Fiorentina Pastry Boutique, Strawberry Tiramisu

Monday, I didn't work late and ran to Ginza Mitsukoshi, where I didn't find what I was looking for (though I forgot then to look at Ladurée, so I'll need to visit their Aoyama shop on the weekend, since everywhere else is completely closed), and headed over the Foiorentina Pastry Boutique, working on the cakes from quite exceptional shops. They're in a hotel, so I have to pass a body temperature test, but they let me into the lobby. At the cake counter, there was not a huge selection, but they were open. I got the Strawberry Tiramisu, which is a standard I've often seen. I'll say that it was good, but not more than expected. Sort of like soft cheese (compared to cakes in general) with strawberry flavoring.

Tuesday, I went to Isetan the last day before department stores shut down, so almost everything was sold out. I got the Florentin Nature from Sadaharu Aoki, and this was great, for what's basically a cookie. I haven't said that about any other cookie, so I'll need to keep sampling there from the category, but I'll need to do it at he Marunouchi shop on a weekend or holiday if I want to do it over the next month.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Bûchette Venezia

Got the last of this year's individual versions of Jean-Paul Hévin's Christmas cakes, Bûchette Venezia. This one will "make you think of coffee" and has "hidden tiramisu", so there is not much guess about the taste. This is about the right level of tiramisu for me and balances well with the chocolate. Of the three cakes, this was actually best as far is being more interesting a taste, although the flip side of that is I'm more interested in having the other two cakes again, for comparison to each other to get a feel for what's different. The sheets of chocolate on the outside aren't that great an idea, structurally. Even in the shop, they were falling off today and both had fallen off on mine by the time I got the cake unpacked home. Accidentally dropped one trying to put it back together, fortunately in a clean spot. On the other hand, I'm finally used to deal with them now: my strategy as pull them off the cake and quarter them and then lay one quarter on one slice of the rest of the cake.

For running, I took an easy run out to Ginza to see whether there was any possibility of doing a cake-off this weekend. I'm already resigned to skipping and doing none cake, since Christmas cake is where the profit is for the shops, so that's what they are focusing on. I already know that L'Abricotier is out for Saturday, Origines Cacao has individual cakes on Saturday at Isetan (visiting shop), but not the one I want, and their Ginza 6 shop has the one I want, but Thursday is the last day until after Christmas. F. Cassel is selling individual cakes, but not the cream puff that I want until after Christmas. My plan is to hit Yoyogi tomorrow evening and ask a couple shops there what they are up to.