ROYCE' Chocolate at Bellevue Square in Bellevue — Local services in Bellevue

TL;DR: words don't do the chocolates any justice. You need a box, trust me. Maybe even two boxes...

I had this place on the top of my list for a trip I had planned to Japan. BUT, my trip got canceled...twice. One for the typhoon that happened and the other time was for the pandemic. I was so disappointed and was super salty about not being able to rebook my flight! I haven't been able to rebook my trip since because Japan still isn't open and I was really excited when I found that there was a ROYCE' Chocolate here on the eastside! tears of joy

Located on the second floor of the Bellevue Square Mall just outside of Macy's.

Parking: nearby parking garages. Best to park near Macy's for minimum walking distance.

Atmosphere: The interior of the store is so clean and crisp and almost reminds me of a makeup counter but for chocolate! But I wouldn't mind getting this on my face either, haha!

Service: you will be greeted, offered a sample, and be verbally given info on the chocolate. There are seasonal flavors so make sure you nab something! You won't be disappointed! The chocolates I purchased came with a small ice pack and insulated packaging that would keep the sweets cool for up to 3 hours - all neatly packed in a cute pink Royce' drawstring bag and placed in a paper gift bag. Packaging was above and beyond my expectations. For the quality and quantity and packaging of these sweets, the price is really reasonable!

The Nama Chocolates I tried were so decadent and buttery smooth! The best texture of chocolate I've had and the fact that they need to be refrigerated tells you just how fresh these chocolates taste! "Nama" means "fresh". So cool how they use Hokkaido milk in the Nama Chocolate line - you can taste the smoothness and richness!

Ghana Bitter: my favorite. It was sweet but had a satisfying, muted dark chocolate aftertaste.

Au Lait: chocolate for the chocolate lover. Very uniformly flavored with no aftertaste.

Matcha: very sweet with a creamy aftertaste of green tea. I personally would like a stronger matcha flavor.

Orange and Mango: seasonal flavor and I was not disappointed! Smooth, rich, and tastes almost like orange creamsicle! Was not too overpowering in sweetness either, which was surprising to me.

Ranking from sweet to most sweet: Orange and Mango, Ghana Bitter, Au Lait, Matcha.

I ended up purchasing the Nama Chocolate seasonal flavor Orange and Mango and was not disappointed! Smooth, rich, and tastes almost like...

I was super glad to discover that Royce Chocolate shop has finally opened its doors in Bellevue Square. It had been nearly a decade since I first savored Royce Chocolate somewhere in Asia, and its distinct flavor had lingered in my memory ever since. However, finding a local shop had proved to be quite a challenge until now.

Although I'm uncertain of the exact date of its grand opening in Bellevue Square, I am certain that this store would probably be the first one in Washington state.

During my visit, I had the pleasure of sampling three delectable varieties: Matcha, Au Lait, and Bitter.

As anticipated, the Matcha flavor delivered a rich, creamy matcha experience, distinguishing it from other green tea or matcha-infused chocolates I've tried in the past.

Au Lait, with its familiar milk chocolate profile, offered a subtle yet distinct flavor profile that defies easy description, leaving me pleasantly intrigued.

The Bitter option, with its 62% cacao content, leaned towards the darker end of the spectrum, yet maintained a delightful creaminess that lent a velvety smoothness to its taste.

While I liked all three, Bitter is my favorite one. As a big fan of strawberries, I will definitely try the Strawberry one, along with the exclusive Seattle-themed Islay Whisky...

Visited this store for the first time on Tuesday, 8/19, in the evening. Only 1 store worker was present, a lady with short hair. She did not greet/welcome me in the store which already set the tone of my experience here.

This worker only prioritized customers that were ready to purchase chocolates and doesn't care for customers that want to sample chocolates (I had the intent to buy a few products after sampling). As the worker assisted another customer, she saw me waiting on the side for her and asked if I need help. I replied saying "I would like to sample some chocolates." She then replied saying "You have to wait, I am with another customer right now ok?" in an unprofessional way. I then said "Yes that's fine". Why would you ask if I need help if you aren't ready to assist me, plus I can clearly see that you are with another customer?

I waited for 20 minutes to be helped. This lady skipped over me and moved onto another customer that came into the store after me. At that point, I left the store since I did not want to waste anymore time with a rude store worker, let alone give her any...