Presqu'île Chocolaterie, Ruby

I took advantage of Presqu'île Chocolaterie being at Isetan to pick up a 4th cake from them, which is my goal for the 48 shops in my quite fine category. Ruby chocolate is still rare, and it can be great, so I went with their Ruby, though it's closest relative is probably Mure, which was my least favorite of theirs at the time. Nevertheless, it turned out well, as this was excellent, which means it will make the next cut (32 shops is the target number for this category, but just 3 cakes wasn't enough to make that fine a division). Besides being ruby chocolate with the traditional raspberry addition, the center is lychee liquor marinated grapefruit in lychee cream. It works. These days, I'm working late and doing more indoor exercises, though I still got in some running (not that I can remember now whether it was a 30-min or 45-min day).

  

En Vedette, Tarte Pamplemousse

After a disappointing coffee shop cake after a long day of running around the north Omote-Sandou Stn. area, I went down to Shibuya to get Tarte Pamplemousse from En Vedette. Grapefruit is a tough sell for me, but I've exhausted the other options at En Vedette. Unfortunately, it remains a hard sell, though I'll allow that it was good.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Verrine Lavande & Verrine Banane Griotte

Sunday afternoon, as brunch dessert, we got cake for two from Jean-Paul Hévin: Verrine Lavande & Verrine Banane Griotte, the new new items. The first is white chocolate, lavender, and grapefruit, and the second is Dominican chocolate, banana sauce, and cherry. Neither are really my ideal flavors. The verrine Lavande was good, but pretty mind, though you wouldn't really want intense grapefruit or lavender, I would think, so this was as designed and offered a variation over the other cake, which is sweet, and the verrine not ordered, which is coffee and presumably bitter. Despite continued reservations about banana, this was excellent. I have to acknowledge that it's not the fruit, but how it's used that's important. This at least catches me up with JPH's last cake-off wins. 

Cake-off; Bien-être's Pistachio & Grapefruit Chiboust over L'Abricotier's Sicilien Figue

Saturday was cake-off day this weekend. I wasn't sure about Bien-être, which doesn't open until 11 a.m., so I first ran out to around Hatsudai to take some pictures of sights in that area for my neighborhood map. I've decided that my priority in doing (one-way) neighborhood runs is how many loop courses out they are, counting fro Samonchou, so I'll get to this one before Hiroo (though actually I went there because I could end up at Bien-être by a reasonable path). Too hot really, so I only ran about 30 minutes before it became almost completely walking and taking pictures. Got to Bien-être at opening (they don't actually have a sign to flip, just the other people outside didn't seem that intent so I just went in at 11 sharp and ordered my cake. Went to L'Abricotier by train for Sicilien Figue, which still involved walking a ways in the heat.

This was another pistachio cake comparison, this time a second-round contest between first-round losers, and this time I could confirm that the grapefruit went with the pistachio and choose the Bien-être cake for the win. Since the flavors were similar, it was hard to tell whether the other cake needed to be in the great list at all, so I've put the L'Abricotier on notice, so to speak.

In the evening, I went running again, a one-way run down to immediately north of Shibuya station, which I haven't run before, even as a local test run (without doing neighborhood paths the long way). I had to walk a lot of the new crowded bits and double-check my map, but it was fine. I reminded me that I have an untried local cake shop down there that I can use as a back-up some time (probably won't need it this week). It was maybe 100 minutes of running. Huge crowd around the Gaien Stadium due to people coming out of a fireworks competition (on the outbound, the streets weren't too crowded, but I was unfortunate with the wind and it got pretty smoky in one part, and of course noisy for quite a while). I should mention that I stopped for a large, very expensive, just okay doughnut (Van Houten Chocolate...) from Good Town Doughnuts and Coffee, so don't do that.

Cake-off: Très Calme's Pistache Apricot over Bien-être's Pistachio and Grapefruit Chiboust

Saturday isn't as hot as I feared, but still plenty hot. Haven't done any running yet, but am considering going out in the evening to revisit parts of my neighborhood map before getting back to adding new parts (besides the new parts I've had to add in the middle of old maps, because I found overlooked locations). Instead, I went out at about 9:30 to update pictures for the neighborhood map. Did a temple practically next to Shinanomachi Station that's been rebuilt, then down to Jinguu Gaien Ichou Namiki Avenue, where I've added a new neighborhood loop, now that the connecting pedestrian bridges are available, along with the Royal Garden Cafe Aoyama at the south end, which has good pastries. Then I went down to the loop around Hiroo, where I only managed two planned locations and picked up two previously unknown locations near them, which is not a very good ratio of success, so I've had to completely redo that loop, splitting off the northeast part as three loops (which include a lot of bread places that I overlooked previously) and merging what was left (which is most of that loop) with the loop northeast of Shibuya Bridge, near Ebisu Station. I still haven't tested any of that, so I won't be surprised if there are future changes.

Then from about 10:08, I went my bicycle and got my cake. One was Pistache Apricot from Très Calme (naturally, I visited the farthest one first, though that was because they open first) which only got slightly dented, and the other was the variously named Pistachio and Grapefruit Chiboust from Bien-être, which I had (unnecessarily) preordered the night before (they just took my name and number; they didn't make me pay ahead, unlike Sadaharu Aoki), which definitely did not like road vibration, which is not surprising for any chiboust. The later cake I've been waiting to do a first-round cake-off since last September. I also noted that Bien-être had at least two other cakes that I haven't had, a seasonal tart and a new mille-feuille and that they do not in fact seem to have verrine, just puddings.

The cake-off wasn't a blowout this time, so they were well matched in that sense, as well as being well matched in flavors (no clashing) and yet having significant design differences to make comparing them interesting. I'm deciding in favor of the denser more sophisticated Pistache Apricot from the less distinguished (by me, at least) shop over the light, homemade-like Pistachio & Grapefruit Chiboust, which I thought would be better for with less grapefruit. Both cakes are seasonal, so I'll be doing second-round cake-offs with them next, starting with the loser against Le Saint-Marc, which at least shares its lightness. Next time, perhaps I'll walk the chiboust, or at least run it, home and see if it arrives more intact.

Bien-etre: Chiboust au Pistache

Despite foot problems last night, things seemed better today. Need to get that balance between being too stiff and maybe spraining my ankle trying to stretch, I guess. I ran 5+ km each way to Bien-etre at 8+ km/h. It was a good run in that it made me feel better about my ability to run and my ability to enjoy running.

This was my fourth cake from Bien-etre, as I try to get all 18 shops in my Excellent shop list up to four cakes (there are several at three, all ones I can get too on a workday, if I want to). My goal is to have 16, so I'd like to demote one and promote one. I ate in, as I've done before, since they have a reasonable amount of space. There were even two other customers eating in. I went with the Chiboust au Pistache (a.k.a. Pistachio & Grapefruit Chiboust), because I've never seen a pistachio chiboust before, I want to like pistachio (though I'm often disappointed), and I usually have good luck with chibousts. Their cakes always have a sort of rough almost homemade feel, which usually is a bad sign but works for them. This one had a big tart base with pineapple mixed in with the filling (sorry, it's mostly hidden by the paper, though you can see some grapefruit on top) and then a thick chiboust layer, in which the pistachio was not a strong taste, but it did not need to be (and maybe can't because, because chiboust is so light). It was all good, and I'm to say it was great, even if I'm not totally confident that I won't be less impressed the next time, like I was with last weekends cake-off contestants, and that's fine. I certainly enjoyed this cake more than my weekend cakes, so it deserves some recognition.

Now that I've recovered my faith in running and my faith that I have not lost my taste for cake, so that even just Excellent shops cane impress me sometimes, I think I'll take a day off from both cake and running tomorrow, just to get some things done around the house, since I never have time for most things, like most people.

Paris S'éveille: Éclair d'Été

Did a run down to Paris S'éveille in Jiyugaoka, to complete my sweep of the three Superb-level patisserie. It was really not (I learned that, technically, Paris S'éveille should open at 5 a.m., but maybe they can argue that's when they start baking). I started off at 10 km/h for at least the first 4 km, which was fast for the heat and not having warmed up much (I got up late, and intended to stretch when I was stopped waiting to cross a street, which I did), and then slowed down but still ended up on the 10 km/h side of the actual ~9.5 km/h. It was ~11 km long and I took the train back, not only for the cake but because I was scheduled to picked up my new bicycle (which I should take a picture of and post, before it gets stolen) at noon, not that they probably cared when I was going to actually show up.

I only had one choice for a new cake, Éclair d'Été, though I suppose I could have gotten the new version of Everest (it's oval instead of circular, but maybe that's the only different). As usual after running, and because I would not remember anyway, I didn't read the card, so I'm not actually sure what is in it, but obviously it's an éclair and it's got chocolate as the main component (and whipped cream), and some sort of fruit in the middle, so the question is, what is the fruit: I can't even tell from the dried fruit bits on top, so it maybe be something exotic, but my best guess of the moment is grapefruit. It was mild and tropical but too tart to be orange although not really all the way over to lemon or yuzu. Maybe pineapple is equally likely; it does not have the usual pineapple taste, but then I did not recognize the distinctive grapefruit taste, either. In any case, it fits with this cake and this is definitely excellent, so I'm pleased.

I went over to Isetan to see whether they had the same new cakes at Sadaharu Aoki as at Tokyo Midtown, which they did, and I got greedy and bought some bread at Andersen. The new thing is the Denmark Roll, which is sort of halfway between a usual roll and a cookie, in terms of texture and shape. It as icing, so of course it is good, and it was pretty cheap, maybe 120 yen.

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Pierre Hermé [Aoyama] (Heaven)

No running Thursday or Friday. Thursday, I enjoyed some cake, though not the fresh kind, though similar. This was Chiboust Vanille Fromage from Konditorei Kobe, brought from Kobe. I like chiboust and good vanille, as well as cheese cake, so this was definitely good.

Friday, we went to the Omotesando (the station)/ Aoyama (the road and official location)/Jingumae (actual address) Pierre Hermé. The Dessert Jasmine [Updated, from latest Facebook post] is financier on the bottom, cut into one centimeter intervals and layered, to create a solid but still easily eatable base, on top of which is a mango gelatin flavored with grapefruit. Then jasmine-flavored mascarpone cheese, topped with meringue leafs. On the plate are mango sauce and grapefruit gelatin. This was definitely excellent and definitely greater than the sum of its parts/ingredients. I'm not that into grapefruit, but it cuts through the mango, which can be overly thick, and adds a complementary citrus taste, and it would not have occurred to me to use financier as the base for a fresh-cake-like dessert or how to do that well, so now I know.

The other dessert is easy to get the name of because it's popular and featured on the official Facebook page. It ends up looking like my photo, but starts as a chocolate ball (well, two chocolate domes put together) and they pour hot chocolate sauce on it so that it melts and collapses. Ideally, one would take video to display this, but I can barely manage to frame a photo (though at least the phone camera does better with the focus). It's called Sensation Plaisir Sucré, and is filled with ice cream and hazelnut praliné. Some solid chocolate survives, but not a lot. It's very rich and definitely good for a chocolate and nut lover, though ice cream is never high on the list of things I want in my dessert, regardless of the season, so I was still happier with my fruity cake.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Verrine Chocolat Pamplemousse,

Yesterday, as planned, I did a cakeless run. I went to Midtown to check what Toshi Yoroizuka had, since I'm interesting in their TM (Tokyo Midtown) Noir and I don't expect to see it elsewhere, at least with that name. No luck yet, but I saw that Sadaharu Aoki had a supposedly exclusive cake (Zen, which I've had), so it reminded me that I need to check out other options, since I plan to get a cake from them soon. The run was about 4 km at 11 km/h and 3 km at 10 km/h, which is faster than lately.

Today, I went to Isetan, also as planned, and got the Verrine Chocolat Pamplemousse for 729 yen. I liked the caramel and figs on top a lot and the chocolate mousse, but the grapefruit gelatin did not do much for me, either separately or mixed with other layers. Overall it was definitely good, so probably I'll sample at least one more of these this month, but it's still not cake and it's okay if I don't get to them all.

For the run, I went to the Marunouchi Sadaharu Aoki, where they had the cake I decided that I want most from Sadaharu Aoki, so it looks like I'll be going back there tomorrow rather than buying from Isetan again. The run was again 11 km/h our and 10 km/h, this time about 5 km each way.

(Sunday) Café Mikuni's: Pamplemousse

Visited Café Mikuni's for lunch and got the dessert turned out to be what I think is called the Pamplemousse (though it could be called the Pamplemousse Mousse, since it seemed to be grapefruit mousse). Sorry, no picture, as I was a little confused about whether it was actually cake or just mousse, but it should count as cake (they have it as petite gateau, although this is a piece of the larger version). It was definitely good, and much better than I expected, but not something I would choose, generally.

For running, I could only run in the evening and couldn't run yesterday, so there was no way to expand my distance for the week. I'll also need to keep my distance down the next few days so I can follow my plans for Saturday and Sunday, which will use more than half of my running budget. I've got more than 50 km planned. Anyway, today I went to the imperial moat course to do 11 km/h laps and did manage two (10 km). I've gone farther and fast, even recently, but maybe not non-stop on a closed course.

46 km loop: Au Bon Veux Temps and Fraoula

Did a 46.3 km loop according to my calculation (Google routes had trouble at the river, gorge, and end, where I think I ran out of deviation points I could add), which still excluded some double-backs. It was not a continuous run, of course, because I need food and water, not to forget stopping for lights, but it was something like the posted map. Number 1 Tokyo-Yokohama route had its good and bad parts, but mostly seemed good for a run, for a trip to central Yokohama (if there was something there I wanted visit, which there currently isn't). I followed Tama River for a while and then jogged over to follow a canal, which was fine, although only ornamental at first (the real canal was presumably underground). I took a right when it met up with another canal, which ran through the only gorge in Tokyo's 23 special wards (the east/metro part of Tokyo, versus the outer suburbs and mountains in the same prefecture-level grouping, where there should be no lack of gorges). Since there were families and only a narrow wet stone walk along the waterway, I eventually had to reduce to a walk, although it's only 1 km long. I had seen it from above where Ring Road 8 passes over it, but hadn't known what it was, where it led (nowhere in particular, really) or how people actually got down there. Now I know. I swung by A Bon Vieux Temps before heading to Jiyuugaoka (where there are benches), and then back along familiar routes. I deviated from my original plan (which would have been 44 km), and following the Meguro River to Yamanote Road, taking that up to the south end of Yoyogi, where I visited Fraoula. By then it was raining, and if it were raining as much when I entered the shop as when I left, I was going to take the train back, but it had let up mostly, so I jogged.

I spent something like 5 15' actually running. My right hip/haunch was still sore, and did not improve the first couple hours, so I decided that I was not being careful with my form on my right side. If I don't kick my leg out straight enough, it sort of swings around a little, which is not good, so I focused on that the rest and it gradually got better. Naturally, I'm tired, but I can imagine going farther. It might be a few weeks before I get around to that, though.

At Au Bon Vieux Temps, I got the Paradis, which is raspberry gelatin (but not disgusting gelatin), but only about 2 mm thick, and a little mixed in below, not much more pistachio brûlée (if they say so), inside white chocolate mousse for 561 yen. I like white chocolate cake and the raspberry and pistachio were good accents, but I can't say this is great. It's consistent with greatness, but it does not make up for other not great cakes, so I'm taking this shop off my great list. They seem to be doing well (despite being in an area that doesn't look like the future holds a lot for them, being a little too far for them to fare well in the declining population).

Meanwhile, Fraoula is a modest shop on a back street near where two train lines meet, close to central Tokyo, and in particular close to Yoyogi Park, but I worry that it will disappear, because you're not likely to find it unless you're looking for it, and it's not that easy to find even then, the streets being somewhat tangled. This time I got a croissant, which is not cake, but their baked things are so good (and much cheaper), so I could not resist and even took a picture. It was 194 yen and delicious, of course.

The other item I got was the Tarte Poire Pamplemousse, for 518 yen, which is pear and grapefruit. This combines two fruits that I generally don't want on tarts. The bottom had lots of green, so I wonder if it was pistachio again. It was certainly interesting tasting and good, but it did not convince me that I want grapefruit desserts (although it was not sour, so I wouldn't have known what fruit it was from the taste). Still, well made, with well balanced tastes, so it is consistent with a great shop, and I'm not disappointed, even if I probably enjoyed the white chocolate cake more. There are still several standard cakes there that are not my favorites but I'm happy to try, so I'm not finished. Even if new cakes ended, there are other sweets there I would go for, such as meringue.