TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Valentine’s Day just got sweeter as Taipei Marriott Hotel has invited chocolate aficionados to indulge in an afternoon tea that turns premium cacao into bite-sized culinary art.

The star of the experience is a showcase of 12 chocolate varieties from Valrhona, featuring flavor profiles from around the world — ranging from fruity and floral to spicy and bitter. With cocoa content spanning 33-85%, each bite offers layered depth, underscoring how higher cocoa percentages bring more intense, subtly bittersweet notes.

The set includes eight sweets and four savory creations inspired by ingredients such as candied white peach and spicy chili. It is available daily from 2-5 p.m. through April 30.

The sweets lineup includes the Spiced Manjari chocolate ice cream, made with 64% Manjari chocolate sourced from Madagascar, known for its subtle berry notes. The ice cream conceals a tangy raspberry puree and fresh strawberry dice at its center.

A delicate touch of chili powder adds a gentle spicy finish beneath the sweetness. It is finished with a crisp Guanaja chocolate coating, creating layered textures and a lingering aftertaste.

The Jasmine tea, white peach and yuzu white chocolate mousse features a base of almond honey cake and chocolate crisp, topped with lightly sweet white peach jelly and yuzu chocolate cream. It is finished with a silky 33% Opalys white chocolate mousse infused with jasmine, lending the dessert a refined floral aroma and delicate mouthfeel.

The Sicilian coffee chocolate mousse cup is the chef’s tribute to Sicilian coffee. The cup begins with a 66% Caribbean chocolate coffee cream made from Caribbean cacao beans, known for their almond and toasted nut notes.

A middle layer of tangy lemon and citrus cream adds brightness to balance the richness, while the top is finished with a 64% Tanori chocolate mousse offering fresh citrus and dried-fruit aromas. Black pepper cocoa crisps and a coffee bean–shaped chocolate provide a final decorative touch.

Also on the menu is the Hazelnut Azelia chocolate tart, defined by its dark, gold-accented elegance. A crisp chocolate tart shell is filled with a silky hazelnut ganache crafted from 35% Azelia milk chocolate, unsweetened hazelnut paste and Tahitian vanilla. 

The tart is crowned with golden roasted hazelnuts and finished with a chocolate shard brushed in gold leaf.

The Nyangbo dark chocolate mousse, Berry Araguani chocolate cake and Abinao chocolate brioche roll round out the selection, each highlighting distinct chocolate profiles. The mousse features a 68% Nyangbo chocolate with its signature acidity and gentle spice.

The Araguani cake’s moist pound cake is layered with raspberry jam, chocolate ganache and crisp chocolate. The brioche roll’s warm, soft texture is paired with intense 85% Abinao chocolate ganache.

Savory bites take chocolate in unexpected directions. Guests can enjoy a red wine–poached pear and tender chicken tart accented with white chocolate, a crispy flatbread layered with banana, Bayonne ham and olives, a rich beef puff pastry combining Japanese-style curry with bittersweet chocolate, or a duck liver mousse ball enrobed in dark chocolate and almonds.

The afternoon tea is priced at NT$1,880 (US$60) for two and includes a choice of coffee or tea per person. Guests can upgrade for NT$2,080 to enjoy two cups of brandy mocha or hot chocolate.

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