Paris S'éveille: Un Dimanche à Paris

Did a run down to Paris S'éveille on this cold evening. My actual time (versus trying to measure just running time) was under 70 min, which was enough to get there before they closed, although they had only one the 3 fresh cakes that I'm aware of them having, and not my first choice. I got the Un Dimanche à Paris, which I avoided until now because it has chocolate, I think (reading the handwritten script on knee-level cards through glass is not something I want to do or really remember after a long run).

I had originally though I would run back, on the principle that I need to burn off some of those weekend calories, but though it would be stupid to weaken myself too much running long at night (the flu is bad this year year) and also that I'm worried about the affect on my arms of running long distances carrying cake, so I used the train to come back.

As it happens the cake was quite good. It's more caramel than chocolate and goes well with the pineapple and the coconut gave me no trouble (there was not really much that might have been coconut flakes, and that was in backed meringue, so not the same as raw coconut, which I don't want). This represented a different cake than my usual favorites, so I'm willing to say that it's great.

I also ran Monday to cover my mistakes in Akasaka from my last long run, which was only half as a long a run, but hillier. Jumping back, my run today, rather than my recent custom of going down the Jinguumae shopping street to cross through Omotesando, it occurred to me that my old route making a direct run south to Aoyama-dori was much more level and probably faster for that reason. I still shouldn't have crossed to the south side of the street until after Omotesando-dori, but I'll have to remember that for next time. For desert, I had gotten a Pain au Chocolat from Cacahouète at Isetan, and it was good, but it's hard to get very fresh pastries after work, even more than cake maybe, so I'm not sure whether I'll continue with the current habit. I might keep the pasties (two a week) and the running for them, but defer getting them until the weekend, when they are fresh.

Paris S'éveille: Tarte Fruits Rouge

I realized a little while back that I was actually one short of my target number of fresh cakes for Paris S'éveille and finally got around to going there. Using the route I choose, it is around 11 1/3 km and 80 m of climbing and descending each way. Going out, I was on the high side of 10 km/h, which is not the fastest I've gone, but pretty good for lately. Unfortunately, I'll still getting there pretty late, so I did not find any new cakes. Of the familiar cakes that I haven't tried yet, I choose the Tarte Fruits Rouge (I think the card said), which did not excite me much, but I figured would be better for me than the Opera or the coffee tonka bean tart, since coffee makes me ill. There is also a revamped version of the Everest, so I should probably review my review of that and see whether I can tell how different the new one is; maybe it's worth trying.

Going back was a similar distance, of course, and I was less in a hurry, so only 9 km/h. It rained a little, but I was prepared to double bag the cake box and had a jacket with a hood if I had needed it.

The tart was actually an excellent tart and reminded me that I don't mind an excellent tart now and then. Sorry, I forgot to set the camera for "flowers" so that it can deal with cake close-ups. Still another week and a half before I get the new phone with the good camera, when I'll have to learn all over again about the settings. Should be a little better than these, though.


I should say that Tuesday I ran without cake, and without even a pastry. I might use that as an excuse to get another cookie from JPH some time (I owe them for a cake-off win). I was doing my culture and cake shop local neighbor runs and managed the first two okay (583 m at 10 km/h and 2.72 km at 9 km/h, with two passes over the pedestrian bridge) but still have not completed the third one (I assume that I ran about 9 km/h, so it would have been another 3.7 km, but I'm not going to waste my time measuring the length directly, even though I know exactly where I went) without making wrong turns (granted, I keep adjusting the route, but I can only blame one mis-turn on that this time). Maybe tomorrow I'll finally make it through to the end, though it will be in the rain. I should also say that I went out in the morning and took some photos of some of the points of interest on the route, so eventually when I get organized and caught up on other postings I'm explicitly post the map with the photos and some comments.

Paris S'éveille: Éclair d'Été

Did a run down to Paris S'éveille in Jiyugaoka, to complete my sweep of the three Superb-level patisserie. It was really not (I learned that, technically, Paris S'éveille should open at 5 a.m., but maybe they can argue that's when they start baking). I started off at 10 km/h for at least the first 4 km, which was fast for the heat and not having warmed up much (I got up late, and intended to stretch when I was stopped waiting to cross a street, which I did), and then slowed down but still ended up on the 10 km/h side of the actual ~9.5 km/h. It was ~11 km long and I took the train back, not only for the cake but because I was scheduled to picked up my new bicycle (which I should take a picture of and post, before it gets stolen) at noon, not that they probably cared when I was going to actually show up.

I only had one choice for a new cake, Éclair d'Été, though I suppose I could have gotten the new version of Everest (it's oval instead of circular, but maybe that's the only different). As usual after running, and because I would not remember anyway, I didn't read the card, so I'm not actually sure what is in it, but obviously it's an éclair and it's got chocolate as the main component (and whipped cream), and some sort of fruit in the middle, so the question is, what is the fruit: I can't even tell from the dried fruit bits on top, so it maybe be something exotic, but my best guess of the moment is grapefruit. It was mild and tropical but too tart to be orange although not really all the way over to lemon or yuzu. Maybe pineapple is equally likely; it does not have the usual pineapple taste, but then I did not recognize the distinctive grapefruit taste, either. In any case, it fits with this cake and this is definitely excellent, so I'm pleased.

I went over to Isetan to see whether they had the same new cakes at Sadaharu Aoki as at Tokyo Midtown, which they did, and I got greedy and bought some bread at Andersen. The new thing is the Denmark Roll, which is sort of halfway between a usual roll and a cookie, in terms of texture and shape. It as icing, so of course it is good, and it was pretty cheap, maybe 120 yen.

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Paris S'éveille: Tarte au Yuzu et Citron Vert

In response to their win of Friday's cake-off, I visited Paris S'éveille for something new and got Tarte au Yuzu et Citron Vert (600 yen). In terms of taste, it's definitely good, with a nice balance of citrus flavors, but in terms of construction, it seems overly delicate to work as a cake. I would prefer this taste with something more bike-sized (and not stuck to cardboard, which is inconvenient for eating). It's a nice little tart for the season, with tea, I suppose, but not something I'm terribly interested in. Still a superb shop with several great cakes which have done well in cake-offs.

On the way back, I visited Les Cacaos, which had about the same selection as when last I visited, which is fine and good to know for a cake-off. I also stopped at the Trek store by Roppongi Hills, since my current bike is heavy and has a slightly bent front wheel, a broken shifter cable (so it's now a one-speed), and rust various other places (besides the shifter cable). Today was it's last ride outside of Shinjuku, I think, but it's still usable for local shopping. Probably will get the Trek FX 3, 2018 model.

Paris S'éveille: Mistral

Changed my Sunday from going to a new place to going to Paris S'éveille for a new cake. I was thinking of going to a new place, since I hadn't visited one for a week, but then I decided that places should remain new until I catch them up to other shops of the same level, in terms of numbers of fresh cakes. Since I'm still doing that with Eclat des Jour, I'm covered.

I did some more exploring of new paths at the beginning (adding maybe half a kilometer and not really finding anything I want to use, though going into Meiji Gaien might still be worth it to stay off the main road longer) and then used the route under Old Yamanote Road that I was on yesterday to do the short path including it, which included part of the route into Gakegei Daigaku Station and avoiding the randomness of my route past Nakameguro Station. It was over 12 km, but just barely closer to 9 km/h than 8 km/h. It's been a while since my knees were sore at the beginning. There will be a 30 hour rest before the next run, so hopefully that will be enough to cover and I won't have to take an actual rest day (again, greed is the issue).

They had a couple new cakes that the "Chef" recommended that looked good, but they also had Mistral, which seems like something I've seen before but not posted on, at least. This is a pâte sucrée chocolate base, with a biscuit biscuit, lavender Bavarian cream, chocolate coating, and the fruit is black currant and blackberry, plus there is wine, though I forget the details. It all works together and of course I like chocolate, so I thought it was excellent.

(FSa) Cake-off: Paris S'éveille's "Monsieur Arnaud" over Clair de Lune's "Chocolatine"

Friday, I went cake-less and ran to Toshi Yoroizuka in Kyobashi and got their Chocolat Croissant (350 yen) as a snack. The run was about 6 km out at 9 km/h and 5 km back at 8 km/h, as it was hot and I was still tired from Thursday and thought I would need some energy for Saturday, more than expected, as it turned out. Besides the chocolate, the croissant had orange confit, which was nice. I would say that it was excellent. The colors of the tables outside the building, though, are are not a good background.

For Saturday, the plan from the beginning was a cake-off between Monsieur Arnaud from Paris S'éveille and something. Originally, I had been thinking of the Marjolaine from nearby Au Bon Vieux Temps, but going in order and matching ingredients, actually Le Piemont from L'abricotier should be next, and since it seemed just not hot enough for that to be reasonable, I went with it. However, I was getting a late start, so I probably should have struck at least to a direct course rather than wandering, though I did not add that much distance and did go down a couple streets (not new, but not used recently) that might be better that those of what has become the standard route. Fortunately, it did not add much to the 12 km route. It was still pretty hot, so only 8 km/h. On the way, as other times, I noticed at least they've been working on preparation of the new national stadium, although the picture is not wide enough to show the full breadth of the site.

Because of the late start, by the time I got to L'abricotier, they were sold out of what I wanted (or at least I assumed so, since they were low on everything and there was no placeholder card for the Le Piemont, though I probably should have asked). Of course, at this point I was regretting not having gone to Au Bon Vieux Temps when it was convenient, as well as not just putting off the cake-off until Sunday, when I had the morning free (greed is a problem). I had not planned the course, but it was faster to go straight to Clair de Lune from L'abricotier than to go home first, so I tried that, though I went about half a kilometer out of my way up along Nakano Road when the light went against me (I ended up following Seibu Shinjuku Line east until I met up with New Mejiro Road, taking that until passing Tokyo Dome and then following the usual route).

At Clair de Lune, I wanted Chocolatine, though I had already decided that if they did not have it, I would give up and get something else for today and save the Monsieur Arnaud for tomorrow (it looked like it could take a wait). It too seemed to be sold out, but the card was still there, so I asked. They were still making things in the back (which is just a meter from the front, being a tiny place) and as it happened, they were just finishing some more Chocolatine. This second leg of the run took 22 km (still at 8 km/h, but at least it cooled somewhat and started raining, which I didn't mind).

As for the actual cake-off, the Chocolatine is a standard mousse chocolate cake with pistachio cream in the middle and I can't remember what I thought was great about it other than the service. Still, I can call it excellent. The Monsieur Arnaud has a hazelnut biscuit with a nutty crunch on top, chocolate cream and solid chocolate, all things I like very much and put together well in this cake, so I can see why I thought it was great and was happy to have it again.

Cake-off: Sadaharu Aoki's "Valencia" over Paris S'éveille's "Fig Orange"

Had a medium run of 21 km visited various shops to see first hand what their June selection is. The main block (more than 12 km) was just getting to Limevert, for which I won't again demonstrated to myself that I shouldn't try to follow Google's route, because all the streets around Umegaoka are just too random. That was 9 km/h, although the remaining part seemed to be 10 km/h (guess the sports drink was more effective than I expected). Trying a back way between Ryoura and Bigarreaux, though you can't tell well from the picture, there is a reasonably large garden tucked inside this residential area. I went by a block-sized orchard as well (400 yen per 1 km, the sign said, I think, but not sure for what), but that was probably on the other (northwest) side of Ryoura.

Following south from Bigarreaux, the road briefly becomes quite nice, though that is not that surprising for the neighborhood, which is relative upscale. The run ended at Paris S'éveille, where I procured Fig Orange for my cake-off and then took the train to Isetan to get Valencia from Sadaharu Aoki. The Fig Orange is a pretty solid cake, so it probably could have survived further running, but as I've complained before, I've been over doing it this week, so I stuck to the plan of not running that part. Tomorrow I may do 42 km by bicycle, without buying cake to prepare for the next cake-off (as early as Tuesday). 

Unfortunately, I was not feeling the greatness of the Fig Orange. It's heavy on the fig, which is fine in general, and just plain heavy, which I guess I was just not as into as the previous time. The Valencia is the orange version of their standard layered cake with cream, chocolate, nuts, ..., and the formula works and is still great, as far as I can tell, so they take this match-up.

Paris S'éveille: Fondant Chocolat

Yesterday, I had to work late, so I did a cake-shop-less training run. This time, it was an actual training routine, not just a person challenge: I ran slow (9 km/h) about 1.5 km then about as fast as I could for 1 km (>13.5 km/h), then walked for about 3 minutes and ran as fast as I could again for 1 km (just short of 13.0 km/h). Then, without a break, I jogged at the slow speed again for about 7.5 km. This is supposed to train the body to burn fat more efficiently, which is important for long-distance running because you'll run out of stored sugar if your body can't burn fat at your running speed (it can't generally burn fat when you run too fast, but what counts as too fast depends on training). It was a good run: I did the speed part at the Gaien course and then sort of followed the green stop signals, intending to do a lap around Akasaka Palace but instead doing a lap around Aoyama Cemetery, which is nice on the east side, not so much on the south side, and then just sort of isolated on the west side. As a substitute for fresh cake, I made canelé again. Now that I have the recipe right for my molds and oven, I varied it by using brown sugar (and accidentally a little too much rum), but I think I should stick with regular granular sugar, though it does not matter much except for the color. My next variation will be to lower the temperature and cook them longer, as the middle is very soft, which I like, but I'd like to see what my other options are.

Today, I could leave work on time, so I could go down to Paris S'éveille as planned (Monday's planned shop is closed today, so I'm shifting that to Wednesday, if nothing comes up). I couldn't speed through Omotesando so well this time, though I did make one difficult light, as I was still tired. But I could do the about 11 km each-way run at 10 km/h down and 9 km/h back without pushing too hard in general, so it was okay. I worked on a smoother pace so I don't wear out my hip from the impact on long runs, like I did in my recent failed 50 km attempt. I chose Fondant Chocolat (450 yen), which borders on being a baked good/pastry, but I know it's good and the unblogged "cake" alternative was a fruit tart that I'm not optimistic about (if/when I eventually get it, I should eat in or at least eat it in the neighboring park area, as it definitely doesn't look like it would travel well). I ran it home and microwaved it 20 seconds, as recommended. The inside is essentially thick chocolate sauce/cream, with only a relatively thin outside baked layer. It is great and I would not be afraid to pair it against other great chocolate cakes.

Cake-off: "Le Suprême" over "Miroir Cassis"

Saturday, I did a two-part run, first up to Aigre-Douce to get Miroir Cassis, that I have an ambiguous "great" report on, so I wanted to resolve that. I had forgotten how poorly their bags fix their boxes, so that it's impossible to keep them level. To make matters worse, they put cool packs both inside and outside the box, both on the back, so it would take a pretty well fitted bag to keep it from flipping over. Needless to say, it was pretty banged up from trip home, which was longer than necessary. Next time (I'm planning to go back Thursday), I'm taking a route that sticks to main (straight and relatively level) and bring a good back that I can repack in, as needed. This was about 11 km, with slightly more of that 10 km/h versus 9 km/h.

The second run was to Paris S'éveille for Le Suprême. This has blueberry and chocolate, so I wasn't sure what to match it with anyway, which was why I paired it up with Miroir Cassis, which is at least fruit. This is a mousse cake, though, and they advised me to get it home within 1 hour, which running wasn't going to accomplish to I used the train. At least I saved myself the cost of the sports drink that I would have needed to run back, though the front chocolate sheet stuck to the box and broke when I pried it loose. I varied my running route just because I knew I would cycle the next day and most of my route would otherwise be the same as Thurday's, so that added about another kilometer, to make it about 12 km at 10 km/h.

It was a pretty lopsided contest. My original estimation that Miroir Cassis was not great, and I'm not sure that it even qualifies as excellent, though the texture is good, I appreciate the mini macarons, and the fruit taste is nice. But Le Suprême is rich and blue berries provides an uncommon accent. So, in recognition, I also need to get back to Paris S'éveille.

I should also mention that Friday I tried Henri le Roux's Noir Signature tablette bar/tablet, which was definitely excellent, though I'm comparing to months-old imported chocolate from the grocery. I haven't had other chocolatier tablette chocolate for quite awhile.

Paris S'éveille: Poire Caramel

Did my long weekday run, maybe the longest I've done between two full work days (assuming I make it to work tomorrow). It was about 22 km round trip to Jiyugaoka, a fast 11 km/h out and a deliberately slow 9 km/h back with a Poire Caramel (ポワール　キャラメル; 600 yen), which is my 17th kind of fresh cake from Paris S'éveille. It's a fruit dome and the fruit has much of its texture, so it is not just gel, but the caramel was too subtle for me (in Bavarian cream, though maybe other places; I carefully read the description, but time and running wipes it away), so it was just like eating fruit, good fruit, but still just fruit, and running for fruit doesn't much interest me. Still, I consider this a superb shop and I want more from there eventually.

Cake-off: Théatre over Quartette

 Today was a winding, not particularly in control run (in terms of route) from shop to shop, though relatively short for a weekend run.

First I went to Fraoula, where they still did not have the cake I wanted.

Then I stopped by La Base Secrète du GAMIN, to see whether they had actual had cake, which they did have, a little of, so I guess I'll try them as a weekday run some time, if I can find a route I can keep track of (which today's wasn't). I was about 1 hour in, so I tried their Pain au Chocolat (350 yen), which was mille-feuille-type, though still fairly soft in the middle, which I think means less butter and more flour, though I've yet to make this kind of pastry. It was excellent.

Then I managed to get to Rue de Passy without overshooting too much and verified that they had the cake that I would have paired against Fraoula's, so now I know.

Then I went to Origines Cacao, where they still didn't have the first great cake I was looking for of theirs, but I forgot about the second one I was looking for. Still no customers there, but they were announcing reopening in Ginza, in Ginza Six, so I hope that works out.

I then verified that Paris S'éveille had the cake I needed before proceeding to Au Bon Vieux Temps to get Quartette, which required standing in an actual line for the first time there (more than a dozen deep, when I left, but about half that when I arrived, but slow). Mostly, people were buying little baked cakes and cookies of the gift type, which involves conversations about how many of different things they need, in how many boxes or bags, and how long they are fresh for. So it took a while.

Back at Paris S'éveille, the line for cake was not so long, but there was a long line at the register and they to had relatively more people buying gift-type package items (in the area were they usually have little baked cakes, they had packaged macaron sets). There are three possibilities: noon to 1 pm is a terrible time to go, so everywhere that isn't a creepy second-floor shop on the farthest edge of the shopping street is super busy (probably always true); White Day is coming up on Tuesday, so people are buying things, although it wasn't just men buying and they were not buying white chocolate; today is the 6-year anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear reactor disaster, and people are sending gifts to friends and family in that region (I've never heard of such a custom, but that is the topic of the day, and if people were visiting people in a consolatory visit, these would be the kind of gifts that they would need).

Took the train back, because my experience with Quartette (as well as some other Au Bon Vieux Temps cakes) is that it's melty. So today it was about 17.5 km at an average speed of 9 km/h. I'll probably run a little farther Sunday, but not that much, so I'll have a good deal of running budget for Monday thru Friday.

The cake-off this time was easy to decide: Theatre is great but I couldn't see what was special about Quartette, though it was still good. They are both chocolate, although more so Theatre, which also has some crunch, whereas Quartette includes some white chocolate, but is just creamy (supposedly it's mousse, but it's not fluffy). In the past, the richness of Quartette impressed me, but I wasn't feeling it today.

Origines Cacao: Bacchus

As planned, I did not run this weekend. Instead, I baked a new cake recipe that I had been collecting ingredients for and did my first cycling for a long time. My knee seems to be okay for it.

The ride was out to Jiyugaoka to Origines Cacao to check whether they are "near-great" and ended up being about a 26 km round trip. I timed the first part was doing about 14 km/h, trying to go the equivalent of a walk as far as effort. It gives me a benchmark. Supposedly wind resistance makes speeding up on a bicycle more difficult for running, which I don't know how I'll handle, but I'm treating this as the equivalent of one-fourth the 7 km/h running distance, as far as my budget (I'm rescaling my budget to 7 km/h running from 6 km/h walking, though that information is not so useful to anyone else).

At Origines Cacao, I struggled to find something that looked good that I hadn't had, so I went with the promoted new one, Bacchus, for 594 yen, which is a chocolate cake with cognac and apricot. It's good, being layers of soft sponge with liquor and chocolate frosting, but maybe because chocolate layer cake is too much like what I've had plenty of in the US, it's not really so exciting. Sorry, it was so bright, I couldn't see what I was taking a picture of (and I forgot the shop again, as usual).

This is not the cake I'm looking for, so Origines Cacao goes back in the "excellent" list. That only leaves me five near-greats, whereas I wanted at least doubt the great, of which currently I have four, although if Dalloyau dropped a level, that would work out, so I keep working on the bottom of the near-greats until I get them up to where I want (half the number of cakes of the greats) before I try to update them.

At least the croissant from Au Bon Vieux Temps was excellent. They have delicious looking baked goods, but I don't think I've gotten anything before.

I also got another chocolate from Henri le Roux on Saturday, Madagascar: This was was excellent too.

Learned/got experience with a lot in my last cake attempt, Essor, I think it's called (I don't have the page with the real French name, just the phonetic Japanese). There was nothing that I did well, but I got the general idea about several parts. The result was pretty ugly, so no photos and I ate the evidence.

Essor has two layers of hazelnut biscuit, which was okay, but a little underdone because I used an upside-down tart form on top of a silicon mat because I don't have a 14.4 cm diameter round Flexipan (nor am I able to find out how I could get one, since even the company doesn't list that size, though it would probably would be about 5000 yen, which is more than I want to pay). For the (gelatin) hazelnut Bavarian cream disk, I completely failed to whipped up the cream, and splattered most of it around the kitchen: the new balloon whisk with the new mixer is proving difficult to use. However, it tasted good, and wasn't overly gummy (though would be different with more and proper whipped cream). This time I needed a 12.5 cm Flexipan (also unavailable), so I used a right-side-up one with some plastic wrap, which was a little leaky but worked well enough. The　(gelatin) orange concentrate and liquor layer, whose phonetic French name I can't figure out besides the orange part, really didn't like my substitute for the 12.5 cm Flexipan and broke into pieces when I tried to separate it from the form bottom (also, I had to boil down my first attempt and try again, as the gelatin and concentrate separated during freezing). This was gummy and too strong to sample by itself, but actually was fine in the cake, except for being ugly. Finally, I had to submerge/embed these layers in creme chocolat-blanc d'orange, again with a little gelatin; I tried chilling everything, but still had a splatter problem, so I did it by hand and didn't whip it enough (I don't really know what 6-minute whip looks like). The 15 cm ring form, which I did buy, leaked, but that might be due to the cream being too thin. It formed a solid cake okay and was good, though I'm not really that interested in cake that tastes that orange, so I won't be trying this again. I still have some orange concentrate, but maybe I'll use it and the liquor for macaron filling. Very educational, though. Now I just need to learn to whip cream, since it's half the next cake, Gateau Fraise.

Mont St. Clair: Mont St. Clair (Isetan exclusive)

Let's start with the cake: I made a mistake and got the Mont St. Clair from Mont St. Clair, which is an advertised Isetan exclusive this week. It is also coffee buttercream with a layer of coffee gelatin, which is as vile as it sounds (to those who do not like coffee, although the gelatin looked nasty up close even before I tasted it) and 582 yen. It's my mistake, so I can't blame them, but I do not trust them for having more than one cake with coffee in it on display, which makes me doubt that they are the shop for me. Still, I should give them another chance while they are at Isetan, since Jiyugaoka is a tough distance for me right now and I haven't posted anything else on them.

The running was okay. It was relatively crowded at Meiji Gaien with people going faster than me in groups, including sight-limited people running with guides, who I often see there, and no where else. It was raining a little, but not unpleasantly. Walked 1.7 km, ran 4 km, with 1.5 of that at 8 km/s and the rest at 7 km/m, alternating first 100 m and then 200 m and once 300 m, although it was hard not to go too slow or too fast, respectively: I need a bigger difference for real interval training, but I'm still just trying just slowly increase minimum speed running.

In fairness, I should also review my own cake. This is number 4 for my exploration of nut biscuit based cakes, Fraise aux Roses. Actually, the pictured one has been frozen once, the strawberries were frozen to begin with (when I made it), and the butter cream was not that fresh by the time I got around to assembling it, although it did not turn out to be had hard except for using a lot of bowls (I need more mixing bowls).

I don't recommend this cake because the jelly topping, which is delicious and sort of simple, dominates, so you can't really taste the pistachio biscuit (and pistachio powder is triple the cost of almond powder, and pistachio paste is double that), even though it is about twice as thick as it should be. I couldn't really taste the rose from the rose buttercream (which was pretty delicious to begin with and still seemed okay yesterday, when I took this picture) and I substituted cherry liqueur for rose liqueur in the imbibage (syrup for spreading on the cake), because I had a deadline and didn't want to search any more. I make these cakes mostly to learn about the process and the components, so I'm not so disappointed that I'll probably never want to make it again. The next one is even more gelatinous, so I need to get some real cake forms or kludge a really short version using my 14 cm tart forms again.

Also, I've figured out the timing to get my mini-canelé made with the silicone mold nice and brown uniformly without burning the bottoms (tops when baking). Now I have to figure out if that's the way I really like these and try buttering the sides more.  Unlike with the metal brioche forms I was using, no trouble getting these out, but not as chewy on the outside from butter and they have a higher surface-area to volume, so I actually be using more butter rather than less, I think. Of course, I could try beeswax, but I'm not ready to go there yet.

Morning: walking to Paris S'éveille for Peche Verveine and Gâteau Basque

Walked to Paris S'éveille. I figured I could do the round trip at 5 km/h or one-way at 6 km/h, but settled for 1.5 of the way at 5.5 km/h (16 km total), which puts me exactly at my target budget for walking, but I'll need to rest tomorrow, which I should anyway after a long day today.

At Paris S'éveille, I got a Gâteau Basque for 450 yen, which I ate almost immediately, and a Peche Verveine (?) for 600 yen, which I took by train to Shibuya (where you have to switch lines) and then walked from there home (well, the 100 yen food shop first).

The Gâteau Basque, which is not fresh cake, so I treat it as a pastry, was good but nothing special. This one was just pastry cream as filling (which is custard) rather than fruit.

The peach doom didn't travel well. I really should have gotten the Fondant (really: I need some excuse to go back and get the Fondant). It's sort of like somewhat gelatinized peach sauce on top of, I'm not sure what, a smaller cream dome on a thin spongy cake base. It was good, but I'd rather have good peach jam on an English muffin.

So this bumps Paris S'éveille from "Great" = "Must try every one" status, leaving just four great shops: Jean Paul Hevin, which has the all-chocolate thing going for it, as well as lots of great cakes, Frédéric Cassel, which limits its variations, Henri le Roux, which has only four cakes, only one of which is definitively a cake (the other three are a couple pie-type pastries and a mousse), and Dalloyau, which is just barely hanging in there which its variations as I sample the last least-promising cakes. I've already calculated what the 9 semi-great shops from among the "Excellent" ones are, but I'll continue filling out the third cake from each of "Excellent?" category shops before I make the split. I've got about 5 more of those to visit.

Tried a picture of the shop and one of a temple, neither of which I was happy with. Frankly, there's so much glare, I can barely tell what I'm taking of picture with when I use my phone. Might upgrade to a smart phone, which might involve a better camera, but I should probably just take more shots to sort through and think harder about the framing and lighting (I least thought enough to avoid a worse picture in each case).

Paris S'éveille: L'Oasis and Bostock

Walked 5 km/h to Jiyugaoka (maybe faster/too fast at first) to visit Paris S'éveille, where I got L'Oasis for 580 yen and a Bostock for 350 yen.

L'Oasis is whipped cream with orange and mascarpone cheese with more orange in a layer in the middle inside just a few millimeters of cake wrapped around (for transport, they put a cylinder of rigid plastic around it). Did not expect much from this combination, but was surprised: this was definitely excellent.

First time for their Bostock. It's not double-baked, so very soft and with a strong (for bostock I've had) liquor taste. Also excellent.

Forgot to photo shop again, but walked back 4 stations to get to a Metro line (checking walking endurance & saving money by avoiding Tokyu train line), so took a picture from far end of Meguro (? versus Naka-Meguro) Ginza Street, the shopping street leading to Naka-Meguro Station.

Paris S'éveille, Savarin

Took too long a walk to Jiyugaoka and back (especially too long, because there was a lot of meandering from about Nakamekuro there Omotesando, ultimately to no purpose, but I got home okay).

The trip started out with running 2 min to walking 1 min, running 40 min total this time at what I think was a 7-8 min/km pace. In this heat, I don't need to run much faster than that, since I started about noon because I was busy in the morning.

The cake was Savarin, because I've had most of their regular cakes, and anyway this actually sounded okay for me today. As anywhere, they careful warned me that there was a lot of alcohol in it. I've yet to say "I hope so", I just tell them that it's okay. This was 600 yen. It's pretty big, maybe 10 cm across, and was quite fine. Obviously, there seems to be whipped cream on top with almond slices and I'm not sure what, some sort of dried fruit, as well as cake well soaked in sugar and rum, and I'm not sure whether there is a little custard on the bottom or it was just whipped cream had that ended up on the bottom and picked up some rum on the way that stained it a little brown. It's still not my favorite cake, but this seemed to be excellent as Savarin go and I don't regret getting it instead of something else.

Paris S'éveille: Saint Honoré Praliné Yuzu

Decided that walking would be better for my knee for walking, so I walked to Paris S'éveille, which is perhaps longer than last weekend, although I only walked one way and came by a train, since it is hot and I had chocolate for making cake. I definitely was walking farther at a strong pace. Tomorrow I'll perhaps throw in a little running and do more total distance.

At Paris S'éveille, I got cake for takeout, so I could take a picture (and also for ice for my leg, although I didn't need it so much), but then went and ate it nearby on a bench in the Kuhonbutsu River Green Way, which passes in front of it (although in the stretch on the other side of the tracks). I had forgotten where I had put my card with my previous cakes written on it, but I knew I had never had the Saint Honoré Praliné Yuzu, for 620 yen (I also knew that I had never had anything that came in a glass, which I find hard to recognize as cake, but I wasn't sure about which of the tarts I had had). I've never had a saint-honoré before, probably because I didn't regard choux as cake. For my expectation, and giving the shop the benefit of the doubt, this was excellent and I feel more comfortable about ordering saint-honoré elsewhere. The taste was pretty much as advertised, with the yuzu and praliné combining fine.

Paris S'eveille: Monsieur Arnaud

I went a not very direct (at least at the beginning) route down to Jiyugaoka by bicycle. First I went to Cuoca, got some 7.5 cm brioche forms (I may finally have enough, although maybe not for cheesecake pie tartlets, which might require 18), some carob powder (I'm curious abut carob brownies), and cacao mass (usually I substitute powder in brownies without replacing the missing fat and like the results, but my fudge brownies are completely unfudgie, at least until I start substituting in almond powder for flour; in short, I'm not good about following recipes and it's not because I know better).

Then I went to Paris S'éveille to have great cake, which I was successful at. I got the Monsieur Arnaud for 650 yen + 8% tax and hot Choco a l'Orange for 760 yen + 8%. The drink was good, although not necessary (actually, buying a drink might have been necessary to eat in and they are all about the same level of priciness). The cake is chocolate cream on top of and between probably milk chocolate above a hazelnut base. The bottom of he base is definitely baked cake (with hazelnut power), then the middle of the base has large pieces of nuts, but there was another praline layer on top that probably has a specific technical name, but I don't know enough, even if I throw out terms sometimes when someone provides them in a description. This great cake has some similarities to recent chocolate cakes from other great stores that I referred to as almost chocolate bar like maybe, but this one pushed back the balance someone toward cake and was better for it, I think.


Having had great cake, I decided to visit a shop Joshi+ posted on that I rightly had low expectations of. I should really stay away from these homemade style shops. This one was Kabocha, which does this with kabocha, which is the standard Japanese pumpkin equivalent. Basically, they do pie-like tarts. I tried the Kabocha Chibust, apparently, although I thought the name listed was Caramel Pumpkin, but it doesn't really matter. I was definitely okay, but not enough to get me back.

Being completely greedy today for some reason, I stopped at Fraoula, where I got meringue cookies (actually, Muguet, "Lily"), despite urging to get some fresh cake sometime (I'm a little too recognizable, so they know I haven't bought cake there for some time, despite once being a frequent customer). I had already eaten almost half of these at the time of taking the picture, because they are excellent (I need to hide them now).

Visit to Jiyugaoka and P. la Glycine

Rain cleared up earlier than it might have and I was able to get out by noon in sunny late-spring/early-summer weather (with heavy wind). I took my usual route, which Google says is 11.3 km and it took me 1:08'27'', which is 6.06 min/km, moderate speed, which is as fast as I do long runs, although in this case I didn't try to maintain the pace.

At Jiyugaoka, I went to Paris S'éveille to get a croissant for 250 yen, which was fine although not special, and a Kouign Amann, which was great again, despite not being fresh from the oven this time. I ate these just in the little strip park that runs in front of Origines Cacao, which was perhaps a mistake, because I'm finding mosquito bites. Apparently, I need mosquito repellent in February now, at least if there are a couple warm days in a row (although I've seen them around my door even when it was just above average warm in winter).

Next, I ran to P. La Glycine, which was not exactly where I thought it was (and Google thinks it is). Until now, I had been visiting the French deli next door. Now that I know where to look, it's hard to miss; I'll try again going there at night. The run took 43'32'' and covered 6.4 km, which is 6.8 min/km. I was trying for faster than that, but there are other people out walking and hills to climb.

Coming home, I got turned around, so I just tried to climb (to get up to Old Yamanote Road) and then take my usual way back, but I ended up going through Shibuya Station (literally), before catching up with Aoyama Road. Google's estimate of my best guess of what route I used is 6.2 km, and my estimate of how long it took is 41' (I caught myself running with the chronometer stopped), which means 6.6 min/km, still very slow, but suspiciously faster with the cake than without it.

So my weekly running is, in 3 days, 47 km comprising 22.6 km moderate, 11.4 km slow, and 12.6 km very slow, compared to last week in 4 days 34 km comprising 8 km moderate and 26 km very slow. That's faster than maybe I should be ramping up the moderate-speed running and I would have liked to have gotten in more than three days running and another few kilometers of very slow. I've heard, don't increase more than 10% per week, but that can't apply to getting back into running after an injury (10% more of zero is still zero), so instead I'm thinking that my maximum was about 100 km a week before and 50 km for one day. Since I figure subtract 1% per day inactive and it's been 4 weeks since my injury, maybe 70-75 km is enough for next week and I can try to increase 10% from there after that. Similarly, next week I'll try for 30-35 km for next Saturday, if that is my maximum run, and raise that to 35-40 km the next week, which should both be enough for the next two History and Culture courses that I want to do, even with cake detours.

Finally, the cake for today: I got Mistral (which means "masterly", but is the French name of a particular type of strong cold northwesterly wind) for 600 yen. This is pistachio mousse, in which I think there is cherry liquor (having trouble with the translation, but it's definitely cherries, and they've definitely been pickled or fomented), but also some chocolate crunch. I choose this despite the cherries because it was the one marked "recommended" (by the "Chef"). It's not a big shop, so there was not a huge choice, but enough for me to go back. Since I've been badmouthing them because I couldn't look as far as the next building to find them, I may be feeling generous, but I liked this, so I'll say it is excellent and mark the shop as "worthy" of further special attention.

Since I got this shop from Sweet Sonobe, I'll need to start exploring that blog further for recommendations.

33.4 km. Meguro-Den'enchofu H&C: Origines Cacao

Today's run was on the Meguro-Den'enchofu History and Culture route. Actually, I started at the new route start point, whereas my map is for the old map, as best I can figure, so I timed maybe a few tens of meters less of route, but since I spent 1.05 km in double-backs this time due to differences between the new and old maps, it's not a big issue. Next time (and I like this route, both for running and for where it takes me, quite a bit, so I expect a next time), I'll check out the marker at Meguro Station that I spotted with Google Street View and see where both today's route and the route from yesterday should go if I follow the old route shown on markers, which is my preference. I also used Street View to find a marker that I missed on today's run, and I could even see why I missed it: the shop in front of it likes to put out banners that would block the view coming up to it on the route.

Total run breaks down into 7 km to get to the start point, 11.9 km for the route itself (see above comment about approximately 1 km more in deviations), and 14.5 km back by way of Origines Cacao and Cuoca (a baking supply store on the first floor of the same building). Times for the three parts were 45'45'', 1:25'46'', and 1:39'47'' for a total of 3:51'18''. Given yesterday's run, the times seem okay. The first part was also slow because I didn't want to press it anyway before I got to a main route that I'm keeping track of the best time for, and the last part, besides cake, I had 1 kg of powdered sugar in my backpack, so I was additionally motivated to take it easy and not mess up my back again. 

It was colder today and I started earlier, so I put on a heavier windbreaker and wore thicker gloves (gloves that I had forgotten about). 

With yesterday's run, I estimate that I did just short of 74 km for Saturday and Sunday, which is a personal record. The right knee seemed to be the weak point again, although it held together. Actually, it's probably not the knee's fault. I'm doing more stretching of my legs, especially the right side, and now my feet (it's not really the running that seems to be the problem there initially, but the business shoes: I've got to make sure I exercise more my toe and foot muscles, as well as stretch my Achilles tendon). I guess next would be either 55 km in one day or break 80 km in two days, although I won't try the latter if I do the former. Unfortunately, next weekend I scheduled the gas company inspection for 3 pm Saturday, so I have to plan around that. Also, Wed. is a holiday (Japanese emperor's birthday), so balancing out my running is more complicated this week. Maybe I'll run again tomorrow night, skip Tue night, run moderately Wed and Thu, skip Fri, and get up early for a long run Saturday to some distant H&C route. 



Origines Cacao: Lyonnaise

On to cake: today's cake from Origines Cacao was Lyonnaise for 497 yen. This was very good. According to the description, it's chocolate mousse and raspberry ganache and mousse. I'm not sure how the last "mousse" works in, but there visible raspberry in the center, and also the bottom mousse layers seemed to have raspberry in it (raspberry flavor lingers, so it's hard to tell). As I said, it is very good, for a pile of mousse, which is very different from yesterday's cake. Also, I read the card on the Quiza that made me put Origines Cacao on review for its greatness designation, and it explained that the flavor was light intentionally, which was supposed to make the aftertaste more refreshing; maybe I should give it another try some time, but I've probably got enough great cakes recorded that I won't get around to that anytime soon.

The snack of the day (it's a long run) was a Kouign Amann (no picture) for 320 yen from Paris S'éveille. A huge tray had just been put out at, apparently (since they were warm and it was full), so it's worth knowing that this was just before 10:51, because this was so delicious: a flaky pastry around a still warn and soft lump of butter and sugar. It really hit the spot about 20 km in, although maybe just slight heavy for running.