(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.

Le R Cinq (ルエールサンク): Mascar Fraise (マスカルフレーズ）

Wednesday night, I visited Le R Cinq (ルエールサンク) and got the Mascar Fraise (マスカルフレーズ, 540 yen）. It was good (mascarpone) cheese and good strawberry filling, which went well together, so it was good cake. Maybe it's a good shop, but they only had two things recognizable as cake　（the other was green tea, I think), three or four tart-like pieces, that were fancy enough, but at least half a dozen things in glasses ("verrines" I suppose), so not really my kind of place, or I need to learn to appreciate verrines. I'd be interested in going early, to see what their baked goods are, since they open at 8:00, but it's not my side of town. Of course, I could get up early and go by train, but I'm not that interested.

There was also running, today, but it was a training run, which did not take long, and I did not buy cake, so I'm now caught up on reporting cake. As usual, the training run as on the Meiji Gingu Gaien course, and was just 4 km total, 1.225 of that at 11 km/h in four segment, interspersed by 9 km/h running and otherwise mostly it was at 10 km/h. Because of the short run, no cake buying, and no overtime work, I had time to catch up on dishes and then make canelés. Still working out how to get them right, in terms of how much butter to use in the silicone molds for the regular-size ones. This time I used 25% less and held some back to brush on afterward, to see how that works, and they came out of the mold about as well as last time (one stuck), and I baked them less and they still seem baked enough (though less baked), I'm trying to see if I can get the outsides less dry. Of course, if I want them glossy, I'll have to think seriously about using beeswax.

Ohoribata H&C (sort of) and Hidemi

Tried to do the Ohoribata History and Culture course at the worst possible time, late morning of the Japanese emperor's birthday, when there's some big event on the palace side and that southeast edge is closed. Also, with half of the course along the most crowded jogging course I know, it's pretty crazy to be jogging opposite the standard direction (which I knew, but am always doing it anyway on the way home with cake), so next time I do this course I'll do it in reverse. Otherwise, most of the course is east and non-stop. The beginnings and endings are not marked well and are in busy areas with lots of traffic lights, as I've commented about that area before,. Also, it's kind of boring as a course because it's so familiar, but relatively convenient if I want to buy cake that way.

Because of running into crowds around the palace side and then having to figure out how to detour south and ultimately end up not so far from where I entered them, it took 44'48'' for just 6 1/3 km.

As planned, I got one piece of cake from Hidemi, although because of various problems, I did not arrive until well after 12, which meant a good wait. It looked like there were people in line who were not going to get any cake when I left, since they don't bring out more cake later, as far as I know [okay, I have seem them bring out more cake at around 11:20, so maybe they are not completely limited by the size of their display]. I got the Mangue Cassis, which is Mango and Cassis mousses and costs 680 yen. This cake is small, expensive, and not interesting at all, so I'm putting Hidemi in the "worthy" column rather than "great", and moving on to further exploring elsewhere. Also, my cake was fairly loose in the box, so the top pieces fell off, although at least they gave my cake to me quickly (other people got the full wrapping of the box in another layer of somewhat spongy plastic wrap, but the six shop people were busy, so unlike last time someone apparently judged that I didn't need the additional wrapping, which I didn't, on the outside).



Hidemi: Mangue Cassis

Later, I went to Fraoula, wanting some fresh baked goods, specifically a croissant and a bostock, but for the holidays, they were sticking to cake and longer lasting baked goods. I went the long way, exploring how far west I could go nonstop and also took a long confusing route back and stopped for shopping a couple places. The last 1 km or so was just walking. Total running was about 3 hours.