Pierre Gagnaire, Short Cake

Sunday, I started with a run down to Pierre Gagnaire's, getting a couple missing missing photos for sites on revised parts of the neighborhood running course that I haven't confirmed yet. I walked back with the last new cake I expect to get from them this month, though I should check in on their webpage, such as it is, since Tokyo is loosening up (for good or bad), so they might expand or revise their line-up earlier rather than later, though I'm thinking their original idea was to do the strawberry cakes through the end of May anyway.

I went back out almost immediately, this time by bicycle (which ended up being about 2.5 hours total). I first went over to B-E, where their was a line and I decided I didn't want to spend time finding out that they didn't have anything new when there were other places to go. Not sure whether I'll feel differently next weekend, but I'll trying going their first and get their a little earlier (plus be satisfied with other places on that side of town). Next I doubled back and went to Sadaharu Aoki in Marunouchi again. Their cake selection is limited, but they were featuring a wide variety of pastries, so I got the Croissant d'Amonde, I'll guess, since I'd had the other three types of croissant, and they were excellent to great. This one was not soggy, which was good, and there was liberal use of almond liquor, I think. I can say was excellent.

From there I went to two shops, which I could get new cakes at, so success. At home, I finally had the first cake after lunch, which was the (strawberry) Short Cake. I struggle with this, because it's not a type of cake I've very interested in, so I'm not sure what make it better or worse. There are hundreds of varieties of strawberries, and I have no idea which goes best on this kind of cake, so I can't really take that into consideration. In the end, I decided that this was excellent: I could recommend it myself and would would enjoy having it again, but it's not a goal.

Paris S'éveille, Tarte Printanière

Got an early start, about 8 am, with the intention to try the Daikanyama-chou--Ebisu-Nishi--Hachiyama-chou--Nanpeidai-chou--Sakuragaoka-chou--Sarugaku-chou--Shibuya--Uguisudani-chou loop. I'm not too surprised that I failed, though large parts of it are unchanged. It's up to 13 km now and I did most of it before I saw that I had skipped a cafe in a religious bookstore; it was on the map, but I needed to make a little loop around it at around halfway. Otherwise, I made some on-the-fly changes, which would have be fine (I knew the official route, but could see how it needed to be fixed). Will try again tomorrow if I wake up early, which I tend to do. On the way, and only 30 minutes out (which wasn't that early with my breakfast before 6 am), I tried a Croissant d'Almonde (not sure if that was the name they used), from the Crossroad Bakery over in Ebisu-Nishi. They require a drink to eat in, so I got takeout and ducked into a garage next door to get out of the rain and maintain social distancing from anyone using the sidewalk, though the streets were pretty empty everywhere I went, except maybe near the supermarket coming back. The Croissant was the kind I liked: baked through, not wet. Definitely good, but didn't seem like the best I've had, or I'm just not into this particular pastry now. I didn't bother to get a picture.

After finding where I went wrong, at around 10:20, I had an hour plus walk (I had had enough running) to Jiyuugaoka, where I got a new cake from Paris S'éveille: Tarte Printanière (Spring Tart). This is a cherry compote tart (with a lot of cherry) as a base and I think almond and pistachio paste/top. I'm not that into cherry, but I'm trying to have an open mind. Certainly, appreciate the nuts and it's a quality tart, so I have to say it's excellent. I'll look forward to the next tart, if that's what comes next, but I'm up to day now, so probably I won't have anything to get from this this month unless it's for a cake-off, but next one with them probably won't be until August.

I also got a Croissant from them (which I ate immediately coming home, whereas the cake was after the first half of lunch), which I've give them the benefit of the doubt and say was excellent. Unless I want to include their brioche, I might be up to date surveying their pastries, though there are probably some pastry-like baked goods that I could retry, but don't necessarily need to be fresh, which is my excuse for revisiting shops for pastries.

Cake-off: Paris S'éveille's Monsieur Arnaud over Yu Sasage's Perfum

My Sunday plan for a cake-off worked, other than falling asleep too late and waking up too early. I hope to better tonight. First was a run to Paris S'éveille, by way of Takeshita, so I could get some pictures I forget yesterday. Note sure either of these places qualifies, as candy itself does not, and I'm not sure whether the cakes on a stick are something you make, which would also not qualify. Fortunately, the current version of the neighborhood running map doesn't depend on them either way.

At Paris S'éveille, I got the required Monsieur Arnaud and carefully verified that they have no new cakes. Because this places has the best pastries I know, I also got their Croissant d'Almonde, and, no surprise, it was great, which few are. My requirement, I discovered, was that it be baked to hardness on the outside: a soggy croissant is not a croissant, or much of a pastry (thus my problem with recent Pain aux Raisins). See the nice feet?

I took the train back and got Yu Sasage's Perfum from Isetan. The next best place I've confirmed for great pastries is Sadaharu Aoki, which only has things rarely, so I could pass up getting a fresh new one: Cannelé au Chocolat. Unfortunately, though I should have predicted, chocolate and cannelé doesn't work for me. The taste is good, but I'm not thrilled by the texture, so I'll be kind and say this was good and see what they produce next month (not that they are that frequent or have the big a back catalog).

Since I had a pastry after the first run and then after lunch, I went out running again before getting to the cakes. I'm completely redoing my running maps to add all the coffee shops and convenience stores I ignored before. Even if they don't have good cakes, they have some sort of packaged snack or energy cookie that is at least good, and they sort of define the pain points of the neighborhood, so just in terms of navigation, I should include them. What a mess though. Along this, I tried a Machi Café scone from Lawson, rather than my usual during running snack. It was okay, but I think I'll stick to my rule of ignoring packed breads/pastries, at least from convenience stores, as well as cake from Caffe Veloce (my other running snack was their cheesecake, with similar results, and only slightly better tasting than the Lawson 100 cheese tart).

Finally, cake-off. This is a fourth-round cake-off from the winners bracket. Paris S'éveille's Monsieur Arnaud is heavy decadence and Yu Sasage's Perfum is light elegance. I'm into the heavy, though it was a tough decision nevertheless. So becomes the second cake to reach four straight wins, and I'm caught up with the winners bracket at least through July.

Cake-off: Jean-Paul Hévin's Tonka over Viron's Mille-feuille

This week, I had a lot of working late, so no cake Wednesday to Friday. I managed to bicycle to Ginza Mitsukoshi before closing Wednesday and Thursday, but had a couple cakes in particular in mind that were not there. Friday, I didn't even try (I might have gotten there just before closing, which wouldn't be that useful on a Friday), but went to Isetan and confirmed that PH has a great cake in the line-up that has never had a cake-off (but I don't have an opponent for it right now) and the strawberry tart at SA is the one I've already had (which was excellent). Think I did one workout with weights one of those days, though I can't remember the details. Friday, I finished off confirming the updated Daikyou-chou--Shinanomachi loop and also confirmed the updated Shinjuku Gyouen clump (3 loops, 4.909 km) and definitely did a non-weights indoor workout.

Saturday, I went to Ginza Mitsukoshi again for cake-off materials, but I also confirmed that they had one of the cakes had been looking for but not the other one. I later found that Viron has a new cake, so I still have a backup for next time I go out there looking for new cakes, which might be tomorrow (I haven't decided where I want to go, and a new errand has come up). My main target for the cake-off was Tonka, which is one of their new cakes, from Jean-Paul Hévin for a fourth-round cake-off. They are currently two wins to one loss, so I matched them with the highest priority cake in that bracket, Viron's Mille-feuille. On the way back, I got a matcha chocolate bar from a new site on my Souga Gakkai clump route, though on the opposite end from the Souga Gakkai campus, near Yotsuya station, at the San Paolino shop, which is mostly sweets. I am saving it for later, to share, so I'll have to update this. While I was there, I noticed a castella place that should be on the Yotsuya north loop, so I revised the loop and will have to do confirmation runs another day.

Before cake, I went out again to try to confirm the Akasaka--Azabudai--Roppongi--Toranomon loop, as next in priority after the Daita-... loop, which I'll get back to another time. I knew the planned route fine, but the construction in Azabu 1 has expanded to the point that streets have disappeared, as well as a park and possibly a temple that was on my route, but the latter might have an entrance on the other side and still be there, though I didn't find one last time I looked. Anyway, I need to figure out a new route and try again. Actually, I'm not sure how the old loop was valid, unless there was an entrance to the Reiyukai Shakaden Temple on the old route that I can't remember now. On the loop, I stopped at the Pierre Gagnaire shop and got a Croissant d'Almonde. I don't know why I chose that one, since it's not my favorite type, but it always catches my eye. It was good but standard, which is too sugary even for me, but I won't let that put me off retrying other pastries from there. I also found another Japanese style sweets shop that I'll add as a site on the map, but there's still a lot of shops ahead of it, and cake and pastries are my priority.

I was pretty happy with cake-off this time, as expected. It was hard to choose, but Tonka is a great example of why I like JPH's cakes, and I've giving it the win. In the previous round for Viron's Mille-feuille, I had my doubts about it as a great cake, but even though it lost this time, I'm satisfied with it as on the list: it lacks subtly, but it seems to be a perfect classic mille-feuille, which I haven't had anywhere else and am happy to be able to eat.

Cake-off: Frédéric Cassel's Tan Gram over En Vedette's En Vedette

Monday, which was a holiday, after a morning appointment which ran late, I went out around noon to try to gather cakes for a cake-off. The main target was Frédéric Cassel's Tan Gram which is a standard that I wasn't too worried about having to be early for, but I've had experience coming too late for En Vedette's signature cake, so I had a back-up in mind in the same direction. Also, it seems seems to be on rainy days that I've going to En Vedette, although Monday was relative light.

I stopped early or snack at a future neighborhood course site, Chez Kazama, out in Ichiban-chou neighborhood in Chiyoda-ku and got a Croissant d'Almonde. It was good, and had some almond paste inside, plus the powered sugar on the outside to give it sweet kick, but dry for my taste, though perhaps not really for the type. Part of my review of pastries is turning out to be a review of what type I should be targeting. Later, I got a regular Croissant (not shown) from Dalloyau (at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi), who I once thought great croissants. Note sure whether they changed (they have a lot since then) or just my perception but, while definitely good, it was not extraordinary as a baked item, being more bready than I expected.

I was successful at getting En Vedette from said store, and took the train to Ginza to get the Tan Gram and took them home to chill. Meanwhile, after a half-lunch, I went out to do neighborhood course loops in Sengadaya that I had updated. I was successful, but since revised one loop. That took about an hour (including taking photos of three sites).

The result of the cake off was a win for Tan Gram. Unfortunately, En Vedette, with it's rum, doesn't pair with everything, so the choice of green tea (which goes with chocolate fine) maybe didn't match well. Still, two great cakes.

Cake-off: Origines Cacao's Printemps over Coffee Parlor Hilltop's Pistache Chocolat

Thursday, I took the afternoon off and first went to Isetan early enough that their Croissant Chocolat was not sold out. It was excellent. It is not sweet, but more a burnt (maybe literally) chocolate taste, which I approve of. Definitely better than average as a croissant. In news, there is a cake and a "parfait" that has cake elements enough that I'm interested, more than the average verrine, which I've grouped with fresh cakes. They limited to through Golden Week (and the parfait is only after 2 pm), so I'll have to act fast. No cake planned for tomorrow, saving it for Saturday. Since I've busy over golden week, I might try to fit in two cake-offs over the weekend to deal with seasonal cakes/shops. It depends on how the first cake-off goes. My bicycling for the day confirmed availability from the cake I wanted for take-out from the Coffee Parlor Hilltop and then I briefly tried to do the Akasaka--Azabudai--Roppongi--Toranomon loop but failed almost immediately. I didn't realize immediately, but I failed again later on more obviously, so I went hope to review.

Friday, I got another pastry, this time Croissant d'Almonde from Christa. It was definitely good but not really so different from most. I tried the Akasaka--Azabudai--Roppongi--Toranomon loop again but got confused once I had to cross the Roppongi-doori, since I guessed incorrectly whether I would stay on the bridge (if I had been on foot instead on a bicycle) and continue on to cross Azabu-doori, which I should have. It's coming back around that I need to cross in stages.

Saturday, I finally got cake again, making up for the two previous days by getting two for a cake-off. For the first one, I tried walking to Coffee Parlor Hilltop, and my feet seem okay, so that's huge progress. I'll maybe try running longer than enough to make the light next week. I was there at opening time (no line, but someone came in immediately after me). I got the Pistache Chocolat to go. Then I used Marunouchi Line to go to Ginza 6 to get Printemps from Origines Cacao and then I went home by train. I still found that the raspberry rolled off the Printemps, but it was in better shape generally than last time by bicycle.

These are both recent cakes that I worried I might have labeled as great without sufficient cause, but the first result of this first-round cake-off is that I still feel that both bring something special, so they pass that hurtle. I felt like Printemps brought slightly more complexity, or maybe I was just enjoying the white chocolate more, so it gets the win. Printemps is obviously a seasonal cake, but it's relatively recent, so I hope it can stick around a couple weeks to get in a second-round at least. I know Pistache Chocolat, and anyway F Cassel has a cake that has been waiting for an opponent and it lost its first-round, so I'm planning to do another cake-off tomorrow (so no cake-off next Saturday) for those two. I'm sure Hilltop will think it same to see me again for the same cake, but so it goes. I might manage fourth new cake them before they close, but really, except for that, three other shops would be my priority, and I wouldn't get back there next week in time.

For further exercise, I made my third attempt at the Akasaka--Azabudai--Roppongi--Toranomon loop and finally got it (as well as reviewing after two previous attempt, the sun up was probably helpful, though it still took a long time to find a way of crossing by bicycle as easily as the main bridge. A couple coffee shops are gone, but I added a couple Japanese confectionery shops.

Paris S'éveille: Menton

Sunday, I finally got, by bicycle, the new cake at Paris S'éveille, the Menton. They were busy to the point of asking someone to wait outside, but the tables were not full, so I could eat in. This is a very light lemon cake. The top is lemon flavored milk foam, but the inside is a very dry, very aerie meringue (or something similar) with space for some more lemon (compote or something; I still don't have those kinds of things straight in my head), but nothing to overpower the milk foam, so fairly milk tasting. I'm into stronger cakes, but can allow that this was excellent.

Afterward, I went to Dalloyau. I hadn't had any pastries the previous week, so I decided to make up for it by having my first pastry-off. My favorite shop for pastry is Fraoula, so I was looking for a match for their Croissant d'Almonde. I was open for an orange pastry, but Dalloyau didn't seem to know what I was talking about. My previous pastry purchases were mainly from the Mitsukoshi counter, and there may have been changes since the Ginza shop was closed. The other great pastry I've had from Dalloyau is their Croissant, which I've had more than once. But when I tried it this time, it seemed rather ordinary. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and say it was excellent, so Fraoula wins the first pastry-off. There is no reward other than staying on the extremely short list of great pastries.

On the way, I ventured to grab a few pictures of sites along planned future parts of the neighborhood course. Hadn't known about this school/restaurant? They have a Tabelog entry, but there is only one comment, from 6 years ago, and no pictures, which I've never encountered. The homepage link gives an error message in Chinese and the Facebook page posts are from 2014. Maybe it really is just someone's house now.

Le Pommier, Saint-honoré

Sunday was no cake, but I did take the full walk to Jiyuugaoka, where I got from Paris S'éveille both their Croissant d'Almonde and their, Pain au Chocolat. It was somewhat greedy, but I'm trying to get my sample count up there and they keep not offering me no new cakes. I took the train back, not trying to tempt fate, but my feet seemed (and still seem) fine. I ate the Croissant d'Almonde first, and thought it was excellent; the important point was the almond liquor taste. I can say that the Pain au Chocolat was also excellent, though not distinctive. Fortunately, neither of these was heavy relative to their type, so it was not too much after a couple-hour walk. They've still got a few things in the pastry family, as well as lots of other things in the shop, so I'll be back there again this month. Also, I ran about 1 km later, which also worked out fine.

Monday, I got a third cake from Le Pommier, who were still at Isetan (and again the top guy was there taking my order, so he recognized me as having been there last week). I decided to go traditional and got the Saint-honoré.  Before having my cake, I did a couple errants and ran about 2 km total, which seemed to be fine. Compared to other versions, this had a lot of whipped cream and less custards and small chou balls. Also, the crust was flakier than usual. It worked well and was excellent, so my upgrading them from good to quite good was justified. I noticed in revising my spreadsheet lately that the latter category is actually larger than the former and almost double the intended size. This is because I have I lot of two-cake shops (one good cake and one excellent cake) that could go either way, but this group isn't high enough priority for me to need to take care of that yet. But I would like to find a few to fill out the excellent group.

Limevert: Pruneau

For my long run of the week, I went over to Limevert again, taking a longer path of going south to the middle of Aoyama Cemetary before heading west to Roppongi Ave and then over to my usual route down to Old Oyamate Ave. (though I took the southern branch for some reason) and then down to follow Meguro River northwest and then the green path to Umegaoka, and from there along the train line.

I ate in again (obviously) and got chocolate again, this time Pruneau (580 yen) according to the French, but the Japanese name seems to be phonetic for "Brick" (though wrote down "Buritta": hard to write those cards). This is a couple solid chocolate sticks on top, then cocoa powder, chocolate mousse, chocolate cream, a little unlisted chocolate sponge (probably for cohesion), chocolate ganache, and finally a feuillantine base for crunch. I'm not completely confident, but I'm going to say it was great and look forward to testing that in the future.

From there, I went back a different route so I could stop by at Fraoula because I had overlooked that theirs was the first cake I rated here as great, so I should have started with them (I was greedy back then and had two great cakes on that day). Unfortunately, though they were happy to see me again, it seems to be something that they make on an irregular schedule. They offered to give me a call when they made it next, but my schedule is a little more complicated than that and I don't mind stopping in occasionally. I bought there Croissant d'Almonde, which was great. It is the soft kind, maybe with almond syrup, but the powered sugar definitely was part of the appeal for me. More than for cakes, this is a quite excellent place for the few pastry they make, so I need to get there more often just for that, though I'm not sure whether I've missed anything at this point.