Review: Move Over, All Other Dubai-Style Chocolate — Trader Joe's Version Is What We've Been Waiting For

Trader Joe's, in addition to its affordable prices, impressive frozen foods, and world-class cheese selection, does a great job of keeping up with the latest food trends. The food that's been stalking your TikTok or Instagram feed for weeks? There it is on Joe's store shelves, just waiting to be enjoyed. With Trader Joe's newest product, a Dubai-style dark chocolate pistachio bar made by Patislove, the neighborhood market is dipping into the Dubai chocolate trend, bringing together lovers of all things chocolate and flaky pastry.

The product, officially dubbed the "Pistachio Cream & Kataifi Filled Dark Chocolate Bar – Dubai Style" by Patislove, launched on Trader Joe's shelves the week of May 26, and we were able to get our hands on a few bars just as the shelves were being stocked with them for the very first time. Has Trader Joe's met the latest chocolatey moment, raising the bar for all other premium chocolatiers to meet, or is it yet another example of a trendy product done poorly? Read on for our review and decide for yourself if you'll be running out to your local Trader Joe's to fill up on its latest chocolate addition, or stick to the classics.

The Trader Joe's chocolate section is always a steady collection of delicious sweet treats, but this latest addition definitely brings an air of sophistication to the lineup. Patislove's Dubai-style pistachio dark chocolate bar is made with pistachio cream, kataifi (filo dough) pastry, and 50% dark chocolate. Each 100-gram bar is crafted in Turkey and, according to Patislove, made in small batches with these premium ingredients. (Quick note: I've seen "kataifi" spelled a few different ways across the internet, but since Patislove's label spells it this way, that's how I'll continue to spell it.)

The inspiration for the Dubai-style chocolate bars comes mostly from kataifi, a crispy, nutty, syrupy dessert pastry from the region. (Kataifi is also the primary ingredient in knafeh.) The kataifi is what delivers that crispy, crunchy interior texture, setting this chocolate bar apart and really raising the bar (pun intended) when it comes to premium sweets at Trader Joe's. The kataifi only makes up part of the pie, though — there's also a creamy pistachio filling (made with 50% pistachios). Finally, the 50% rich dark chocolate provides a solid outer shell for that pistachio cream and crisp pastry to live inside, making that first bite a fun and surprising one.

For the noticeable hype that Dubai chocolate has gained recently, Trader Joe's is keeping the pricing for this trendy chocolate fairly competitive — just $3.99 for a bar, or about $1.13 per ounce. (Other Dubai chocolate bars will hang out in the $3 to $4 per ounce range.) Dubai chocolate lovers who just so happen to be Trader Joe's loyalists will be happy to know that this product can only be found at Trader Joe's stores in the U.S.

Now, let's break down the nutrition facts. While Patislove's Dubai-style pistachio dark chocolate bar is 100 grams, a single serving size is just 25 grams. For that serving, you're looking at 140 calories, 10 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbs, 8 grams of sugar, 8 grams of added sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Before taste, let's talk packaging. The box opens in the back with a clasp closing, rather than just being a paper wrapper — an invitation to snap off a few squares and then close the box back up and go back to it later. The chocolate bar itself has a shiny gold wrapping around it, making it feel all the more special and, dare I say, chic.

When I first broke into the chocolate, which comes as four rows of four square pieces (so 16 pieces total), I expected it to be a bit of a struggle to crack, since dark chocolate tends to be thicker and heftier. However, this broke pretty easily while still having a pleasant snap. The chocolate on its own has a wonderful earthy, roasted aroma, and the flavor is rich and decadent, with deep notes of roasted cacao beans and a little coffee. The pistachio cream is nutty and sweet but subtle, with the real hero of each bite being the kataifi.

There's some great crunch from the flaky pastry, giving each bite a balance of crunchy and creamy texture throughout. However, it's the toasted flavor of the kataifi that really caught the attention of my taste buds. Each bite is a celebration of creamy, crispy, smooth, and just a little bit sweet, with the flavor of the pistachio cream lingering at the end for a few beautiful moments. This is a chocolate worth buying in bulk and treating yourself to whenever the mood strikes, or even when it doesn't.

When it comes to buying chocolate at the grocery store, it's not something I'll typically get by the bar. Other than buying bars of chocolate for baking, having a bar of chocolate for mid-afternoon snacking or a post-dinner sweet isn't at the top of my nosh list. If I'm getting something chocolatey to snack on at home, it's something in the chocolate-covered pretzel arena, or perhaps even a chocolate peanut butter cup. Something with a little more going on. All that said, Trader Joe's latest addition to its chocolate aisle has absolutely changed my mind in this area. Patislove's Pistachio Cream & Kataifi Filled Dark Chocolate Bar – Dubai Style is, in the simplest of terms, a darn good chocolate, with a darn good price tag.

Dubai chocolate may seem like a foodie fad that will rush in, sweep us all up in its chocolatey, flaky wave, and then leave us in its wake just as quickly, but I hope that this particular bar of chocolate is here to stay. Trader Joe's listens to its customers, and it tends to keep its shelves stocked with items that its loyal shoppers love. If the rest of the Trader Joe's community feels as strongly about this sweet treat as I do, it will be at the top of the request list for quite a while. For many of us, few things are as exciting as a new Trader Joe's snack, especially when that snack turns out to be a good one, and my excitement for this chocolate isn't waning anytime soon. It's a keeper, Joe. It's a keeper.