Coffee Parlor Hilltop: Pistache Chocolat & Savarin

No running today, or any time next week. I'll be happy when walking is more pleasant. Still, life goes on, and I had an excuse be out toward Ochanomizu, so I visited Coffee Parlor Hill Top for lunch. This came to my attention from an NHK problem, which is a better commendation than simply being in the neighborhood, though there are still some good prospects there. The lunch was fine, but I don't feel a need to blog it---Expensive, in a nice atmosphere. The place is old, so I guess it will be closed down temporarily, something like May to November, but I'm not sure of the exact dates now. For desert, there were two cake sets. I wanted Pistache Chocolat, so I ate most of that one, but had about half of the Savarin as well.

The Pistache Chocolat also has a some strawberry, which should not be ignored. Slicing the strawberry was a good idea I haven't seen in a similar cake (and I'll do more now at home, where I have a knife). This is pistachio whipped cream, I think, over chocolate mousse, cake, and crunchy bottom. It's not really stable, so really it should be removed from it's plastic base and laid on its side. They certainly shouldn't present it to customers with the plastic wrap still on it, I should think. They need to work on their presentation. As cake, though, it was simple and yet well balanced, rather sweet, but that worked for me. Perhaps out of perversity, because in my condition and the condition of the shop, it's hard to get back there, I'll say it was great. Of course, if I said it was excellent, I would still want to get back there as I collect third cakes from quite good shops, but I have a higher priority now. If I find another great cake, I can do a cake-off with it, but it will have to be see. We'll see what cake JPH introduces next month.

The Savarin was heavy on citrus but I couldn't taste any alcohol at all, so maybe no rum. It was still good but not my kind of thing, nor are verrine generally. Under the new rating system, one just good cake is not a big deal (I always assume the five more good cakes in the pool when estimating my chance of getting a great cake next).

Très Calme, Fraise Citron

Recently, I promoted Très Calme to excellent and it was time for another new cake from them, though I've been focused on very good shops and other priorities before taking care of the excellent ones. However, since they are visiting Isetan right now, which is convenient, I decided to get cake from them today, their first day (they will stay through the 14th, the usual period being disrupted by the White Day holiday). They do have cake at Isetan, but only half the display space (again, White Day), so there were only four cakes. One was Pistache Apricot, which I was happy to see, because I want it for a cake-off, though I was surprised not to see their signature Mont-Blanc. Instead the other three cakes were Exquis, which is high-end chocolate and excellent and so even though I've had it from them before, it was labeled as an Isetan exclusive, so it's not currently in the regular line-up apparently; a cake I asked about and seemed to have too much coffee for me, and Fraise Citron, which is actually a verrine, not my favorite form of fresh "cake". For running, I tried again to do the Tomigaya--Yoyogi loop. I did the first turn correctly, but it put me on something that was just a footpath squeezed between buildings, not even an alley, so I'm revising the map to go around it, even though it will have me doubling back. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow in the evening. In the early afternoon, which I'm taking off, I plan to go back for the Pistache Apricot and then make a run to En Vedette for their namesake cake for an early cake-off. It's under 10 km, so I can go out again later, though I have other more serious things to do tomorrow. I had planned to go to P. Ces Jours, but perhaps next Wednesday.

For a verrine, or even for a strawberry-based cake, the Fraise Citron was definitely good and this shop remains firmly in excellent. If they win their cake-off, though, I think I'll pass on the coffee-based cake and make a trip out to the main shop, unless I find that they vary the Isetan line-up over time. There is also a limited time Sadaharu Aoki cake at Isetan, so I'll be back there as least twice during Très Calme's run, I think.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Bûchette P'tit Train

It's the week before Christmas, so Christmas cakes at Jean-Paul Hévin are my top priority. Monday, I was prepared to be disappointed on the first day, but they had full stocks of all three. I went with the Bûchette P'tit Train this time, which is citrus and something I didn't recognize and the Internet says is "timut pepper", though it seems to go by a lot of other names.

For running, I did the counterclockwise runs on the neighborhood course: the Samonchou loop and the Minami-Motomachi--Wakaba--Yotsuya--Sugachou--Shinanomachi loop with no problems. I thought Sendagaya--Kasumigaokamachi--Minami-Motomachi link the bridge was closed, but just parts are fenced off. So that's four loops down and a lot to go, but the second one is pretty complicated.

The cake was good quality. It has chocolate mousse, but is actually pretty heavy as JPH cakes go. It's excellent and I recommend it to anyone who likes chocolate cake.

Paris S'éveille: Savarin Vin Rouge

Home early to let the gas company do some sort of safety inspection (first time, at least under what system this was; I'm suspicious that it's just a marketing effort to promote their electricity business, since they didn't do a lot). I didn't have any place that was a priority that I couldn't get to on a weekday (I did have, but saw last night that they were coming to Isetan next week, and Heritage, which closes at 7 pm, isn't open Wednesdays), so I decided to just go down to Paris S'éveille on a weekday while the sun was up. I should stick to a regular route when cycling so I don't keep ending up having to wade through Harajuku and Shibuya Stn.

Closest thing to new cake that I could get was Savarin Vin Rouge, and it didn't especially look like anything had sold out, though I supposed something might have. I'm not sure what the fruit is, since I didn't bother to try to read the card, maybe mikan. Savarin at least has a good excuse for coming in a cup and still being called cake. It was good and I don't have any suggestions for improvement other than to stick with rum, though I suppose the red wine might go better with the fruit, which I would care about if I liked fruit-based desserts.

(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.　

No running: Lettre d'Amour [Closed] and Fraoula

At Lettre d'Amour, I got their Shirogane Fromage (Shirogane is neighborhood name), which is their cheese cake, for 600 yen. There were actually several customers, so I had to wait a few minutes, but most of those disappeared upstairs to the cafe by they time I had made my decision. The cake is three kinds of cream cheese blended into a mousse with a little citrus juice and gelatin with a sponge base. I went through a progression of thinking it was good cheese cake through about half, not something I need more than half of in the second half, and maybe not something I need at all afterward, although I'm not sure why. Rare cheese cake is not my favorite anyway. That's only my fourth from there, and there were plenty more cakes. More importantly, I found a good nearby park to eat in.

It was Sunday afternoon, so Ryoco had people lined up outside (early afternoon, that is; late afternoon when they run out, they just close), despite the light rain. From experience, I would say it would take about an hour (for 10 people: most people get several pieces and it takes time to box those up well), so I passed and circled back to Fraoula, who are never that busy (I hope they have some restaurant contracts; there were a couple people in the back busy, so they must have something).

I got this Senteur for 486 yen, which is Earl Grey flavored and has prunes. I was very happy with it. I'd be a good compliment with something sweeter, which I mean in a good way.

This is the Arre, I think (the register is having a little problem printing). It's a huge, flat, crunchy thing, perhaps with sesame but very sweet and chewy, for 324 yen. I prefer the Bostock, but I wanted to try this.

So, I'm thinking maybe I'll give up on cake shops outside Tokyo. I'm past the point of needing to go to new cake shops every time and I'd rather find nice paths for running than visit every shop within range. There's plenty that I've been to before that I haven't blogged about, and I can set other destinations and then visit, on the way or on the way back, whatever cake shop is convenient. Since I have a place 30 km out within Tokyo that I want to visit, I won't need to change my habits soon.