Charmant Gourmand, Moelleux au Chocolat Praliné

I went back to Charmant Gourmand to work on large group of what I've decided to call the quite fine shops, which need to be worked down to 32, and also I need to remove ones faster than I am them, or at least confirm they belong there. 

I had liked the Moelleux au Chocolat Figue last time, so this time I got Moelleux au Chocolat Praliné. As a change, I also microwaved it to make it more soft, as instructed, but that just makes it pudding, which is probably less interesting. Also, I like my praliné more sugary, though that might have gotten lost in the hit chocolate pudding. Still good, but this shop can join the fine shops. 

For exercise, I tried to do the Daikanyama-chou--Ebisunishi--Hachiyama-chou--Nanpeidai-chou--Sakuragaoka-chou--Sarugaku-chou--Shibuya--Uguisudani-chou loop counterclockwise (which is at least more with traffic rather than against it). I know all the sites, but I'm not used to the new order yet and don't know where to turn for the new shops, so where I needed to turn for 7clover. That wasn't the only failure, but none big, so it was good to review and I can maybe do it next time. I decided that I should add the Sakuraoka Park, which just looked more like a parking lot and was used for smoking last time I paid attention to it, but does seem to be a proper park, even if not a green one. Also, I should add M.Nature over in Shibuya east loop, despite not being too excited about visiting them again. 

For tomorrow, I don't whether I'l  I  Not sure whether I'll the big loop counterclockwise again or go out to the Marunouchi JPH for their chocolate muffin (since I've had my cakes for the week). 

Charmant Gourmand: various

Friday I took off work and went to Charmant Gourmand (after lunch, though from Thursday they had lunch there, which I had not known) and got a variety plate, the name of which I'll have to update later, though I think the menu varies. This had their Moelleux au Chocolat Figue, Madeleine Lemon Lime, Crème d'Anjou, and I think some kind of dacquoise sandwich, though it's not something I found outside the salon. The moelleux au chocolat was the most interesting, being more like a thick chocolate filling than anything baked. (This is my first time to find a moelleux that had a separately made firm base.) I would say the moelleux was excellent and the rest were good. Since Crème d'Anjou is not so different from cheesecake, I'll treat it and the moelleux as cakes, whereas the other two are baked goods, so they don't really affect my cake shop rating. Still, one excellent and one good makes it at least in the running for quite good, so I'll go back and get one of the other flavors of moelleux au chocolat some time, though they are expensive for the size. The house-blend tea was also definitely good.

Qu'il Fait Bon, Lectier Pear and Cheese Soufflé Tart and Red Fruit and Chocolate Mousse Tart

Friday, I was busy. Saturday, went to a neighborhood (running course) café for cake sets for two at Qu'il Fait Bon as a first visit. This down near Omotesandou Station, in Minamiaoyama. I've seen some long lines there, so I had wanted arrive at first opening, but there were other things do, so I wasn't even close. However, no problem; not sure why. It was a little strange, because the café section is small and on one side and then there's a big glass case in the middle with their tarts and then they are doing sales of those on the other end. No one was on the café telling being who want to enter what to do, but we just had to sit down in an open seat.

We got two tarts (and drinks): Lectier Pear and Cheese Soufflé Tart and
Red Fruit and Chocolate Mousse Tart. I didn't choose but I was consulted. The pear tart was a custard tart (the cheese was fine, but acted as a sort of base) and the pear was quite nice; I didn't really have an idea what lectier pear tasted like, and maybe I still don't know what's distinct about it, but it was good and went well with the custart, and the crust seemed nice too. We agreed that the Red Fruit and Chocolate Mousse Tart was not as good. Chocolate mousse is that that simple to combine with other things; this tart would have been better without in (though I suppose that would depend on what they replaced it with). One definitely good cake/tart and one so-so kind of good tart means that I'll likely never get back there. It was also agree that homemade fondant were better, though I still need to get back to developing those. Instead, I did a cake-off and lots of running, but I don't have today to write about that.

In the evening of Saturday, I did a neighbor run and was successful in all four loops: Samonchou loop clockwise (I expanded it, so I had to do it again), Sagachou loop counterclockwise, Minami-Motomachi--Wakaba--Yotsuya--Sugachou--Shinanomachi loop clockwise, (trivially) the Shinanomachi loop counterclockwise. I'll need to do the first and third again counterclockwise before moving on on the review.

Esola: Black Cheesecake

No running Friday, but took an out of town guest with us when trying a new place, Esola in (Minami-) Aoyama. Noticed this near my neighborhood running course through the area, once I adjusted it to allow cutting through the alley/driveway at the end of this road that needs to a park on the other side. The crust/topping is bitter chocolate cookie crust (with salted butter for the bottom, at least), though I thought it was sesame for some reason. It's not very strong compared to the center, which is layers of fresh cream, rare cheese cake, and baked cheese cake, apparently. It's definitely good and definitely and a little different in a good way, like the shop.

Anniversary: Short Cake

Nothing exciting to report other than meeting the challenge of running to a place that closes at 19:00, which I'm not likely to get another chance to try soon on a work night. Specifically, I ran down to Anniversary in Minamiaoyama, which is about 3 km away, at 11 km/h going and 10 km/h coming back with cake. I got their (regular) Short Cake (ショートケーキ, 486 yen), which experience with several cakes from there suggests is the best option. Unfortunately, I'm not that into (strawberry) shortcake. I think it requires more calm and less hunger than I usually have when I'm eating cake after running. Perhaps I should try setting it aside, taking my shower, having dinner, and making tea first. I should try that next time I'm in the same situation. Anyway, this was good short cake and nice looking, so I recommend it for anyone who would like this kind of soft cake surrounded in whipped cream and flavored with strawberry.

Chocolate Chic [Closed shop]]: Tarte aux Figues

Only 3 km today, 2 min running/1 min walking, but given the heat and the closeness of the shop, it was enough. I've still got 7 km more for Monday and Tuesday, which is about right. No problems with my left leg. I'm thinking (since Friday at work) that my computer use is what's hurting my left arm (enough to affect running), so I've been giving it more support and writing less.

I got the Tarte aux Figues (I think: one problem with trying to figure out the French name from phonetic Japanese is the silent letters and my shallow knowledge of French) for 561. The tart base was okay, but the figs were tougher than I expected and all I could taste was cinnamon. It was only okay, so I'm taking them off my list of potentially excellent shops. Neither of the ones I liked before were in the shop now, although that might be more of a matter of season than that they had special ones at Isetan.

Worked on my praliné cake. Made the cake biscuit again, which came out too thin, so I had a lot of burnt part to throw away (well, break off and eat), thawed the last, pretty bad attempt at the creme brulée praliné buttercream (got some crystals in it, but the smooth part tastes really good), and made some caramel-favored syrup (by caramelizing sugar, adding boiling water, and then adding an equal part of what I think the recipe calls 30 deg syrup, which just means sugar fully dissolved in water at 4:3). The actually recipe uses the syrup on various layers with different fillings, but I just put it on a side by itself and alternated with cake with the buttercream. Very good (after chilling, so the buttercream didn't just squish out). Still three more fillings to work on, as well as getting the actually biscuit consistent and the buttercream smooth.

(Saturday) Takagi (Aoyama): Bruxelles

Went to the Takagi in the Aoyama area and actually entered the large cafe section for the first time. I usually go there after work on a weekday, when it is completely empty (I don't know what the capacity is, but a few dozen, probably), so it was interesting to see it packed with people. It's still not clear why they keep it open until 9 pm on weekdays, since often there is no one there or just a couple people, but at least I can see how they avoid going out of business.

In the non-cake category, we had the brioche in maple syrup. Very good, although I prefer bostoc, although it probably depends on the bostoc. It was 1,458 yen and it would be a whole meal, and not a light one, but we split it between two people.

The cake was a new one, supposedly (new at cake shops doesn't mean that they've never had it before, I've noticed, just they are not promising that it will appear on a regular "seasonal" schedule). It was the Bruxelles (I think that is spelling they used) for 605 yen. It's layers, with the dominant flavor being citrus. Obviously there is chocolate, too. The soft "biscuit" layers are to keep it together, but in my mouth there is only a creamy feeling. It is excellent and the opposite of the Marquise cake from Friday, as it is not subtle. Not that it has an overly strong taste, so much, but strong enough and sweet.　

10+ km to Takagi's: Arpajon

I added extra up-and-downs in Wakaba (Yotsuya) and twice on Sannou Hie Shrine (I was aiming to go up and come down the big front stairs but first ended up going up and down on the side once first), but here's the route that I had planned to follow. Looks like I went wrong at East Gaien Road halfway through the south leg. The first half was quite a work out, as was jogging up and down shrine steps, so I'll try it again the next time that I go that way, although I don't think that I can really cross the next main road where Google says I can. There are some shops further along Aoyama Road that I want to try some time (although I think I can find them elsewhere), so maybe I'll try that path in reverse. Tomorrow I need to rest (and get a package: wine), but I'll probably go over to Isetan and grab cake from Aoki or somewhere, which I haven't hit lately and is on the list of greats in my head. Thursday will depend on the rain. I'll take a cake rest then if I can't run.

Patisserie Takagi is convenient (on Aoyama Road), in terms of hours and time and has pretty good cake. I'm not sure whether it's great, but I appreciate it. Today I got the Arpajon for 605 yen, which is mostly bitter (not really so much) chocolate mousse with significant amounts of pistachio mousse and some raspberry mousse. It's got three kinds of nuts on top, which I appreciate, but is not enough to save it from being just enough chocolate mousse, which is all it's really trying to be. Some asymmetry in the chocolate spikes is due to breakage: I should bring my own bag next time, as theirs have too short a handles for good cake running. Had trouble with the camera again, apparently, but wasn't patient, so too late now. All my night photos were also fails: can't keep the camera steady enough for buildings and none of the settings for the view from the stop of the shrine stairs really gave good results.

The cake was okay, but too much mousse for me again. That's about what I expected, but it's their #1 seller (it's pretty, so no surprise; I hate when I ask a shop person what is good or what they recommend and they tell me what's the most popular, as if that proved anything) and I wanted to confirm what it's like and get Takagi listed in this blog, since they are at least on my list of ones that I want to run through their complete line-ups and compare, just I won't be needing this cake again.