Cake-off: Très Calme's Pistache Apricot over Éclat des Jours' Rhum Raisin

Last Saturday, I got cakes for a cake-off. Due to leg problems, I went by bicycle, which doesn't seem to mind. I was looking at a fifth-round for two shops with 3 wins to only 1 loss. The first was Rhum Raisin from Éclat des Jours and the second was the Pistache Apricot from Très Calme (which also has a great Kouign Amann, if you like fairly solid ones versus more puffed up ones, which I do). It's kind of obvious what the winner is, based on my over preferences, and yet somehow the uniqueness of Rhum Raisin among my great cakes has enabled it to be in a high bracket. The need for it is less now that I have a Baba on my list, but it still has merit, I think, though I'm giving the win toe Pistache Apricot because I like pistachio cream a lot, which is well balanced, and this is a nicely solid cake as well.

Cake-off: Éclat des Jours' Rhum Raisin over Dalloyau's Croquant Fraise

Monday, I did a cake-off with what I could get together on a Monday afternoon. I first picked up Éclat des Jours' Rhum Raison on the way back from the airport. I was thinking that I could get a cake from BE, but they were closed down for walk-in cake for weekdays (which they had announced and I forgot), so I ended up cruising south in the late afternoon searching for a matching cake. I had to try two more shops, but found Croquant Fraise at the Jiyuugaoka Dalloyau. This was for a 4th-round cake-off for two wins to one loss. However, as it happens, these are both rather weak entries to the great list, or at least the Rhum Raisin failed to impress me last time as deserving to be among the greats, so it needed recognition this time to stay. It got it: I appreciated its simplicity and how filled a niche. The Croquant Fraise also fills a niche, being an excellent balance of tastes and textures, except I should remove the croquant part as early as possible, because it tends to soak up moisture too quickly as take-out. I actually had more trouble with that the previous time (now I remember), but the Rhum Raisin has the edge regardless. I maintain my respect for both these cakes. 

Cake-off: Paris S'éveille's Saint Honoré Caramel over Éclat des Jours' Rhum Raisin

Today's is not a very happy post. First, in celebration of the first day of spring (a national holiday, sensible) I went to Éclat des Jours by bicycle and got their Rhum Raisin for a cake-off and brought it back the same way. That was fine, though I found that the cleaners is closed on holidays. They also close early on workdays, and I've been working late, which is kind of a problem. I'm hoping Friday I'm not to late, because I really need to pick something up, even if I don't have time to stop at home to get something to take.

In the afternoon, I ran to Paris S'éveille to get their Saint Honoré Caramel. For some reason, Google suggested what seemed to be a longer than usual route (maybe if finally figured out that you can't cross Ring Road 7 on foot from the road parallel to the train tracks. I also incorporated a couple sites to take pictures of, one new (old) bread shop in Jinguumae and a couple in meguro (and one that turned out to not exist), if I ever get back to expanding the neighborhood course. I seemed to be running fine until the last kilometer, and then my right foot had had enough. I could manage to continue, but it wasn't pleasant and I iced at home. I had skipped running 4 days. Looks like I'm going to skip more next. Well, I'm a little busy the next couple weekends anyway. Got got my cake and saw that they had a couple of other regular ones I want to cake-offs that I hadn't seen previously, so know I know I just have to go at the right time.

I wasn't that into cake today, and I'm reluctant to blame the cake, but certainly Rhum Raisin has also been a precarious as a great cake. Sure it's the best rum raisin cake I know, but do I need it? It's on probation, but it had three great evaluation, so it's not in any immediate danger of getting kicked off. However the win goes to Saint Honoré Caramel, though I'm feeling that I've had this too much lately. Also, I didn't match this up will with tea, so I should watch that (it's pretty sweet, so it needs a strong tea to balance it). Still, I really appreciated it's quality as a saint honoré compared to a recent disappointment.

Cake-off: Éclat des Jours' Rhum Raisin over Bubó Barcelona's Bubó Xoco Deluxe

Saturday, I got up at 5:30 so that I could get a long run in before coming back at 9:00 to get ready for a 10:00 appointment, which I did. The actual running started after 6:30, as I don't run without breakfast any more and other preparations also take time. This was sort of a neighborhood run, since it was intended to take photographs while I verified courses. First, I decided that I was going to change my rules and allow subway tunnel corridors and stairs for crossing the road, on the grounds that I don't run up and down stairs any more, as climbing fast is exercise enough and adding to the stress by making it bouncy was probably what caused my most recent long incapacitation. Also, the NHK running program, the top people have recommended (to people not trying to be top, granted) walking up steep slopes, unless you're specifically training for slopes, such as the race up Mt. Fuji. So I'll fill in a hole (and allow some surrounding loops to shrink, now that they can ignore what's across the street) by adding a new Minami-Aoyama loop for sectors 3 and most of 4. First, though I had a couple landmarks to verify.

From there, close to where I was doing new loops (though not that close along the route) and next to Hiroo, I worked on verifying parts in Minami-Azabu, mostly temples, but a few parks. On the way back, I used the pedestrian underpass near Roppongi Hills and confirmed that, with the new Roppongi 7 loops, these areas should actually be next in line, so suddenly I have a map crisis, since I haven't even completed making the course around much of that area, much less verified it. It was early, so only the snacks I brought.

After my 10 o'clock, I decided to try for a cake-off, as I didn't expect either of my sources to sell out. I got the Éclat des Jours' Rhum Raisin by bicycle, which I probably did last time. I shouldn't have gotten Bubó Barcelona's Bubó Xoco Deluxe by bicycle, as a mousse cake just can't stand up to the vibration, as the picture shows. That might have affected it's impact on me, as I wasn't feeling the greatness this time, which can be expected to happen sometime anway. I'll wait and see how it does in its next round before I bump it from the great list. The winner then was the Rhum Raisin. I'm not that confident that it needs to be in the great list either, though it is the only cake of its kind now, and I appreciate it for that, so it's a clean second win. It about time for me to get a new cake from Éclat des Jours, so now there is added urgency. It's a long run, though, so there's not a lot left even if I can make it in time. I should go when I'll willing to skip cake or when I'm not working a full day. 

Cake-off: Éclat des Jours's Rhum Raisin over Hidemi Sugino's Améthyste

Rain front coming through, but it slowed down, so I could get out before it. I'm hoping it will speed up again, so I can go out tomorrow afternoon, though there's the next typhoon coming in behind. Ran 15+ km total at 9+ km/h average, first to Éclat des Jours, which was a little late opening (there were a few people waiting ahead of me, but not more than there were staff inside, so no problem) to get their Rhum Raisin, and then to Hidemi Sugino, where I arrived 15 min before opening and got in a long line. Lots of foreigners, like me, as the place is famous and maybe some of them don't know better (like I should have) than come here on a Saturday morning. It took me 1 hour to get cake, but maybe I could have gotten it faster if I had come earlier (to get at the front of the line) or later (to come after the line had diminished, though it did not seem to have at 11:45). I should have waited and done this when I had a day off, but I was hoping for only a 30 min wait. Well, it will probably be a couple years before I need to go back, and I won't be in such a hurry that I can't wait to do it during a personal holiday.

As you might guess from the above, Rhum Raisin won the cake-off. Améthyste was not bad but I wasn't feeling the greatness (maybe it was too cold) and the Rhum Raisin still was a nice flavor with a creaminess that I'm not sure I've had elsewhere. Haven't decided yet when I'll try to go for the follow-up cake. I had about run through the whole line-up of cakes available at the end of the day when I stopped making them a weekly thing, but I can get something other than fresh cake as follow-up for a cake-off if I don't find anything new when I go.

Éclat des Jours: Rhum Raisin

Ran to Toyo (just north of Toyo station) in Koto-ku again, 10+ km each way, 10 km/h there, and 9 km/h back with cake in the rain (well, for several kilometers, anyway). Half the run follows a familiar path, and so passes quickly, but it's a nice path to the Inner Moat and then around to the Tokyo Station terminus of Toyo Line through Marunouchi and Kyobashi. On the main street (Route 1/Hibiya Ave.) running along the east side of the Inner Moat, you can see the newer behind the old on the northeast corner, in this old banking district, and the soon to be grand new big project on the southeast corner.

Then east of Tokyo station, which means canals and rivers. In this case, there are four canals but only Sumida River to cross of the bridges, but night and car headlights inferred too much for my old phone camera.

The cake was Rhum Raisin, which I did not have great expectations of, but it was the right shape (I don't trust wedges) and otherwise was not something I had developed negative expectations of. Still, just good was what I expected, but actually this was clearly definitely excellent and, maybe I'm just in a positive mood after 20+ km of running, but I left it was the best cake of this type that I've had and I'd like to have it again and compare it to other cakes, which is a way of saying it was great, so that's too great cakes in a row from them. Guess I'll be making more long eastward night runs. Also, this cake traveled almost double the distance as the last cake and did not even lose a raisin (until I bumped it trying to get it out, but I put it back).