The flavor of the chocolate in the middle is unremarkable and the taste of the shell is a bit on the cardboard-ish side. However, the texture of this treat is fantastic! It's very light and airy and the aerated chocolate inside just melts in your mouth. It's well packaged, too, as there were no signs of damage on my taiyaki when I got it, both on the packaging and the fish itself. It would be a good gift for someone who likes cute food or light snacks.