Michalak, Cheese Cake Orange

Monday to Wednesday, I managed at least short runs along with indoor workouts. Monday, was too late to visit I think, and Tuesday they were sold-out, but Wednesday, I managed to get Cheese Cake Orange from Michalak as an exceptional shop. It was probably a fairly high sugar one (American-style?), and suited me fine. Hadn't known orange, which is a bit tricky for cake, worked for cheesecake, but it does.

Cake-off: Pierre Hermé's Tarte Infiniment Vanille over Michalak's Mont-Blanc

Last Sunday, I had a 4th round cake-off between Michalak's Mont-Blanc, which was next up based on when I first sampled it (though it's actually available year round), paired against another Isetan great cake with two wins to one loss, Pierre Hermé's Tarte Infiniment Vanille. These were definitely both great, so it's hard to decide, but I'm going with the Tarte Infiniment Vanille, which might be my favorite vanilla cake of Tokyo, though there is one more contender for that title. Maybe it will get resolved in next year's cake-offs. The Mont-Blanc, though was still great. It's distinction is a little chocolate, I think, which mellows the chestnut.

Michalak: Framboise-Rose

Got a tenth cake from Michalak, which at least catches them up to the other exceptional cake shops (six plus 4 for cake-off wins). The latest "cake" is more tart, though I guess the French term for this baked good is "clafoutis", though that wasn't used in Japan where they prefixed it with "Unik" I think (which I'm ignoring) but still called it "Framboise-Rose", even though there was no rose petal on it, unlike the version two years ago in France. Still, the raspberry on top makes it fresh cake. It was definitely good, but I'm still waiting for the next great cake from them after two early finds.

The running was relatively short after yesterday's long run: just out to the revised Jinguumae 5&6 loop to do it clockwise and back, which only took about 45 minutes. That and the indoor basic 15 minute workout (since I did squats for warm-up before the run) was enough, since I worked late and ran errands before starting, so supper (and cake) was pretty late.

Cake-off: Éclat des Jours' Baked Cheesecake over Michalak's Mont-blanc

Saved my running for later and went by bicycle to get Éclat des Jours' Baked Cheesecake as a two time winning cake for the third-round cake-off. While I was there, I decided to try their Pain au Chocolat (I ate it at the nearest park, where I was very messy: I need to use the paper bag it comes in better), which was excellent, properly made with delicious chocolate.

To get the other cake, I ran to L'Abricotier. Unfortunately, they aren't currently making their best cake (which doesn't surprised me from past experience, and I should have asked when I was there recently, but it is still on their website). I had a backup planned, though, so I turned around and ran to Isetan and got Michalak's Mont-blanc.

It starts as a mystery why the Baked Cheesecake is such a winner, but the more I eat it, the more I like it. The Mont-blanc, on the other hand, is a little strong, both as chestnut and sugar, so I really need to clear my palate more than I did eating it. The win goes to the Baked Cheesecake, which becomes the tenth cake to clear the third-round cake-off undefeated. I was planning to get to Éclat des Jours for a new cake this weekend, anyway, but need to plan an an additional visit.

Michalak, Religieuse

Monday, I was obsessed with the recently revised, than re-revised, then revised again Daikanyama-chou--Ebisunishi--Hachiyama-chou--Nanpeidai-chou--Sakuragaoka-chou--Sarugaku-chou--Shibuya--Uguisudani-chou loop. I'm still a little fuzzy on navigating the stairs at Daikanyama Stn./Dixsept shopping center, but I don't have to be so strict there. However, I noticed "it Coffee" off my course and shifted the course to add it, so Sunday's success was nullified, and I turned too soon after the new chocolate shop, so I failed Monday near the end. I was, however able to do the updated/corrected Shibuya central loop clockwise, so there was progress, and the run was really refreshing until the 10 km mark, when suddenly my hip was tired (this loop might have the most stairs, especially now, at least until I get to the part I split off from the main Akasaka loop).

Cake came on Tuesday, which is also the first day of the month, a good day to go to Isetan. I had the afternoon off, so I sent to Isetan and got two things. JPH's new cake in the lineup is an excellent one I've had before, so I didn't need get cake from them, but Michalak had their Religieuse, which I haven't had and I was two cakes behind on them. Unfortunately, they removed the almost identical Paris-Brest, which I hadn't done a third-round cake-off with yet, but I can wait a year. The other thing I got was a fresh viennoiserie (avoiding the vaguer term "pastry") from Andersen, the Choco Stripe. I had the latter first, before going out for exercise. It was good, but the concept sounds better than the practice, I think, because having the chocolate layered in loses crispness.

The exercise was once again practicing the Daita--Daizawa--Hatagaya--Kamiyama-chou--Kitazawa--Motoyoyogi-chou--Nishihara--Ooyama-chou--Shouto--Tomigaya--Uehara loop. I could go about an hour before I didn't have it memorized correctly. I added a shop with Australian sweets to the loop near Shim-Kitazawa station and shifted the course after that so I go by the Kitazawa Koushindou (a kind of traditional road-side shrine). Near the end, coming south from the northern most point near Hatagaya, I added a site marked Myōdōkai Kyōdan on a plaque, which is a Buddhist society, although the building just looks like a really nice residence. Still, I like this route more than staying on the main road, so I'll keep the change, and keep practicing until the route stabilizes and I learn it.

The Religieuse (which French and English authorities agree is a pastry but is cake for my purposes) really tasted very similar to Paris-Brest, but I prefer the latter. Still, excellent, so I don't begrudge them the variation, other than they timed it to coincide with JPH's introduction of Religieuse, which was announced a month ago. I should say that, though they told me hazelnuts, the recipe they showed me indicated, besides mostly caramel cream, pate almond. The top is whipped cream and a little fudge square.

Au Bon Vieux Temps, Pourriture and Michalak, Tarte Chocolat Pecan

Saturday, I woke early and was out running by about 6 am. I was planning to take rest from cake, so I started by working on the neighborhood course and was able to do the revised Moto-Azabu--Azabu-Juuban loop clockwise, getting a lot of missing photos of sites on that loop along the way, though I missed one. Of course, most of the shops were closed, which is not ideal, but since otherwise it's dark, I'm okay with that. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I noticed a shrine along the way that should have been on the Roppongi 6 loop, so I modified it (making it the Roppongi 5&6 loop), so it was one step forward and two steps back. After that, I reviewed the course on the west side of Hiroo, ruling out some coffee shops as unworthy and figuring out where I need to double-back to get near something sites. I added a bunch of photos there two. I was waiting for Hikarie to open at 10 am, so I also went over and tried to run the Ebisu-Nishi east and west loops, but only managed the easy east one (so at least I'm even for the day: two directs completed but two directions on one loop that need redoing). I had wanted to get a pastry I saw at Hikarie a couple weeks back, but it was already gone, so I went completely without fancy sweets. I more than made up for it the next day.

Sunday, I was busy in the middle of the day, so I decided to get cake for two in the morning. I went to Au Bon Vieux Temps because I owe them for a cake-off win and got a new cake, Pourriture. Then I took the train back and got the new tart from Michalak, who I want more new cakes than the line-up has quickly supplied. This time Tarte Chocolat Pican, perhaps (they don't keep an updated Internet presence for me to check about new cakes). I also got a Picnic Maron from Sadaharu Aoki, which I consider a pastry and I half-intended to get Saturday but decided that there was not hurry.

Au Bon Vieux Temps is maybe not the best choice for a cake to share, but their cakes are so small: half of one is two small bites. I'm going to say that Pourriture was great and see if a cake-off proves me wrong. It's a blue cheese and honey mousse over roasted fig on a semi-dry fig tart, or that's how I'm parsing the Japanese card.

The chocolate pecan tart was the best Michalak tart I've had. We both agreed that it was excellent. I've turned the stop on top where I damaged it after getting it safely in the refrigerator to the back, and that might be a fingerprint on the front.

The pastry, which has custard inside, as well as the chestnut cream, was also excellent. It's only around for a short time, exclusively at Shinjuku Isetan.

In the evening, I finished off the Moto-Azabu--Azabu-Juuban loop, again, and got the Roppongi 5&6 loop. I wet as far as Tokyo Midtown by bicycle, so it was only about 45 minutes of running.

Cake-off: Michalak' Mont-blanc versus Jean-Paul Hévin's Saint-Honoré

Had the morning off on Friday, so I got cakes for a cake-off. Timing was not so great, as I was somewhat rushed and full already, but there's always something. I wanted a cake-off for Jean-Paul Hévin's Saint-Honoré, which is available only the second half of September. As the other cake for a second-round cake-off between winners, I choose the recent Michalak' Mont-Blanc. Both of these are available at Isetan and both a pretty decadent. I'm probably biased by too much chocolate and caramel lately, but I choose Michalak' Mont-Blanc as the winner, but I could go the other way on another day. Fortunately, not rocket science, so future rounds level things out (though only one cake can the the last to remain undefeated). I should confess that I very carefully removed the saint-honoré from its box and then dropped it on its side (facing away).

I did do some running at night. I finally got Moto-Azabu--Azabu-Juuban loop counterclockwise correct, completing it. Characteristically, I immediately decided that I was not satisfied with the route and revised it so I would go by a temple on the same side of the road (rather than having it across a two-lane road), so that loop remained the top priority.

Michalak, Mangue

Needed to go to Isetan today, which is why I didn't go yesterday. Michalak has a new cake and I owe them for a cake-off. The cake is Mangue, which is one of those fruit-shaped cakes that I've heard a popular among young pastry chefs, where it's made to taste like a cake version of the fruit (versus cake in the same shape that includes the fruit as a taste). I don't want all my cakes like this, but I now see the appeal. Definitely excellent.

I decided that it would be foolish to try the Akasaka--etc. run again today, since really yesterday was about as long as I've run lately, and the real course takes a little more. Instead, I did a food shopping runs by bicycle after bringing home the cake, which ended up taking longer than I expected, since my first stop turned out to be closed for reasons I didn't bother to read in detail about on the sign, so I ended up going to a branch on the other side of home, as well as stopping a couple other places, so it took about 1.75 hours, leading me to give up also on doing an indoor work out. Stocked up on roasted peanuts, crackers, sesame seeds, energy cookies, vegetables, canned fish, and got one cheap chocolate bar, which I haven't tried yet.

Yesterday and noticed and today I confirmed that the Akasaka Del'Imo closed (moving to Tokyo Midtown Hibiya). It doesn't really matter for the course, since there are other sites on the same street, but it inspired me to revised the big Akasaka loop and cut off one site to its own loop (dubbed the Akasaka 4 loop) and reroute the main loop to be more direct and take over the sites for the Akasaka 3 loop. I'll have to recalculate distances for everything west of there, but it shortens the loop somewhat, despite increasing the total number of sites on it, so it seems like a legitimate change, even if it was probably inspired by yesterday's failure (if you're losing the game, change the rules).

L'Abricotier, Saint Honoré

Friday, I did an indoor workout. Before hand, I went to Isetan to get their Koonie Chocolat Pecan, since they won a cake-off but don't have any new cakes (in Japan). Koonie are their cookie-brownie hybrid, covered in chocolate, and there are several flavors. I approve of the combination, and can call this an excellent baked good. Hard to tell the size from the photo, but reported weight Koonies on the French website is 20 g each.

Saturday, as planned, I rode to L'Abricotier to get a new cake, also for a cake-off win. This makes the 19th cake type from them for me. This time I got Saint Honoré, which I was surprised to find as new to be from there. It's very traditional in construction. As Japanese choux pastry goes, this was fairly robust, which I appreciate. The caramel is bitter caramel, which I did not appreciate but can respect, so I don't have probably saying that this was excellent.

Other errands appeared that I was not expected, so I was actually pretty late getting back, but went out again at 4 pm to confirm neighborhood course loops in the south Jinguumae area. This time I could confirm my Jinguumae 5&6 and Jinguumae--Shibuya loops counterclockwise, and take care of clockwise for the Jinguumae 5 and Jinguumae--Kita-Aoyama south loops. Along the way, on the first of these four, I finally sampled Coco-Agepan, which is not open in the afternoon, though you'll still see the truck it's run out of parked in the same spot. Agepan means fried bread, and is a staple sweet to an extent. They fry it after you order it, but it doesn't take long. It's basically like a long yeast donut. I choose the Cinnamon Agepan rather than the Coco one (which I assume is chocolate, not coconut), one of several flavors. It was good and reasonable snack for runners, though photographing it in the rain was awkward.

Cake-off: Michalak's Paris-Brest over Bien-être's Pistachio and American Cherry Chiboust

Monday, I did prep work for today's cake-off by going to Bien-être and reserving a Pistachio and American Cherry Chiboust (to use the first name I recorded this under, though I think the name has been permuted since). This was by running, which I did in intervals of 3 min walking/1 min slow running/ 3 min running/ 1 min fast running. Next running watch will have more than time intervals, now that I know why I would want more. After Bien-être, I ran to Jinguumae to try the new Jinguumae 5&6 loop, though I messed up the end, which is not surprising since I had never even walked it before. Also, I'm not sure that I took the planned path to climb east from Cat Street, but I've decided that it's worth lengthening the route a little to avoid cutting between buildings like that. I stopped at a couple shops before I found one open and with something sub-cake as a snack (at the 1 hour point). I got Cheese Cake from the Roastery by Nozy Coffee Cafe, which you can see is a stick, sort of a half-size cake. It was definitely good, in an enough sugar kind of way. I ended up doing 9 intervals of running, which is the longest I've gone recently and enough fast running to leave me a little sore the next day, so I hope I'm building up some running muscles now.

For the other cake in the cake-off, I went with a recent one that also won its first round, Michalak's Paris-Brest. The chiboust is the new style again, but I think I'm over worrying about the change. Until there are more pistachio chiboust, or any kind of chiboust, from the good shops, I'd like to keep this on the great's list, but I can't resist the super sugar bomb that is Michalak's Paris-Brest. And it has seriously dark praline with a strong caramel taste, in a good way, so it gets it's second win. However, the chiboust will be gone soon, so if I can get it in a third-round cake-off over the weekend, I'll do that.

Michalak, Monak Pablova

Intended to do a short run and got sucked into a long run after starting the day thinking I should really rest, as my feet were hurting in the morning, but the lure of the road called me (and my feet felt fine). I was practicing my minor deviation of my Jinguumae central loop, which covers the north end of Cat Street to the Jinguumae shopping street and looping around to Michalak to get the last available type of fresh cake for this exceptional shop. This is the Monak Pablova, which is a take out cake consisting of a shell and filling. There was space inside, so I stayed in. This is the cheapest of the ones of this type listed on the web site and the only one I've see lately (now is jar dessert season). Actually, the other two are listed under cakes rather than take-out, which confuses me, but they are all called Monak. The Monak Pablova is lime meringue (also, they put some freshly grated lime peel on top) with raspberry confit and lychee cream. It's take out because it will dissolve if you don't eat in within 30 minutes, they said. It was good, but not enough to make me impatient to try a different flavor of these (pear-yuzu and chocolate-hazelnut are listed on the website). I might have to wait until fall to get new regular cakes, assuming they'll have new ones.

While eating in, I looked at Facebook and saw that Bien-être's mille-feuille had gone American cherry, so I need to run over there to confirm that so had the pistachio chiboust. I was able to make it in time and did confirm. They were semi-confident that they would have it for another week or two. I'm busy this weekend, but I might try serving one early next week any getting a cake from Isetan for a mid-week second-round cake-off, probably with a Michalak cake, though I have one other possibility at Shinjuku Station for a backup. If that works, and I want it, I can do a third round the following weekend, though I'm not sure ahead of time what the availability will be (the opponent would be either FC's Choux Vanille or ABVT's Marjolaine, depending on whether the chiboust loses or wins.

Because the actual run was intended to be shorter, rather than try to do 11 intervals of 4 minutes running, I made the intervals 5 min with the additional 30 s intervals for warm up and a semi-dash, but the deviation to visit Bien-être had me reach 40 minutes of running before I finished, so I walked after 8 intervals. Still haven't decided what I'll do tomorrow. It's rain every day in varying amounts, but I'll rest either Tuesday or Wednesday and am busy Thursday and the weekend, but maybe I'll squeeze some running on nearby local loops.

Michalak, (Classique) Tarte Yuzu Citron

Just a little muscle training for exercise, due to being late getting home. I brought a (Classique) Tarte Yuzu Citron from Michalak through Isetan. This is a tart with a crisp crumble bottom (according to my translation), yuzu cream on lime Bavarian cream with lemon marmalade. It's pretty sweet and American tasting (for lack of a better explanation), but excellent. Michalak remains at the top the of the excellent shop group, but I'm out of cakes to try. They used to have another type, a clam shell design, but it hasn't been at Isetan lately. I'll need to check the Omotesandou shop. The cakes are still listed online for both locations.

So I'm keeping Sadaharu Aoki's lemon tart in the great category for the next cake-off, assuming the other cake is still available, which I'm planning to confirm tomorrow. I'll also hopefully get more exercise tomorrow, though still bicycling. Not sure whether I'll try walking a few kilometers this weekend, but the squats yesterday didn't seem to have any negative consequences.

Cake-off: Michalak's Mont-Blanc over Sadaharu's Tarte au Citron

Sunday, I did an Isetan-sourced cake-off with Michalak's Mont-Blanc and Sadaharu's Tarte au Citron. This is a first-round cake-off with two cakes that I was not too confident about.

For exercise, despite US presidential visit related traffic disruption, I finally managed to confirm (as best I can by bicycle), the Akasaka--Azabudai--Roppongi--Toranomon loop by doing it counterclockwise without consulting a map. It's 13.4 km long, so by far the biggest I've managed. I did what I call the Akasaka 1 loop, but really it's just a route using opposites sides a narrow row to a cul-de-sac full of temples.

As far as the cake, I'm more confident about Michalak's Mont-Blanc. It's got the meringue, which I like (though almond meringue is better) and a chocolate cup holding the base that sets it apart, so I'm keeping in among the greats and giving it the win. The Tarte au Citron was still delicious, and I don't have a better one, so I'm tentatively keeping in the greats, but I'm going to try Michalaks version soon (since that's the only cake of theirs at Isetan that I haven't tried) and might change my mind.

Cake-off: Michalak's Paris-Brest over L'Abricotier's Montelimar

I went by bicycle in one outing for both Michalak's Paris-Brest and L'Abricotier's Montelimar, in the opposite order, so the latter got a little beat up, as the vibration seemed to make the cake base lose it's adhesion to the cardboard base, although the latter was not actually taped down, I think, so maybe it's pointless to try to find a cause other than the bicycle.

My previous evaluations of both these cakes hold: I don't want to give up either as great cakes, but I'm on the look out for better versions to replace them with. I'm going with the Paris-Brest as the winner, as a guilty pleasure, but this thing is really decadently sugary, even for me, so have a glass of milk or lots of straight tea ready to balance it out.

I had said that the winner of this first-round would be in a second-round cake-off next, but I had already realized as soon as I posted that the Paris-Brest would be around for a while, so maybe I should do the other two one-win no-losses cakes instead. I'm debating between that and saving all three for match-ups with anything seasonal that appears, because I think there is no hurry for any of these three. Montelimar, however, I'll do a cake-off for as soon as I get another one-loss cake, which might take time.

Michalak, Tarte Pistache

Today, cake from Michalak again, as planned. I tried a second tart, the Tarte Pistache. The base is almond cream flavored with orange and rose, pistachio praliné, with mascarpone cheese, whipped cream, and pistachio paste in white chocolate icing, or some combination of those ingredients, as I got a little lost in the description online. The result is somewhat mild, as one would expect from mascarpone cheese and whipped cream, though still definitely good, and better from me than the previous chocolate one, though similar. This shop is currently beating some excellent ones, so it will probably get promoted from quite good, but it hasn't reached 6 cakes yet and I haven't tested either of the cakes identified as great yet in a cake-off, so I'll hold off a little while long. In the meantime, I'll try a new shop over the weekend, I hope, as well as the planned cake-off to test the first great cake.

Michalak: Mont-Blanc

On the second day of GW, we got a couple cakes, one new to me, from the Michalak counter at Isetan, at my recommendation (next time is already been decided). The new cake was the Mont-Blanc, which I had most of, but am not completely sure how delicious it was, so I'm going with "great" just to get another chance at it (once I find a couple great cakes from some other shops). It's definitely the kind I like, not being very heavy. Actually, the middle seemed emptier than I expected, though the meringue broke irregularly, so maybe I just ate to greedily to notice.

Michalak, Paris-Brest

Thursday's vain attempt to get the 7th year anniversary cake item from Sadaharu Aoki at Shibuya ended with me betting the Dutch Crumble from the Granny Smith counter. It was okay, but I can't say that cold cooked apples with soggy crust is good, though I'm not sure what was different from good pie. There would be more cinnamon and sugar in the recipe I know, and maybe I should always heat it up. Certainly. vanilla ice cream would be traditional, but I was never a big fan of adding to the sogginess. I can image trying the cheesecake or maybe even the French apple pie version, but I'd rather have cake.

Friday, I had other things to do, but it took me to Isetan, where I decided to make up from only one (normal fresh) cake during the work week to get cake from Michalak. Since I was not impressed by the previous tart, though I see how my choice was not likely to suit me, I went for a different type of cake, their Paris-Brest. This is a sugar bomb of praliné creme, which is just what I like. It was great. I will stop complaining about things being called Paris-Brest even though they are not wheel-shaped. Since other great Paris-Brest I've had was a slice from a large cake, scale clearly matters for the texture and balance. It should be possible to get a delicious balance of praliné cream and choux pastry regardless of shape, but I won't begrudge the maker their choice of how to achieve that.

Michalak, Tarte Delphine

Went back for a second cake from Michalak. This time it was Tarte Delphine, which is a mild chocolate, almond cream, and caramel. It is thick and decadent, and yet kind of boring. Good, but not exciting. They still might be quite good overall, but they can wait their turn for a third cake (though, since they are conveniently at Isetan, that might not be that long a wait).

Michalak, Michalak Monkoeur

Wednesday, again my feet felt much better than the previous day, but not perfect. Decided not to run, though I did walk again to Isetan and get cake and later I rode a bicycle to get groceries, which was actually no problem, so I'm going to try going out by bicycle tomorrow morning as stage one. The second stage is still planned to be on foot, so I'm not sure how that will go. Also, rain is coming, which might matter. Anyway, for today, I got a first cake a shop on the neighborhood running course that just opened a counter at Isetan, besides the one on Omotesandou Avenue on the end near the Harajuku Station (on the far southeast end, for the subway): Michalak. I got the Michalak Monkoeur (I'm assuming the spelling was deliberate, versus Mon Coeur, since other product names used k's when written in the Latin alphabet, though where to break between words is less clear). This is a chocolate biscuit, yuzu syrup, chocolate mousse (under the red sauce), and exotic fruit (I think at Isetan the explanation said 4 fruits, in the form of compote). The fruit taste is a little thick but this is nicely decadent, so combined with it being a first cake, I think excellent is a reasonable rating. I'd certainly like to have another cake from them.