Origines Cacao, Forêt Noire

As a substitute for a superb shop that Origines Cacao is challenging, I got another cake from there. This time I really did rest from running by going by bicycle, which is not much of a workout. I should have done indoor exercises too, but I was too hungry. There were only three regular kinds of cake left and some glass desserts that might qualify as verrines, but I did not need to go there as I've never had their standard Forêt Noire, because I don't generally like forêt-noires (Black Forest cake). However, I found that it's not actually a forêt-noire, its just chocolate cake with lots of cream and chocolate cream, which is really weird (the name refers to the the cherry liquor that this doesn't), though only the same way that "short cake" isn't made with short cake, though that's true in my American cookbook as well. It's a simple cake, and cheap (only 400 yen), but good. Origines Cacao has enough of a history of great cakes (all but one never seen again) that it remains at the top of the quite exceptional shops, scoring above all the superb shops, but based on a lot fewer cakes (always an advantage).

Friday: La Vieille France (at Isetan)

I did not choose the shop or cake, nor was I even there, which is why one of my "unworthy" shops is appearing here, La Vieille France. Not that I'm shocked: the cake that was so bad from them had such a specific taste that I assumed it was intended and anyway I trust that most shops could make excellent cake, if that was their market (there must be a market for not excellent cake, because there is so much of it).

The first cake I sampled was a chocolate cake, selected for me. I don't know the name, but it looks like a Valentine's Day variation of the Forêt Noire on their website, which does not have little heart. Also, I was told that the red fruit was strawberry, versus cherries, which is true as far as I could taste and would win me over to choosing Forêt Noire for myself. There is cream on top with chocolate pieces, layers of soft sponge cake, layers of chocolate cream, I think, and a little strawberry in there, as I already indicated. Most of these are things that I don't want much of in a cake, but they do work together and the strawberry (or whatever it is) definitely is the right touch to make this a definitely good piece of cake, versus just okay.

Next was the Savarin, which I've found going back is 481 yen. It's definitely good, but I'm not an expert on this type and it did not stand out among the good ones that I've had.

La Vieille France: Cube a la Vanille

The last cake was the Cube a la Vanille, which was excellent if you like vanilla, which I do. This is 540 yen (at least at Isetan).

Since these cakes were all good or better, I'm raising my rating of the shop to "Good" on the map. Not near to me, so no reason to give them further extra attention.