Citron: Tarte Citron

During last week, I tried a new place on the neighborhood running course (though not the part I was working on practicing at the time), Citron in Minami-Aoyama. Actually, they only have the one cake, Tarte Citron, though they also have pound cake. The Tarte Citron is reasonably good, though not special. It's like a giant lemon bar. So one shop got checked off. This week, I'll stick to priority shops.

Cake-off Jean-Paul Hévin's Longchamp Praliné over Origines Cacao, Tarte Citron

Went to Ginza the long way, so I could finish off the added Minami-Aoyama 1 loop and also get the pictures for the added Kita-Aoyama east loop. It was also a late start, as I had a morning appointment, but the goal was get there around noon in case I needed to visit a shop that opens then. The main target was Jean-Paul Hévin's Longchamp Praliné, but I then went to Origines Cacao and firmed that the Tarte Citron is not a standard, so I got that. I know I said I wasn't going to this week, but another seasonal cake appeared at F Cassel, so I figured I need to step things up. Also, I'm busy next week, so was not sure whether I would be able to get a cake-off in.

It was not a lot of running, but it was around 1 pm by the time I got home and then there was lunch, so I didn't save the cakes so long. The sugar-heavy Longchamp Praliné didn't have any trouble convincing me that it was the winner, but the Tarte Citron, while mild, went great with it, which I think as one of it's strong points, so I'm not so worried about it not belong with the greats.

I had planned to do my largest loop Sunday, so no more running Saturday, but I found a flaw in that loop, so I have to reset completing it (wiping out my clockwise completion), so it seemed less important. That being the case, I decided I'd work on other loops Sunday, so I started that by trying the revised Tomigaya-Yoyogi loop while also running an errand to figure out how to revise the Hatagaya--Nishihara loop, which was not as nearby as I had hoped, and I also stopped for bread. I was able to follow the planned loop perfectly, but realized that it couldn't be correct under my current rules for courses and I was right, so it was just practice (the correct map turns one block earlier at one point).

Origines Cacao: Tarte Citron

Worried about (or despite worrying about) various health issues, I ran not so fast to Ginza to get another cake from Origines Cacao (and seem to be okay for it). It wasn't a fast run and I walked a lot of the way home, because I had time and cake. I think there were two cakes I hadn't had at Origines Cacao and I made the obvious choice and took the one that wasn't pumpkin-based: the Tarte Citron. Note, that this is lemon (I assume, though there could be other things in there) meringue and in no way resembles a tart (or pie) in terms of shape and crust. Nevertheless, it seems to be the perfect lemon meringue whatever, with just the right amount of crust, so I'm not suggesting it would have been better in a tart shell (though I'm not saying it wouldn't, because it is good crust). I'm going to go with great for this one, which is a little dangerous, as it probably reflects the lack of any other active great citron cakes (one of the inactive ones is also Origines Cacao, from almost 4 years ago, with other from Viron about 2.5 years ago, both citron noisette cakes). I could pit this against the seasonal JPH cake next, rather than the planned Mont-Blanc, but there's another JPH cake I can use for this one and not have it twice in four days, so I'll hold off at least a week.

(Sat.) Éclat des Jours: Tarte Citron

Yesterday, I went out by bicycle and first again went to Éclat des Jours in response to their cake-off win. Unfortunately, they don't add new cakes very frequently, so it the pretty much the same old stuff that I've already had 9 cakes from. However, I've only had one of their several tarts, so I went with Tarte Citron. This is a little tough to evaluate, because though I like this type of tart, my interest in fruit tarts is still limited. This one was definitely good, and after long deliberation, I decided that it probably should qualify as excellent, so I'm going with that, which ups their numerical rating somewhat. Maybe I'll try the pistachio and cherry with coconut cream éclair next time. I ate it outside in the nearby park. Notice that they gave me a completely unnecessary spoon-like utensil. Of course, some tarts do break apart when cut or bit into, but this one could be eaten with one's hands (plus, I have extra utensils that I carry for the very reason that places sometimes give you things without asking).

Just because it's a noticeable landmark along the way, I took a picture of the "Wise Owl Hostels". I'm a little far away from it, but the lamppost tends to block letters of the sign from the next nearer corner.

The rest of the day was cycling to Jiyuugaoka, then Youga, and then in a sharp >-shaped course back to a little north of Youga (I was making good distance, so I didn't stop to check my map to see why I wasn't arriving somewhere familiar faster). The only useful information I got was that Bigarreaux finally has their specialty Le Plaisir in their line-up so that I can do a cake-off with it. It's probably also not a coincidence that they visit Isetan again from this coming Wednesday, so I think I'll do a midweek Cake-off this week with it and a JPH cake (I've got four of them available that I haven't done yet) and then maybe use the weekend to head somewhere new. There may also be some pseudo-new shops this month, as I get cakes from shops on my neighborhood map that I've never actually posted on, which I just did with Nana Gâteaux, which I had not known existed. Both Joshi+ and Sweet Sonobe seem to be off on posting about cakes, so all I've got is Isetan's visiting shops for info on new cake shops, and they tend to be the same old places.

[Saturday, Isetan] Le Salon Jacques Borie: Mille-fieulle and Tarte Citron

Took a rest at Jacques Borie, which is the most expensive café I go, by far. This is café cake, which follows different rules. I'm not even going to get into the pricing, since you're paying a lot for atmosphere (though the 10% service charge could be said to cover that).

Had the Mille-feuille, which is vanilla cream (not custard) in between fairly loose layers, so it was more like vingt-feuille than mille-feuille. This is not necessarily a complaint. Because it was cream, not custard, the inner layer could not support much force, so the pastry layers need to be fairly easy to cut through for it not to be quite difficult to eat. It was unique and excellent, as it should be. The lemon tart was definitely good, but not so much that I was too impressed, at least not by the couple bites I had. So the café is still excellent. I'll save up and maybe go back again in a year.

I also got the new Canelé au Caramel from Henri le Roux, C.B.S., Chocolat, and Framboise. These were disappointing. I'll say they are good, but they aren't anything I need at all. They are bit heavy without being particularly chewy and I can't recall much rum flavor. These run at least through April, so I'm still waiting for the cake to come back to see whether it was really as great as I thought the first time around.

Il Fait Jour: Tarte Citron

Yesterday the rain stopped and I didn't want to be stuck with 7 km for the week, since it's kind of a benchmark for how fast I can increase, so I went out and did another 3 km of running, either in 2 minute or 200 meter stretches separated about half that of walking. I did part on the Gaien course so I could make sure I was running between 7 and 8 min/km, which is really slow (walking was less than 10 min/km). I was kind of pressing my luck running, though. I'm okay today, but it was not hard to convince myself to finally take a rest (instead, I did running stretches and exercises inside). That gives me 10 km within a week, so my goal/limit next week, I think, is 19 km, with 2 km of that 6 to 7 min/km (probably, I'll go back to the same course next Monday or Tuesday for those). Then the week after that I can do 27 km with 6 km of that faster than 7 min/km. Maybe I'll want to completely eliminate the super slow 8 min/km pace (it's a little awkward), or maybe I'll want to keep it around for really long runs. We'll see. I don't expect to try anything with more than 5 km of running next week, though I don't have a particular plan for how I'll ramp up the maximum. Just a 2 or 3 km a week would be fine, and I'm going to be stricter about the rests afterward.

Today, I did rest, but I went for cake, which I did not do yesterday (instead, I ate a lot of cherries with a lot of syrup, so getting cake is a huge improvement as far as diet). I already had three excellent cakes from Il Fait Jour, so they are ahead in that category, but since they were visiting Isetan, where I can get a discount and it is very convenient, I decided to get one. Unfortunately, I had already had the best three choices of not many. At Isetan, there were lots of little glasses of things, which is true of lots of places these days, but I have very little interest. As an Isetan exclusive, there as Tarte Citron for 486 yen, which sounded much better than a seasonal mixed fruit tart (which I've never found to be good anywhere, since most fruits require some subtly to work in cake, not to forget working with each other). The Tarte Citron was perhaps good, which is giving them the benefit of the doubt. It is tiny, which is not a big deal, since I got the idea after half. The thick visible base is a semi-firm (for cake) but moist butter tart maybe, or a dacquoise, though I don't have enough experience yet to say either way. On top of that is a little lemon gelatine dome (hidden) which was fine under a several-millimeter cover of probably meringue (or just whipped egg whites, as there was no identifiable taste). Nothing bad about it, just nothing impressive about it.

The plan for tomorrow is 4 km of running as part of finally visiting Piece Montee again, although I better confirm that they are still there first, since it's been a while since I've been by there.

1/1 intervals untimately to

Did 1 min/1 min intervals to the Shinbashi Origines Cacao, which was closed with no sign and before 8 pm, so I'll try to remember that they are closed on Thursdays. No problem, since it's about the running. Since Frédéric Cassel gave me two good cakes, I went back for a third.

I was a little sore in selected places from yesterday's run when I started, so that was not a complete waste of time. That cleared up, but coming back my hip (or really below) started hurting, so I was a little slow, although I'm okay now as far as pain, just really tired. I've only found that sitting was painful after running the last week, so maybe I'm working on new muscles (I had assumed it was because I was out on a bike on Saturday for a few hours and then ran 39 km on Sunday). Today, I had lightened my bag pretty much already, but if I'm going to be running hard, I guess it was still too much. I'll try losing the water bottle. I hope next Thursday to get to those 7 min laps (with no bag).

This time was Tarte Citron for 648. It was definitely very good and consistent with the quality I expect from that shop. Not sure what the green bits are. I still have not found a lemon tart that I think is great, this I can't say that this was any less good than those I've already designated as great shops.

(Sunday 1) 9 km run (and 17 km run): Frauola

Visited a few shops (but hit the tag limit, so I'm splitting this). A straight to and back from Fraoula in the late morning was about 9 km. (Then from noon I took a long path that took me by Lettre d'Amour for the first time and to Ryoco again.) I updated shops on this map. From Fraoula, I got Fran Nature and Tarte Citron for 367 and 410 yen, because I was taking them home to share and I wanted something that I was sure would run well, as well as being something I had not gotten there before. They were very good. Note sure if they were excellent, but I might get them again. Definitely a great cake shop. Supposedly, that is meringue. Certainly it is egg-like and whipped. This tart is less sweet that some I've had, which is not a bad thing in a lemon tart.

14.0 km after Ladurée: tarte citron

This was a long run after first getting my cake at Ladurée (via Lumine II at Shinjuku station). Actually I got the tarte citron (タルトシトロン: lemon tart), for 616 yen. I got the tart because it was relatively cheap, I've had several other things there but I'm pretty sure I haven't had this, and I'm interested in making tarts at home. This was very good and quite big (very shareable). It's got a somewhat crumbly thin shell (you can pick in up in your hand if you are careful) full of a sort of opaque whiter custard and then a couple millimeters of sort of glassy but not gelatinous brighter yellow layer on top that definitely has a lemon taste. No complaints. Stopped by Neues and Libertable, but neither one had the cake I wanted to take notes on.

This was maybe the first time to do a whole loop with the crowd around the imperial palace moat, definitely the first time at night. Very interesting. I didn't try to time myself, because my phone was inside my backpack. Unfortunately, the close along the route is on the Ginza corner, so opposite where I would want to start. I'm thinking about sports watches, such as something that uses GPS to track your path.