Such a fun time at Balboa Candy! I grew up visiting candy stores up North and those with candies…read morefrom my childhood are always extra special. Balboa Candy however, had more salt water taffy flavors than I have ever seen. I was shopping with friends who were on the hunt for honeycomb. Embarrassed to admit I didn't know people are honeycomb! My friend bought a half dozen pieces to share and I am a new fan! When I return, I will be sure to try the salt water taffy combos.

My dream! I live candy !! Super fun vintage style candy…read morestore on Balboa Island They have all kinds of Candy from salt water taffy to gummy candy from Sweden. A lot of it is by weight. So be careful because it is expensive. I guess since it's in a tourist area the price includes the experience - just be aware. Staff was super helpful and nice. Great service

Where there's a beach, there will be a candy store. I was out exploring the area and had a feeling…read moreI would run into one; lo and behold after a short while I found myself staring at Balboa Candy. Since I like partaking in sweets while traveling, I decided to go in and check this place out. BC is a decent size for a candy shop; the merch is scattered throughout the floor and they stock a mix of loose generic candy you can buy in bags or bulk, and branded confections. The focal point is the center counter that houses chocolates and a few other selections. The stock was a little sparse if I'm being honest; I'm used to really showy candy shops along the shore with a vast variety of merchandise, but I didn't find that here. I decided to pick up some Australian licorice and some of their jumbo peanut butter cups. I'm familiar with the brand of licorice, but as far as the chocolate it was quite good - the cup was stuffed generously with peanut butter. It was also very smooth which gave it a good mouthfeel. Service was friendly, but overall I didn't think Balboa Candy was anything too noteworthy. Good as a standard candy store, but I've been to better ones.

Cute store that sells balboa candy. Wine corks which I got. Snacks that are super spicy or not. I…read morecute and FRIENDLY souvenir shop. On the little area of Balboa touristy place. The worker Kendall was nice and greeted us. It was a perfect shop for me since I needed a cork stopper. They had a few designs but I picked this one. Street Parking is a block away.

This Sugarina store is located on the 1st level of South Coast Plaza. I like coming to this candy…read moreboutique because of the cute decor and the various packaged gifts for friends and family. Sugarfina is known for their iconic clear "bento boxes" and it is perfect for gifting (birthdays, weddings, or corporate events etc.). I also like how you can customize your own candy box, which is a nice touch when giving it as a gift. Staff is good and knowledgeable about the various falvors. The in-store experience is clean and modern. They do a good job about presentation and all the prices are clearly marked. Sometime they hand out samples for you to try so it depends on the staff. As for the cost, Sugarfina is definitely on the expensive side. You're paying for the experience, packaging, and high-quality ingredients that are in the candy.they do have sales but it's not as often. Right now their Hello Kitty collection is 25% off and they also carry a few Ube flavors so that's good.

If you're looking for cute candy gifts, this is the spot! It's a bit on the pricier side--some…read moreitems range from $10 to $60--but totally worth it for the aesthetic and quality. I picked up some Sanrio-themed Sugarfina candy here. Pro tip: sign up for their loyalty program to access promos and free gifts with purchase! (66/100)

Waaaaaay BETTER than Sugar and Spice! Too Sweet / Tutti Fruity uses real chocolate as opposed to…read moreSugar and spices non dairy milk chocolate? We drove 40 minutes and made the mistake of getting our frozen bananas at sugar n spice but were disappointed in their milk chocolate. Super thin and no chocolate taste. Stopped in at Tutti Fruity / Too Sweet to see what their chocolate covered frozen bananas were and HANDS DOWN! AMAZING! Thicker chocolate and the chocolate actually tastes like delicious chocolate! Next time... Too Sweet for frozen bananas for us!!

We are staying on balboa for a month and theyre treats were deliciousness absolutely loved the oreo…read morebark and balboa bars were amazing with real ice cream unlike Sugar n spice. Do not make the mistake of going there. Employees were friendly and gave me a sample of one of their toffee crunch candy. They have a good variety of toppings and candy so I would trust them w my life

I stumbled across a tik tok that led me to discover that Stoney Clover Lane is hosting a 3 day pop…read moreup for hannah montana. I instantly fell in love. The location is beautiful and super easy to find! I had no hidden corners, just a bright, open, and inviting storefront. The shop itself is so nicely decorated, everything feels thoughtfully put together and fun to explore. I came specifically for their Sunday pop-up featuring the Hannah Montana exhibit, and it completely exceeded my expectations. Such a cute and nostalgic experience! On top of that, the service was great (they took as many photos as you wanted for you) everyone was friendly and helpful without being overwhelming. One of my favorite parts is the customizable, limited merch--it makes the whole visit feel even more special and unique. Merch was high value and nice quality so you get what you are paying for. Definitely a spot I'll be coming back to! Thank you.

Five stars for Amaris!…read more My visit was Sunday, February 22. I was in town accompanying my husband and while walking around before our brunch, I saw Stoney Clover. While I've seen their items on social media, I own none of their products. I made a mental note and decided that we could walk back after brunch. Stoney Clover offers bright, fun accessories and bags that you can customize with 3M patches. The can customize and sew the patches on for you in store; they have many options. Anyway, back to me. Amaris greeted me upon entry and told me to let me know if I had questions. I did end up having a question, so I circled back to her. She was so nice! She gave me guidance on what to choose, gave me some suggestions on colors, and then sewed every guy for me. She made sure that everything I chose was brand new from the back and made sure to have everything packaged up nicely. Amaris truly made this experience, and she deserves recognition!

Zillymonkey is one of my favorite go to gift shops for my Miffy and Monchichi loving friends!!…read more The store has a variety of many different items/characters as well as a gashapon machine! Everything is so cute, it's hard not to shop for yourself as well! The owners are truly the sweetest. Every time I come they will gladly provide any recommendations to find the perfect gift! I was looking for a Miffy plush and they helped me find the one! The owners are also very knowledgeable about all their products as they informed me that the specific teddy material I grabbed was being discontinued so this was the last chance to grab it! Parking is plentiful as it's located in the Irvine Skypark business center!

Zilly has a great Milly selection -- anything from themed cups to baby rattlers…read more The store was well put together and had a good atmosphere walking in. The service was friendly. My favorite part here was that when I checked out, the items I picked up were swapped with fresher versions without the price tag sticker. This made it easy to prep as gifts. Will be coming back for more stickers (and hopefully for any Pochacco restock).

I love this store. As a WIC Member they always have my baby's formula. The staff is always so kind…read moretoo.

Great place! The workers are so nice and kind to helping us get some candy products. The location…read morewas a bit confusing as it's in a building however, they have signs outside the store for assistance. Also, remember to check in on Yelp for a free drink with any purchase! :)

My favorite chocolates are made in Switzerland, Belgium, and Japan…read more So I was pleasantly surprised to find a Läderach Chocolate shop while walking around South Coast Plaza. They were handing out samples of their hazelnut chocolate bars, and after one bite, I knew I had to step inside to look around and try some more. Such luxuriously rich and smooth chocolate morsels that melt so exquisitely in your mouth (where you can taste and smell the layers of quality ingredients contained in each piece). Really took me back to my last trip to Switzerland when I overindulged in chocolates and fondue (and it was so very worth it). Pricing is by the pound if you get items a la carte. Truffles and pralines are $84 per lb (works out to be average of $3 per piece) and their chocolate bark bars (aka FrischSchoggi) are about $60 to $64 per lb. Otherwise there are prepackaged boxes at set prices ranging from about $20 to $150 and more. Today I sampled the hazelnut chocolate bar, pava praline square, a white chocolate espresso truffle, and a champagne truffle. I ultimately decided to purchase the pava praline set (comes with 8 pieces) and 5 pieces of the white chocolate expresso truffles. Total was just under $40. Truffles came in nicely designed, minimalistic boxes. They are located on the second floor of the Bloomingdale's wing of South Coast Plaza, above Sephora.

Läderach has some of the best chocolate I've ever had. Being authentic Swiss chocolate, you can…read morereally taste the quality in every bite. Everything was fresh, rich, and beautifully displayed, and the staff was friendly and helpful. The prices were actually very reasonable for premium imported chocolate, and I thought it was well worth it. I'm already looking forward to my next visit, and I can't wait for the new location to open. Highly recommend stopping by if you're a chocolate lover!