Cake-off: Rue de Passy's Opera Pistache over Toshi Yoroizuka's Annya

Going back two weeks (Aug. 2), I did a Sunday cake with Annya from Toshi Yoroizuka, in for the summer (they told me the day before that Saint-Marc was also in the line-up, though I didn't see it. I should check back. To match it, the recent winner Rue de Passy's Pistache Opera matched it, as another two wins to one loss cake. They are both old favorites: simple but great. In the end, I have to give it to nuts (Pistachio Opera) over fruit (Annya), which is also sort of vote for cake over pie, which is what the latter is like. That's two loss for Annya, but I might not get it's fifth round in for two years.

Let me also show some appreciation for Rue de Passy's Croissant, which was excellent: nice crust on the outside around a relatively soft inside.

Cake-off: Toshi Yoroizuka's Annya over Fiorentina Pastry Boutique's Estate

My plan for Saturday, was to run the newly revised (after failing the previous attempt) Akasaka--Azabudai--Roppongi--Toranomon loop by cycling to Tokyo Midtown, parking, doing the run, getting one cake at Tokyo Midtown and the other cake at Roppongi Hills, which are on either side of Roppongi Station, not so far from each other. This time I got about halfway before I failed, do to not remembering where to turn to cross from Roppongi 1 to Roppongi 2. I didn't help that where I needed to turn was at a T with a long blank wall on one side (the American Embassy dormitory compound) and new construction sites on both corners. I still went on to get a danish at Pierre Gagnaire, since it had been more than an hour of running (plus a little cycling), and I specifically forewent a pastry Friday, and forgot to pack my energy cookies. Specifically I got the Ananas Danish, which was the only pastry-class bread they had that I hadn't already tried (the other three were all excellent). As the name says, this was pineapple, which doesn't sound so good, but with hyacinth, I think. Anyway, it was an excellent fruity pastry, and I don't consider myself that into fruity pastries, so I'm impressed.

Coming back toward Tokyo Midtown, I saw that I had left another Natural Lawson from my map, and I have another excuse to revise this loop. After making sure I included all Natural Lawsons in Minato Ward (there was one more that I had missed on the sound end of the route), I decided to address other deficiencies (such as not going by the entrance to a certain temple, just because it is inconvenient) and after several attempts split the loop back into its main Akasaka part and smaller southern end. Next up, then will be trying the new revised Akasaka loop.

For the cake off, I got Toshi Yoroizuka's Annya for a third-round cake-off for one-and-one great cakes, because it came available, and Fiorentina Pastry Boutique's Estate because it was highest priority, being earliest in the year of potential opponents. These are both cakes that are fruity and delicate, so it was a good match in that way. Also, I've had my doubts about both of them. Not doubts this time, these were both great. With repetition (the four tastings have been all in the last couple months), I'm satisfied that Estate belongs in among the greats. Note sure what the fruit is, something citrus or apricot, both in goes well with the pistachio and still less the white color really express itself. I'm giving the win to Annya, though. I've compared it to pie before, and it is a little tart, which many cakes are, but I realize that more than any other cake it reminds me of while berries from my childhood, and the pies we made from them. This is, of course, a rhubarb cake, so it might be some sort of harmony.

Cake-off: Toshi Yoroizuka's Annya over Frédéric Cassel's Konatsu Cheesecake

Saturday's cake-off was between two first-round losers, both seasonal cakes. Konatsu Cheesecake (though actually I got the Étoile version, which is decorated for Tanabata, I'm guessing, which is an upcoming festival. They've fooled before by this name change a minor decorating of a cake, so I looked closely at the card when I saw that the cheesecake can changed and so that it was the same. Plus, they know me, so they made sure that I knew it was the same cake. I'm explaining out of order, since first I walked to Isetan and Toshi Yoroizuka's Annya. I probably would have been more time efficient to cycle to Kyoubashi Toshi Yoroizuka and then go down to Ginza Mitsukoshi, but two cakes on a bicycle is even harder than running and I have tomoai points at Isetan, so it's like an 8% discount.

The Annya was as remembered, like a great piece of rhubarb pie, perhaps. The cheesecake was excellent, but I wasn't feeling the greatness, so I might not need to keep this on the great list. If it returns for the third round (probably not, though some other cheesecake will probably appear next year), I'll have to consider carefully.

Cake-off: JPH's Fondant Chocolat Mon Enfance over Yoroizuka's Annya

Had a long run today, which makes up for my somewhat laziness yesterday, when I cycled (50+ km) rather than ran. I was looking again for the same cake-off selections and eluded me yesterday (instigating a research ride). I first tried Toshi Yorizuka's Kyobashi shop again, but they were sold out despite my getting there as earlier as reasonably possible for a weekday (I didn't actually ask, but there was not much cake there, so I have no reason to think they were hiding some), so I next ran down to Midtown (it was a risk, but I want a no cake day sometime to offset the cake off, so failure would have been fine), where they had better supplies of everything, including the target, Annya. However, at that point, it was too late to go back to a department store (where I have a savings club card), so I had to take the 8% hit and get my Fondant Chocolat Mon Enfance (I know, there should be another preposition in there, but they don't include it in the Japanese pronunciation or include it on the website, though they write it on the card, which I don't remember, and I have conflicting information between my old notes and general online information about this type of cake) from the Jean-Paul Hévin at Tokyo Midtown. Today, it was 11+ km averaging 10.5 km/h, as I balanced being in a hurry and wanting to run at a calorie-burning pace (I ate a lot last long weekend). Going home, I was at 8.2 km/h, which is normal with two cakes.

It's hard to compare chocolate cake (the pear does not have much impact, less even than I remembered) and what tastes like (great) rhubarb pie. The important thing is that I still think both are great, so they stay in the cake-off competition, but I have to pick a winner and I'm more interested in how the chocolate cake compares to similar cakes than how the rhubarb tart plus mousse cake compares, so I'll take that as I sign that, for me, the fondant wins. Still, I look forward to second-round match-ups of both around this time next year.
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22 km to R Okusawa: Rouge and Mazetto

I ran to (Patisserie) R Okusawa today. The run was okay, but I cracked my ipod screen, so that's three things broken in not more more than a week. (sigh)

The river part between Hiroo and Ebisu, C-D (or the hook around Ebisu Station, D-E, for that matter) was no so great, so I'll try not o use that again. Following the river and then the northwest branch of the green promenade to Ring Road 7 was fine. Actually, I checked and it continues to Umegaoka and beyond, so maybe I'll do that part next for the 24-mile run. The endpont will be closer too, unless I change it.

So R Okusawa: not so great. The Rouge was 490, as you see, and was white cheese (pretty tasteless) with a layer of berry gelatin. There were also a couple fruity disks inside, but whether they were cheese mousse, as claimed, or more gelatin there, I could not tell. If I were richer and had not run 22 km and in need of the calories (although I had 480 ml of yogurt drink), then I would not have finished it. Not that it was nasty (besides the outer berry gelatin), but it did not have anything good going for it except some fresh fruit.

The second one seemed to be Le Mazetto, although with reflection, it is hard to read. I'm going to try to use a different camera and leave the broken ipod at home. It was 450 yen and hazelnut cake, I think, which is kind of a standard thing. It started off good, but I'm used to thinner cake layers (actual "normal" cake) and more cream or nuts between, so by the end I ruled it a fail. The cake seemed a little too moist for me too.

I don't know. Cake for children or guests you don't care enough about to go one train station either direction for one of the better shops? Of course, it's near the station and small, so it's convenient if you live there (there's another cake shop or tart shop across the street and a place that has a sweets buffet on the other side of the tracks, too).

Thanks to the yogurt drink (and a carrot: I don't eat sugar on an empty stomach, usually), I was full, so didn't buy more cake at Jiyuugaoka, despite the temptation. I was not really that tired, so I took the long way home (not because of cake, but to use used book vouchers before they start expiring). So I also took natural solution to bad cake and bought cake from a great shop, in this case Toshi Yoroizuka, near Ebisu Station (although I've visited the Tokyo Midtown one a lot. 

This is anja or annya (?: アンニヤ・アンニャ), which was listed as staff-recommended at 560 yen. I hesitated at rhubarb, which I avoided as a child, but realized that I actually don't know what rhubarb tastes like, so I should find out. Maybe I still don't know, since it was not that strong and there are berries. Note that the flower is an actual flower, so I didn't eat it, but the stick is white chocolate. The base is crumb crust (or it was once I got it home), with cheesy custard or custard-like cheese inside, although the whole cheese thing might be in my mind and it was just baked custard: I need more custard experience. The top part is rhubarb mousse I assume (real mousse, not gelatin, although there could be a little for stabilization). There are berries and sauce on top, as you can see. Great cake. Why would you not eat great cake if that was an option?