Tales of the Old Otaru Warehouses

The "Fondant au Chocolat" is eye-catching with its packaging modeled after the exterior of the "Old Otaru Warehouse," the base of UNGAPLUS. Fondant is French for "to melt" and is a bite-sized chocolate cake that is not fully cooked, leaving the center soft.

The meringue is thoroughly whipped to incorporate as much air as possible, and then a skilled craftsman gives it a final quick mix, trapping our rich, melt-in-your-mouth original raw chocolate in the center of the smooth, melt-in-your-mouth dough before baking.
The Old Otaru Warehouse is a historic building constructed approximately 130 years ago by a Kitamaebune shipowner. It consists of three buildings that have been expanded over time, with the central brick building and the soft stone warehouses symmetrically lined on either side, creating the landscape of northern Otaru. The packaging, which recreates the beautiful exterior, is also appealing. Enjoy the moist and rich fondant au chocolat while learning about the story of the Old Otaru Warehouse overlooking the canal.

Otaru Warehouse, Hokkaido's first commercial warehouse, was established in 1893, approximately 130 years ago, by Nishide Magozaemon and Nishitani Shohachi of Hashidate, Ishikawa Prefecture, who had been in the shipping business since the Edo period. Its design, a blend of Japanese and Western styles, features a gabled tiled roof topped with a shachihoko (a dead shark), and the building, symmetrically arranged around the brick office building (now the Otaru Department Store UNGAPLUS), exudes elegant beauty. "Old Otaru Warehouse Story" is a recreation of this building, designated Otaru City Historical Building No. 13. Inside, you'll find rows of bite-sized "fondant au chocolat."