Ryoura, Récif

Sunday as a big cake and running day. First, I did the run out to Ryoura. I stopped at Hikarie to check Sadaharu Aoki, but it seems to be one of the shops closed during a 1.5-month renovation. Next, I went to Viron and got their Bostock aux Pistaches, which I decided was excellent, though I'm not convinced that pistachios, much less with cherry, are an improvement.

At Ryoura, I decided that chocolate was a dependable choice (plus, I've had most of their line-up), so I went with the Récif, which I hadn't seen before. This is chocolate and whipped cream, with oat and currant sablé and cacao-scented blancmange, which sounds a little weird perhaps, but the taste was a definitely good chocolate cake, but it didn't really stand out. Maybe the interesting ingredients actually cancelled each other out. I'll included the double picture and split up the post, since I don't have enough space for all the labels.

Origines Cacao: Cassis Vanille

Worked late, but still got to Ginza in time to get the last Cassis Vanille from Origines Cacao, which I think catches me up with their current line-up. Forget to check on cakes for the next cake-off, so I should stop back and ask about both new cakes and that if I manage to get out there again during the week (I'll have two chances, but I'm busy). In terms of construction, I would say that I don't like this type of cake, with sponge wrapped around a soft filling, and yet it worked for me this time, with a really nice vanilla accented by the cassis. I might be favoring them, but I'm calling this one excellent, so they're still a priority shop. Ran most of the way back, I'll say, though not after I stopped the first time for groceries. Also did the indoor upper body weights workout, so just running tomorrow, somewhere that closes late.

Mariage Frères: blueberry cassis tea tart and figgy pudding

Saturday, went to a fancy café around the corner north of Ginza Mitsukoshi. It's their "new" tea salon, being only 2 years old. It was good, but maybe not high return on cost, though it depends how much you value atmosphere. For an older crowd than my typical choices. It was lunch and cake for two and the cake was from the base choices (versus any of the items requiring an extra expense). I went with a blueberry tart with a base of cassis and some sort of tea (like every dessert there) that I've forgotten. Not sure whether these had official names, so I'm sticking to descriptions.

The other dessert chosen was figgy pudding, which is like fruitcake without the cake, I found. Both were certainly good, though once with figgy pudding was enough, though it cake whipped cream, which at least makes it fresh as a café dessert.

La Vie Douce, Marronnier

Tuesday, I got a 6th cake from La Vie Douce, which is challenging the bottom of the next shop category, the exceptional shops. I got the Marronnier (horse-chestnut) early, did my non-weights indoor workout (Monday I did the weights workout after running), and went for about a 90 minute run. My target was the highest priority neighborhood loop, which was the revised Ebisu-Nishi west loop, which I failed, as I didn't recognize an old turn (I think they changed the billboard, but I should just remember that it's the first left after incoming link route). On the way, I finished verifying the Higashi north loop and did two new loops clockwise, the Ebisu-Minami loop and the Ebisu 1 loop. Maybe I'll get back there again on Thursday. It depends how I decide to travel to the Tooyou-chou Station area.

The cake, which has hazelnut, chestnut, and cassis/currant, was definitely good. It's a fall cake, so more nutty than sweet. It's really a quite fine shop, I just wish they would make their yuzu Chiboust again.

Libertable: Grace

Went back to Libertable to share the previous cheesecake and try another new cake, Grace. It was hot and in the middle of a day that I had other things to do, so I went by bicycle, though it was still a pretty sweaty business. Grace was chosen among things I haven't had because it's been in the line-up for a long time, so I figured it was a about time. This is mainly a red fruit mousse cake, which means fruity and gelatinous, so a tough sell with me. I those terms, this did not really rise above the standard, though definitely of high quality. This claims heavy (? not sure how to interpretty koku = コク in this case) cream, but the distinctive taste is the basil: actually I wouldn't be surprised if there are other spices. It was definitely good, and interesting, which their cakes usually are. The last three cakes have been excellent on average, so the shop category excellent is probably appropriate, so my focus will turn to better than excellent shops, though I've had one great cake that I'll have to get back to for cake-off, so it might not be that long before I revisit them.

Un Grand Pas: Fig

No running, of course. My leg actually felt like it was definitely improved today, but then started hurting bad at the end of the workday, although not more than the worst last week. I'm still worried that it's a stress fracture and isn't getting any better because I walk on it (because I need to go places and do things).

One thing maybe I don't need to do is go to Isetan, although it does not add that much walking to the day. I did though. Weirdly, where I thought Chez Cima was on Tuesday, the sign was covered and there seemed to be something else going on (Valentine's day is coming up, so some temporary rearrangement is expected for that madness), but I didn't look closely, as my goal was Ma Patisserie, which is (Patisserie et les Biscuits) Un Grand Pas, from Saitama City, this week. 

I got "Fig" for 420 yen, which has no figs, so my guess at an English spelling might be wrong. This is pistachio marzipan around rum-soaked raisins and currants, I think, on an almond cookie base, so it's like a fruitcake tart, almost. The cream layer in between is coffee, which I kind of noticed and could have done without, but it didn't ruin it for me, so it's probably best that I didn't know, since I'm not sure that anything else they had would suit me. Eventually, maybe I'll get used to coffee, but I don't accidentally eat it that often. Anyway, it was still excellent. I'm a little worried that the pain and medicine is making me loose my discrimination, but it is Isetan, after all, so I shouldn't be surprised that it's not bad. I might go back again while they are still at Isetan, since I don't know if I'll ever go that far north again, even if my leg recovers, and I've got enough to do in Tokyo.

Back: ~9 km to Aigre-Douce: Fraicheur Framboise

I've been not cake-running in Tokyo, so no posts. There was a lot of running at least one day and exercise everyday, and much searching for good cake in a land where rollcake is king, putting sponge cake in tarts is apparently okay, and even places that are trying to make high-class French cakes use too much gelatin (which usually means any gelatin, but I don't make cake myself, so I'll allow a certain amount might be necessary structurally).

Anyway, I got a run in, only there was other less runnable shopping than cake and some busy streets, there there was maybe 1 to 2 km of walking involved. I went to Aigre-Douce, near Mejiro Station (目白駅), which is a great shop. I got the "nouveau" Fraicheur Framboise （fresh raspberries: フレッシュール フランボワーズ) for 530 yen. I can't read the text in my photo of the card, but something about the cacao in the chocolate is strong, and of course there are raspberries. The peaks are not hard, so maybe it does not count as a meringue. So, once again, I need to go back to update this entry. No problem for this great cake from a great cake shop, although it is out of the way.  

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Look, my photos line up: progress. This second cake is from Avançons again, which is not so far, being one station away and on the way back. This time, I got a great cake, so there is a reason they sell out when I have to work during the day. This one is called Bonheur (ボヌール). The base is a tart and the top mousse part is mostly caramel, I think, although maybe there was currant in there besides the one that slipped down when I automatically yanked the little decoration with the store name off without thinking. Whoops. The cake was 450 yen and I think great, but I might just be thrilled to be back in the Tokyo cake-running business. 

Tomorrow is rain and Isetan's visiting store is a rollcake place (even in Tokyo), so maybe no running or cake tomorrow.