter displaying Koko Black’s 42 different varieties of praline. There’s also a giant wall displaying about 700 blocks of chocolate in 25 flavours.

Koko Black Como
299 Toorak Road, South Yarra

Hours:
Mon to Wed 8am–7pm
Thu & Fri 8am to 8pm
Sat 9am–6pm
Sun 9am–5pm

kokoblack.com