Pomology, Pomology Shine Muscat & Tarte Tatin

Sunday, got cake for two from Pomology, a fine shop, at Isetan. Obviously fruit is their thing, which is not my thing particularly, so I won't be returning there just for myself (especially at those prices), but didn't mind an excuse to give them another chance (can't immediately find the post on the first two cakes, which were also for two, so maybe I never posted, though it was this year). From the choices given, I went with Tarte Tatin, because tatin can be very nice sometimes. In this case, I thought it was excellent, finally raising this shop above average, though the fruits were always obviously above average.

The other cake selected was Pomology Shine Muscat. Though I'm all about the cake, not the fruit, these high-quality fancy grapes made this a definitely good cake.

Repos, Fromage Vanille & Fraisier (Muscat)

Got cake for two on Saturday from Repos (a.k.a. P. Ease), a fine shop that had given me one excellent cake from their new counter at Isetan. This time, I chose the cheesecake, Fromage Vanille, and a Fraisier, though with Muscat grapes substituted for traditional strawberries (also cheese based, but mascarpone is tasteless, so it doesn't really count; it's just a medium). 

While more soufflé-like than my preferred cheesecake, it was still definitely good. 

The interesting thing about the Fraisier, besides the contradictory name, is that it comes with olive oil that you pour over it (though I guess that's a standard thing with them for this type of cake, Muscat or not). It also was good, and interesting, but I was less convinced. This will remain a fine shop in my list.

Rue de Passy, Saint Honoré à la Pistache

Went out to do a long run and was more successful at getting cake than running, which I'll take. Today was my first attempt to do the Daita-... loop counterclockwise, and I failed within the first kilometer, but now I shouldn't fail there (might try again tomorrow). So, I switched to cakerunning mode and decided that among my weekend priorities, Rue de Passy was closer, though if I had chosen the farther, I probably would have come back by train, so actually I probably would have run less, but returned later.

The Saint Honoré à la Pistache seemed like the best bet. Since no drink order was required and it was late enough for the eat-in space to be open (but almost empty), I ate in.  I've had pistachio saint honoré before, but this one was unique: the top is a pealed grape, the choux balls are full of grape cream, and there's another whole pealed grape buried in the middle. The grape mellows the pistachio cream, I think, or at least allows less sugar to be used. I rarely encounter grape in cake, but this worked well, so I can say that it is excellent. As a result, Rue de Passy definitely qualifies to replace Le Chocolat de H (which I've had six excellent cakes from, but no great ones) in the exceptional list. It might still get bumped by one of the other contenders, since the boundary is rather fragile, but I'm going to try to avoid test that until December 1, when Coffee Parlor Hill Top should reopen, since it's currently at the top of the quite fine group and is challenging Les Cacaos.

On the way back, I noticed a new shop on Aoyama-Douri ave., Le Pécin. Didn't notice anything suitable for a runner (all gift sizes), but got a free sample that was good.

Not sure whether this is related to the café of the same name up in Shinjuku Ward. I was on my way running back to finish off the revised Jinguumae east loop, which I easily did.

La Bicerin: Muscat Grape Cake

Monday, I went to Jean-Paul Hévin to get something small and non-cake to tide me over for a day and I choose Sablé Viennois Nougatine Pistache. I also saw that they had three new (at least to my posts) cakes and one new version of an old cake, so I really didn't need to supplement selections from JPH with the sablé, but I did anyway, because I hate to change plans and Sadaharu Aoki is still my priority for my next new cake. After my last big neighborhood run, I updated my map to include more non-cake/pastry places, including chocolate shops, which includes For running, I had decided that I should include Mon Loire, in Minami-Aoyama 6-choume, which required new loop, which I'm calling the Minami-Aoyama south loop and is also an 11th-level loops (counting from southwest of Yotsu 3-choume Station). However, if I apply the run of including things that are across the street from the course, then I should widen the Minami-Aoyama--Nishi-Azabu Loop in include the Yokumoku, which I did and used in this run successfully. The loop is tiny, but the link too it is relative long. Still, to do a one-way neighborhood that does the loop takes a few minutes short of an hour, though then I had to get home. On the way, I noticed that past Yokumoku is also an Inari Shrine that I should include, so I widened the map further, and then I refound in Google Qu'il Fait Bon, a sort of tart shop, so I added that, which expanded the course a little further. Later, the Sablé Viennois Nougatine Pistache seemed, although just one disappears pretty quickly, so its hard to judge.

Tuesday I was busy and then Wednesday morning being busy including going to La Bicerin for lunch at Shinjuku Takashimaya. This a fancy Italian caffè. Sorry, I didn't choose the cake or remember to get the proper name afterward (it wasn't one of the ones on the menu), so let's call it Muscat Grape Cake, though it's more a tart. It was definitely good with very high quality fruit. The half of the lunch set (or whatever they all it) that I had was also good chocolate cake and chocolate raspberry tart.

In the evening, I did the Tokyo Station rounds for the beginning of the month and discovered nothing new at JPH (either Marunouchi or Ginza Mitsukoshi), Viron, F. Cassel, 14 Julliet, or Dalloyau (I had other business and was running late, so I didn't have time to swing by Sadaharu Aoki, though I know they have one or two exclusives there that I want). However, JPH Marunouchi convinced me (the barrista gave me a pitch, recognizing me) that I should try their exclusive crêpe creation before it ends this month, so I plan to. Also, like other JPH stores, I can get the revamped Chocolat Framboise there, which started this month. Not sure how long the running was, but it's over 10 km generally and I had a lot of additional walking.

Bien-être: Seasonal Tart (Kyohou Grape)

Yesterday, I went to Bien-être and they were sold out of the one cake that I wanted, which did not surprise me, so I reserved cake and a table for the next day. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the next day looking forward to that, even though it's not like I don't want to get cake from other places. Jumping back to yesterday, though, I had added Lola's Cupcakes to the Northwest Jinguumae Loop, so I visited there for the first time and got a tiny (less than 3 cm in diameter) Chocolate Cupcake. It was good, but I couldn't make out what the frosting was. It was not as stiff as I would expect buttercream to be (though maybe I'm used to eating them at colder temperatures). A few minutes later, I had a kind of bad taste in my mouth, but I'm not sure that it's fair to blame the cupcake, since there wasn't any immediate strange aftertaste that I noticed, though I'm suspicious of the stars. Anyway, there is a reason that I've moved on from cupcakes, namely that there are so much better things.

Today, I went and got my cake. Since I had a table time, I did not need to be in a hurry and tested out the new parts of the Northwest Jinguumae loop on the way there, and also checked out from the outside a couple baked goods shops in odd places down around Yoyogi Park Station (both on tiny side streets, one in a basement and one on a second floor).

As promised, they kicked out (gently) people a table (and probably the table next it, though the people with that reservation didn't show up for another fifteen minutes) and I got my Seasonal Tart, which includes kyohou grapes. It's a pretty thick tart, maybe a butter tart on the bottom and a relatively restrained layer of custard before fruit held by some gelatin. Also, whipped cream and I suppose those are pistachio sprinkled on. Other fruit besides two kinds of grapes seem to be fig and strawberry. I think there was also a raspberry, which is maybe hidden in the back of the photo. It was excellent, so I recommend it to fruit tart lovers. It's my first to try a seasonal tart, but I look forward to whatever the next season is (couldn't get a definite prediction of what or when).

On the way back, I finished reviewing the Jinguumae Northwest loop, which had expanded to add Cookie Time, but then I saw that there as a Kyoubashi Senbikiya, which is a fruit dessert seller, but that includes cake (which I've blogged already, for a different source), so I felt a need to add it. Now the course breaks down, so I've had to slit off the bottom as the Jinguumae Central West loop.

Bien-être: Kyohou Grape Shortcake

On Monday, I reserved cake at Bien-être for Wednesday, so it was good luck, I suppose, that Tuesday was the day with violent rain over Tokyo in the evening. Today, I was a little surprised when they called me to ask whether I was coming to get the cake when it was before the earliest time that I had given them and I paid ahead, but someone else probably wanted it. I told them that I was on my way, since I was more than halfway done with the run there (I was actually just passing Harajuku Station). They were sold-out of that cake and other one which I would have wanted (seasonal tart), so it was good that I reserved it. There was a table open between parfait eaters, so even though I told them take-out and they had already boxed it, they offered to let me eat in, so I did.

The cake was their seasonal shortcake, which now is Kyohou (巨峰の) Grape Shortcake, which I've heard other cake shops as offering now, too. Not sure how long the season lasts. I've had grape mille-feuille from there in the past, so it was probably the same kind of grape, though I wasn't paying attention to that at the time. Bien-être has surprised me in the past, but this was a standard Japanese shortcake, which means lots of whipped cream, some fruit, and sponge cake to hold it together. All of these are good and go fine together, but this kind of cake is too much plain whipped cream for me to get excited about, though a change is often nice. Definitely good cake, as expected.

This leaves Bien-être, Paris S'éveille, and Sadaharu Aoki overlapped for third place. Since I've had the fewest cakes from Bien-être, they remain the priority, but any of them could end up on top, though none of them have many cakes that I haven't had, so it's not so important as far as prioritizing for new cakes.

Paris S'éveille: Tarte Fruits Rouge

I realized a little while back that I was actually one short of my target number of fresh cakes for Paris S'éveille and finally got around to going there. Using the route I choose, it is around 11 1/3 km and 80 m of climbing and descending each way. Going out, I was on the high side of 10 km/h, which is not the fastest I've gone, but pretty good for lately. Unfortunately, I'll still getting there pretty late, so I did not find any new cakes. Of the familiar cakes that I haven't tried yet, I choose the Tarte Fruits Rouge (I think the card said), which did not excite me much, but I figured would be better for me than the Opera or the coffee tonka bean tart, since coffee makes me ill. There is also a revamped version of the Everest, so I should probably review my review of that and see whether I can tell how different the new one is; maybe it's worth trying.

Going back was a similar distance, of course, and I was less in a hurry, so only 9 km/h. It rained a little, but I was prepared to double bag the cake box and had a jacket with a hood if I had needed it.

The tart was actually an excellent tart and reminded me that I don't mind an excellent tart now and then. Sorry, I forgot to set the camera for "flowers" so that it can deal with cake close-ups. Still another week and a half before I get the new phone with the good camera, when I'll have to learn all over again about the settings. Should be a little better than these, though.


I should say that Tuesday I ran without cake, and without even a pastry. I might use that as an excuse to get another cookie from JPH some time (I owe them for a cake-off win). I was doing my culture and cake shop local neighbor runs and managed the first two okay (583 m at 10 km/h and 2.72 km at 9 km/h, with two passes over the pedestrian bridge) but still have not completed the third one (I assume that I ran about 9 km/h, so it would have been another 3.7 km, but I'm not going to waste my time measuring the length directly, even though I know exactly where I went) without making wrong turns (granted, I keep adjusting the route, but I can only blame one mis-turn on that this time). Maybe tomorrow I'll finally make it through to the end, though it will be in the rain. I should also say that I went out in the morning and took some photos of some of the points of interest on the route, so eventually when I get organized and caught up on other postings I'm explicitly post the map with the photos and some comments.

Bien-être: Mille-Feuille au Raisin

I went to Glycine without confirming their schedule and found them closed on Wednesday, so I swung up to Bien-etre where I ate in (hidden by the door on the left, but there are a few tables and a counter), though just one other customer eating and having tea at 8 pm on a Wednesday. I walked far and fast, 13.2 km averaging 6.2 km/h, so I'm completely off schedule/over budget. I didn't have any trouble then or after, though, so expect an acceleration of the walking schedule (although I'm busy now, so it may average out over the next few days). Anyway, maybe it's time to try introducing some running again, just a kilometer to start, next week, as I confirm I can manage faster walking regularly.

The cake was Mille-Feuille au Raisin for 540 yen. I was in the mood to like this cake, and it's the best grape mille feuille I've ever had, from a candidate excellent shop, so I won't feel too guilty saying it's excellent, even if I'm not in a strong need for more cakes like this one.

Saturday: Frédéric Cassel: Tarte Ruby Roman and Mille Feuille Vanillle

Walked to Ginza, 1 km at 5.5 km/h and 4 km at 5 km/h. Went to Frédéric Cassel and could get both the Tarte Ruby Roman (there just thru Monday for a Ginza Mitsukoshi fair) for 1080 yen and their frequent sell-out Mille Feuille Vanillle (I certainly have not seen it recently at night, if ever before) for the usual 777 yen.

Ruby Roman is, or at least was, the most expensive grape in the world. Certainly, the tart was excellent and interesting for a fruit tart. I didn't realize that it was grape when I bought it, thinking this was some strange kind of chestnut.

The mille feuille was also excellent, and really big, for example, compared to their special "inspiration" Mexican vanilla finger mille feuille. Like that one, though, this is vanilla cream but not a custard. Since I'm tired of custard at the moment, I was fine with that.