Juri's Tea Rooms, New York Cheesecake

As a partial sampling, I had most of a piece of New York Cheesecake from Juri's Tea Rooms, as takeout. Previously, I've had the afternoon tea set there, the best of which is the scones, though the cake was fine. This was also fine, or rather good, so it gets on the list of fine shops that I need to get a second cake from.

Vie de France, Mont-Blanc

Full disclosure, since a bakery with cake moved into the Shinanomachi Station, I felt compelled to give it a chance, but I wasn't that surprised that the result was not good. It's close enough that I could actually run the entire way. This Vie de France is in the Atré café space, next to a Starbucks. Anyway, I got the Mont-Blanc, which is in the same old-fashioned early-Japan style (in my imagination, anyway: when they were just recreating western desserts in the early days before studying cakemaking in the west) or maybe it's just a café style that is more robust. Anyway, the base is dense like pound cake but overly dry for fresh cake and making up way too much of the cake, and the top has little make up for it. It's a style, I suppose, but I can't call it more than okay, so no need to every eat cake from there again, much less buy it.  
 

Marbre Vegan, Gateau Chocolat & Strawberry Shortcake

 Unplanned, got a couple cakes from a shop that replaced Frips. As the name implies, a vegan cake place. I choose a Gateau Chocolat and the other cakes was Strawberry Shortcake. The other cakes available were an apple tart and a blueberry tart.

The shortcake seemed fine and not so different from others, though I'm not the best judge. The chocolate flavor of the Gateau Chocolat was fine, so I a believe them that it's fancy French chocolate. As cake, it wasn't bad but it doesn't really have the texture I want from cake. It's a little dry, though not really in a bad way or a café cake that's sat around too long (or is made to be able to sit around a long time). Anyway, sorry I can't rate them better and I won't resist interest in trying other cakes from them, but I won't actively pursue them.  

Le Pan, Yasutomi Yuzu and Praliné Paris-Bres, Gateau Le Pan, & Chocolat Orange

My first choice was Yasutomi Yuzu and Praliné Paris-Brest. The choux pastry was typical. The Yuzu cream was fine. The pâte pralinée was quite dense, like the chestnut paste of a mont-blanc, which I don't have any problem with in general. The cake was good and did balance some different good tastes, though maybe the whole wasn't exceptional compared to the parts. Still, a good cake that increases my confidence in this shop.

The second cake, which I only had one forkful of, is called just Gateau Le Pan and is a standard Japanese strawberry shortcake. It seemed good to me and was confirmed by the other partaker.

The third cake we could agree was the best, the Chocolat Orange. While a traditional combination, the balance is not automatic. This was a very rich chocolate which went with what was like a mikan orange, though I don't know the details. I say rich, but it was not dark chocolate, but rather Valrhona milk chocolate mousse, apparently (I found their whole cake ad). Anyway, it works for me. I'm going to label this was great, as I'd like to have it again, which makes my first great Kobe cake, though that's from a small sample that isn't likely to get that much bigger, as I don't get down here so much as I might have first expected. What I can I say: Tokyo is more comfortable for all evolved. Anyway, next time I come back this shop should be my top priority, as I think I've visited all the main ones that aren't available in Tokyo. I'm curious about the main shops of a couple of those, which might have something to explain their longevity despite the low level of good they exhibit in Tokyo. 

Stadium Café, Gateau Chocolat

To motivate running, and get ahead for the upcoming holidays (when getting new Tokyo cake is problematic), I did another run through neighborhood areas. I noticed a chain shop I should visit but tried Stadium Cafe yet again. It was just after 5pm, so I wasn't confident, but this time was before an event, and it was busy, so they were staying open. They only had the Classic Chocolate, but that was okay. I'll get the cheesecake another day. 

I got the cake take-out and it came with whipped cream, which I wasn't able to add very artistically. Being a café, I wasn't surprised that it was pretty hard cake, but not so extremely that I can't say it was good. I wish them luck, opening during this unfortunate time. If I ever get back to actually fully running neighborhood courses, they're added to the cake shop one.

Nanatea and Tsutsumi, Broiled Cheesecake

Well, I'm not sure about this local tea salon, Nanatea and Tsutsumi, on the south Omotesando part of Kitaaoyama. I was there early (before noon), before they had any customers and asked about take out cake. They asked themselves about what they had ingredients for, which seems strange, as I was at the display case, but then I ended up waiting a long time to get this, so they really did make it, which sort of makes it café dessert rather than patisserie cake, even if I got it take out. Now that I know that "aburu" means "to broil", I know this is Broiled Cheesecake, which is exactly what it seems like, with the top soft like melted cheese but with an overall texture between typical cheesecake and cheese. I have to wonder if you get it hot if you order it eat in and I should have broiled it, but they didn't tell me and I didn't know until now, when I finally looked up the kanji for the name in the menu and recalled what I was told at the time. I'm going to say it was good allow it, so eventually I expect I'll get back, by which time hopefully they will have other cakes (menu also includes classic chocolate and cake of the day, though they only had the cheesecake as far as cakes. 

Crayonhouse, Fruit Rare Cheesecake

Went down to try to cake from a new shop in the Harajuku-Omotesando area. Mostly, they were closed by the time I got there, but Crayonhouse was open and happy to sell me takeout cake. They tend to be healthy type and more on the baked side, but this at least is within the scope of patisseries. And it was good. The fruit had a sort of raison flavor, though not purely that. It might just be that it uses dried fruit. 

 

Pariya, Pecannuts Chocolate Shortcake

Finally really got a first cake from a shop in the Omotesando--Harajuku area, Pariya, which is a kind of eat-in deli. They also have a shop in Tokyo Midtown as of maybe a couple years ago. All their cakes are short cakes and bit enough that you could easily share them. I went with the pecan and chocolate, despite a recent complain about nuts slivers in an otherwise soft chocolate cake. This one has reasonably large pieces, all in the center, so you know when you are getting them. This cake is maybe 75% whipped cream, with very little cake, which is fine. I thought the chocolate as reasonable and the nuts were fine. It was good. I'm not sure whether the aftertaste was from nuts, milk cholate, or some unusually sweetener. It had a soft of banana flavor. I didn't care for it, but it wasn't actually nasty or anything. Milk would have probably been a better match for this than tea.  

Good is enough to get on the fine list, so eventually (in some number of years, as it's a really bloated list) I'll be back for a second cake.

Tamago Cocco, Cheesecake

Monday, I tried hitting a couple cafés on the local map, Stadium Café and Café Casa, but both were closed, contrary to posted hours. The latter at least had a sign on the door, as well a message on its website, that they were closing for three days. Other potential places for lower-level snacks were also closed, as expected, so I ended up going to the other side of Meiji-dori for a visit to Eataly across from Harajuku Sta. Hazelnut and chocolate is definitely nice, and quite pricy. it was about 1 h of running after pushups, curls, and dance exercise.

Tuesday, I went from work to Tamago Cocco, off north, so outside the neighborhood course but still close. It's not much of a cake shop, but they have a couple things. The cream puffs were sold out, so I got the Cheesecake. It was good, though eggy, of course. Eventually (might take a couple years), I'll get around to trying the cream puff.

Ron Herman Café: Cheesecake and Mont-Blanc

I was busy on the weekend, but did a first visit to the Ron Herman Café in Sendagaya and had lunch and cake for two. The cakes were their Cheesecake, which has fresh grapes, and a Mont-Blanc. For a café, this place has a pretty good selection, which was one reason for choosing it, plus it's not in a crowded area, though fairly busy (not sure where people come from, since it's far from the standard shopping areas, and yet they continue, though obviously on people's radars). Too much gelatin on the top of the cheesecake for me, but definitely good cake, with amount of sour cream sourness that I miss in a lot of cheesecakes here. 

I thought the Mont-Blanc was also definitely, but it was pointed out that it had a sort of amateurish disorder. The base is about 1 centimeter thick of something between a dense pound cake and a sablé-type cookie, which is a bit unusually, but probably useful for a café. I suspect both the base and the cheesecake are prepared in advance at a remote location and the top parts are added locally.

Anyway, good enough that it should count as a cake shop on my local running map, but not good enough that I'll probably get back to it now that I've had two cakes.
 

Sanjikken, Sachertorte and Cheesecake

Had a visit to a café/coffee salon (with waiters) on Aoyama-doori near Omote-Sandou Sta.: Sanjikken. It's on the second floor, so I had never seen inside. We (cake for two) were lucky, as we were seated rather quickly. When we left, there were at least ten people waiting. I considered it worth visiting even if I don't need to hit every café and coffee shop, because they advertise cake, specifically the Sachertorte by picture, on the sign by the door. I haven't had a sachertorte for a while, but it seemed excellent, perhaps the best I've had. If I finding myself needing something in a Starbucks again, I'll get their to compare as some sort of reference so I know I'm not just imagining things. This seemed to be a one-layer type, with apricot jam on top of the cake, under the icing, but I suppose it's possible that there were two layers and I just couldn't tell. I'm too hurried to check the two main schools of sachertorte now.

I also has some Cheesecake, which was soufflé-type, I think, rather than the dense type I prefer, but still definitely good, so the shop gets in the stable part (won't get denoted when I finally have enough better shops to split this bloated group) of the fine shops group.

Ease/Repos, Nut, Dried Fruit, and Caramel Tart

Not that I was in a hurry, just I wanted to know how it was before this weekend Repos, so I sent to Isetan a lunch time and got a cake from the new counter, Repos (by P. Ease). It's pretty pricy and away from my usual tastes, so I momentarily gave up but after looking at the visiting counter of the week (a fine shop) and not finding information about when Repos might leave (though they replaced a shop that was there maybe 6 months?), I reconsidered and got the  Nut, Dried Fruit, and Caramel Tart, which was relatively reasonable (nothing exotic or seasonal in it) and looked promising. As the name states, it's a tart, specifically an almond cream tart, on top of which is a crème mousseline of custard, butter cream, and pistachio paste with bittersweet caramel. The topping is nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and cashews) and dried fruit (raisons and cranberries). Definitely hots of things I like in a substantial tart, so no surprise that I thought it definitely excellent. The name they put on top of the each is Ease. I assume they want to differential the location names because the offerings are different, but they have a pretty big space, offering various bake goods besides the fresh cakes. I should definitely get back there for a second cake earlier rather than latter when it comes time to go in for second cakes from shops that had at least good cakes.

Kouhiichakan Shuu, Marron Chocolat

Spent the day hitting neighborhood shops around Harujuku. Only one really counts, so I'm leading with that one, Kouhii Chakan Shuu. I've visited one of their "Natural Cake" shop, but they have a different line-up. This time I ate in (since no smoking now), though they do takeout. I had Marron Chocolat, which is a seasonal cake. It's on the sweet side, so it would be better with a drink, which is what this is for, after all. It's comparable to the other coffee salon I know and at least as a first cake, I can say it was excellent.

Other cakes were from shops that don't deserve being marked as cake shops for my running map (and were cheap). One was Brook's, where I got the Basque Cheesecake. This is my first time with this kind of cheesecake and I can't say I get it. It was okay.

The other was the new shop in the Aoyama Grand Hotel, The City Bakery. I went with the Lemon Pie (if that's the correct name) which is their lemon tart. This also was just okay, not very lemony, which is the only thing it had to work with.

Occitanial, Chocolat Orange

As I swung back west after hitting Haru, I stopped at another shop I had seen on TV, Occitanial in Nihonbashi-Kakigara-chou, by the entrance to Suitenguumae Sta. (in the long name district, apparently). I think there were three staff, a closed eating space and no other customers. I went with Chocolat Orange. It's pretty, but supper mild. I'm reminded of Dalloyau, and old shop. As I said about Haru, I'll get around to a second cake at some point, since I'm not in danger of getting enough better shops to push it down a category.

Haru: New York Cheesecake

Finally visiting new shops, after stopping at Éclat des Jours and getting a great pastry (sorry, rain, and I'm behind on cakes, so I'm giving up on chronicling pastries, but need more from EdJ), I hit nearby Haru in the same neighborhood. I saw them on television and new cheesecakes were his thing, but I expected more variety than I found. In the end, I just got the New York Cheesecake, which was definitely good, but not really worth going that far away. Still, just good will be enough for a second cake relatively soon from fine shops, though it will probably take at least a year to go through them all (since I'm not going to pause everything else while I do it, and the quite fine shops will need a fourth cake).

Sweets Paradise, Baked Chocolate

This is more a curiosity than useful, since the Sweets Paradis Harajuku shop, which would have been on the local running map with a slight expansion. I got this at the Shinjuku Stn. counter, which now also closed, I think, though they have a shop shown open on the other side of the station in Shinjuku 3, which technically is accessible from the tunnels entering in Shinjuku 4, though I'm certainly not intending to visit every place that is true for. This is, of course, is Baked Chocolate (or that's what my notes say; guess "Gateau Chocolat" would be too fancy). It's maybe the lightest of it's type I've ever had, but for 108 yen, I can say that it was good. Maybe I've spurge for something in the 200 yen range next time. 

Nino Caffé, Torta al Cioccolato

Went with a backup from the old neighborhood running course on the way from Tokyo Midtown and picked up a first cake from Nino Caffé: Torta al Cioccolato. It's definitely good, and definitely different from French-style (higher sugar or more crystalline). 

 

Sun Fruits, 'Shikisai' Short

Went to Ginza Mitsukoshi a few weeks back trying to get a CF cake, but wasn't there. I could have waited a day and tried again but decided to finally go with a backup, shortcake from the Sun Fruits counter as a first cake. This went by the name 'Shikisai' Short, being just their seasonal shortcake. It was good, but maybe I need to know my fruits much more to appreciate cakes from these types of shops. Actually, this is pretty much the only cake, so even if it had been great, that would just mean I need to wait for the next seasonal cake.  

Imperfect, Choux Cream Chocolate

Last Saturday, I was busy, so no running, but I did make a first visit to Imperfect in Omotesandou Hills. They do nuts, chocolates, ice cream coffee, and choux cream, which I count as fresh cakes, since they require refrigeration for the filling. Only one of the three types was available, and I could buy the one in the early afternoon. I got Choux Cream Chocolate (not sure how to spell with the French-English mix). The choux pasty didn't seem like anything special (though also not bad), but the chocolate filling was definitely rich, so it gets an excellent.

Citron: Tarte Citron

During last week, I tried a new place on the neighborhood running course (though not the part I was working on practicing at the time), Citron in Minami-Aoyama. Actually, they only have the one cake, Tarte Citron, though they also have pound cake. The Tarte Citron is reasonably good, though not special. It's like a giant lemon bar. So one shop got checked off. This week, I'll stick to priority shops.