Just across from the Chocolate House in Astoria is a small specialty coffee shop, Mokafe, that's most popular for its premium Yemeni coffee blends but is also selling the famous chocolate bars.

So naturally, I walked across the street and managed to get the last remaining bar of dark chocolate for $9.36, excluding tax.

The bar came wrapped in branded cellophane and had a white chocolate glaze.

The bar had a firm exterior and a smooth, consistent texture. It did not melt easily and passed the snap test with flying colors. The chocolate seemed so perfectly tempered that it had a nice gloss and took some strength to break in half.

While it's much smaller than the bar from Dubai, it appeared to match it in some aspects.

I also felt the bar was priced fairly for a specialty chocolate, neither too low nor too high.

I enjoyed the crunch of roasted kataifi combined with dark chocolate.

One of the reasons this bar stood out to me was its use of roasted kataifi, a texture and flavor profile I could taste well and that integrated nicely with the pistachio cream.

The other reason, of course, was that this was the first place that used dark chocolate instead of milk, which I felt helped balance the overall sweetness.

Although the chocolate wasn't 100% dark and had hints of sugar, it still paired better, in my opinion.

Each shop added a unique spin to the original bar, and I can understand why the indulgent dessert is such a hit.

If I were to buy one of these bars again, Mokafe would be my first choice, but all the bars offered a distinct experience, from melt-in-your-mouth smoothness to a delicate crunch.

Each shop provided a unique spin on the original bar from Dubai's Fix Dessert Chocolatier and offered chocolate enthusiasts a variety of flavors, types, and textures to pick from — all without having to travel 7,000 miles across the ocean.