Café Mikuni's, Savarin Fleur d'Orange

The other Café Mikuni's cake from last weekend that I shared was a Savarin Fleur d'Orange. I assume the bottom was somehow the savarin, as it was rather mellow but not obviously alcoholic or orange. Actually, the whole thing is not a strong orange, or at least a strongly citreous orange, maybe a blood orange? Anyway, it was also definitely good, which is a pretty good rating for a glass dessert presented as cake.  

Bien-être, Verrine Tropique

As one of three shops battling for the bottom slot of the superb shops, I visited Bien-être for cake. This is Verrine Tropique, but unlike other verrines I've had, there is no token sponge in there, so really it's a straight out glass dessert. It was good, with mango and passion fruit, obviously, but forces me to start creating different rankings for with and without verrines. So no more verrines from here based on the with verrine rank, but if they actually got another new cake, I could still get it. At the same time, I feel free to work on the other shops that do have cakes.

Paris S'éveille, Verrine Provençal

Third Friday of Auguest, I went down to Jiyuugaoka to visit Paris S'éveille again, this time not by bicycle, so I was able return with a reasonable similarity to what I bought. This was the last of the current new cakes, if one allows this kind of class dessert as cake. Note that it has meringue cubes on top, which is enough to make it at least as much cake as some non-glass desserts. The name is Verrine Provençal, but I can't hang onto the ingredients long enough, even have having already visit again once and looking. I'm thinking jasmine, but maybe just because that was in the JPH verrine last month. Regardless, this is definitely excellent, perhaps the best verrine I've had from anywhere. I'm looking forward to the next batch of new cakes, though this still continues into the first weekend of September, at least.

Paris S'éveille, Savarin Exotique

 Still trying to catch up, I can't even remember what flavor this was. Also, road vibration wasn't kind, so the topping is what I scrapped up from the sides. It's a fruity verrine (their instagram account says its Savarin, which I'll believe), so doubly not my thing, but it's the season of verrine and the new cakes are all fruity (which is reasonable to balance the standards, though there are a couple old fruity ones I'm missing). Still, good cake/verrine/savarin.

Here's what it's supposed to look like https://www.instagram.com/p/CDfV_wdpTUG/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Jean-Paul Hévin, Verrine Rhubarbe Mangue

 Way back on Tuesday, after working late, I stopped in at the Isetan Jean-Paul Hévin and was able to get the last of the new item: Verrine Rhubarbe Mangue, which has the obvious ingredients. The top is probably mango gelatin, then white chocolate mousse, and finally rhubarb sauce cut with lime. It was the usual high quality of JPH, so I can say that it was excellent. 

I'll note at this point, I'm far enough ahead on FC that JPH deserves a second sample of an excellent cake, but I've already done that with those in the current line-up, so I'll have to wait. That leaves at least a couple non-cake items to try, maybe next weekend. I haven't tried any of their sauces.

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. 

Lenôtre, Verrine Baba Agrume

Monday, wanting to fit in a couple weekday cakes this week (since I was busy this weekend), I did my first run to Ginza Mitsukoshi and was somewhat successful. I wanted to get a cake from Lenôtre, which has two seasonal cakes that I haven't tried yet. I could get my preferred choice, but I figured that I would get to both eventually, so no worries. I got the Verrine Baba Agrume, which is a baba in a glass with lots of fruit, specifically orange, pear, and Japanese apricot. While verrine and baba aren't my preference, I found the abundance of a fruit an improvement over my previous similar cake and can say that this was definitely good. Actually, this puts the shop in danger from challengers below, so I'm not sure that I'll actually get to the other cake, but there are also cake-offs coming up, so I remain optimistic.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Verrine Framboise Litchi

As with other cakes last Sunday, the evaluation is based on half, in this case of something that is pretty small to begin with. This is Jean-Paul Hévin, again from Ginza Mitsukoshi (I was busy, and bought everything in one go) chocolate mousse with raspberry and lychee: Verrine Framboise Litchi. I can that it was excellent, keeping in mind that it's a verrine, so only marginally cake. Nevertheless, it holds of the standard of JPH.

I'll insert here, that there was running, probably in the neighborhood. I'm mostly abandoned my old neighborhood maps for the time, or at least the routes, as I try to great more reasonal paths, plus I worked late most days, so I had less than am hour run. Mostly I ran in the Yotsuya San-choume Sta. south areas, either along a path connecting up the 4 cake shops or the top site course, that includes whatever I judge the most worth visiting in each neighborhood, down to the choume level, which includes some but not all the cake shops. I'm still refining the course, and have it down to the part north of and immediately north of Sendagaya wrapping around to the extreme southeast of Shinjuku Sta., and I've identified the sites down through Jinguumae, but not completely gotten the course yet.

Éclat des Jours, Shortcake Verrine

The other cake I got last Saturday (more than a week ago now) was the verrine version of their (strawberry) shortcake, which I had to search online to get an opinion about what it's called, though I was sure of the two words Shortcake Verrine, if not the order. I'll say that I've been slow to appreciate either shortcake or verrine and they still haven't risen to greatness in my opinion, but in this case, the combination works better than been than either on average (or this shop's own shortcake, as far as I can recall), which is probably why this is their signature item, not withstanding that I'm just getting to it now as a 21st cake. 

Their previous only good cake but them under threat from slipping from quite exceptional, but I gave them another cake due to winning a cake-off. This excellent cake doesn't reverse that, but it does raise the bar for the previously under-threat shop it replaces to now prove that it really is better, not just that it had fewer chances to disappoint me. We'll see. 

Lenôtre: Verrine Tiramisu Pomme Crumble

Ran Tuesday to Viron starting late, but nothing new there, after which I ran to the Hilltop Hotel, where the cake counter was closed (I mis-remembered or never knew that they closed at 8 pm), so a long run with no cake. Instead I bought some bread a Paul, which I toasted and ate with various toppings.

Wednesday, I worked not quite as late and went straight to Ginza Mitsukoshi to visit Lenôtre, which, unusually, had just two items left, both Verrine Tiramisu Pomme Crumble. Since I was expecting to get one of the verrine teramisu desserts, that was fine with me. It is quite expensive (like all their things) for something that seems like someone would make easily at home (if one made such things, which I don't, so I could be wrong). Fortunately, it was excellent, so I'm doubtful I could make it so well.

This is a 12th cake, and I'm ready to promote them to the quite exceptional group, since Origines Cacao has now officially announced that they are closing: the Ginza shop closed today and the Jiyuugaoka shop is planned to close at the end of the month, so shops from four levels advance one spot, and the exceptional category still has weakness in the bottom that the top of the quite good group can challenge. Also, new cakes have appeared at JPH, and they include great cake Tonka, which has only one loss in three cake-offs, so perhaps I should prioritize them for the weekend after next.

Jean-Paul Hévin: Verrine Mésange, Verrine Chocolat Coco Framboise, Verrine Mascarpone Café

It took me a while to remember at least somewhat what I did on Wednesday, but I'm finally there. I got some sesame bread from Andersen for eat with olive oil. This was different from their Trekonbrod and the name was completely Japaneses (though using "pan" as the word for bread). It was good, but I didn't bother to take a picture. I was at Isetan for another errand, which I forgot to do, though I verified what the next two visiting shops are (both worth visiting, but I'm up to date on both), and saw that Sadaharu Aoki has a very promising tart for just this month at Isetan. The more important errands on the way home I did not forget. For running, I may have tried to do the revised southern Cat Street loop (and failed very early on), as I think I did the revised Jinguumae central loop (which covers northern Cat Street) counterclockwise on Monday and forget to record it.

In any case, Thursday, I definitely tried to do the southern Cat Street again and realized that my route was flawed, so I've had to revise it. I also failed to get food at Steamers for the good reason that their shops close at 6 pm, so I'll have to hit them on a holiday. Instead, I got a croissant from Natural Lawson, which I've added to routes and on the grounds that they have fresh pastries. The croissant was not special but it was not worse than an average bakery one and definitely better than some, so I'm happy to keep them on my routes. There are not that many of them and I'm not sure that I've found any that the route was not already going by for the neighborhoods covered.  They have eat-in space, which is an advantage over most bakeries, though the atmosphere is what you would expect from a convenience store.

Friday through Sunday I was busy, but I was indulged. Friday night, I sampled all three of the new verrine from Jean-Paul Hévin, though I failed to take a picture. I was busy. If you hurry, I you catch them on the website. These were Verrine Mésange, Verrine Chocolat Coco Framboise, and Verrine Mascarpone Café. The first is Peruvian chocolate mousse, matcha Mousse, and passion fruit gelatin and was not really very exciting, but good. The second is chocolate mousse and coconut mousse with raspberry and lychee gelatin in between again good but not exciting (particularly the coconut mousse). The last is basically a verrine version of tiramisu, but the mascarpone mousse and coco powder is really excellent; I would prefer it without the coffee, but it didn't make me sick, so I'll overlook that. I'm hoping for a different version without the coffee if are more verrine at the end of the summer, but I'm expected to be disappointed.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Verrine Chocolat Café

For cake, I went to Jean-Paul Hévin to finally try the Verrine Chocolat Café, which will probably be in for this month from them.

For exercise, I tried to verify clockwise the new Daikanyama-chou--Ebisunishi--Hachiyama-chou--Nanpeidai-chou--Sakuragaoka-chou--Sarugaku-chou--Shibuya--Uguisudani-chou loop (south of Shibuya Station) by bicycle and did well enough (I made mistakes but could immediately correct myself). Next is counterclockwise. On the way back, I say a bicycle and motorcycle collide, but I think they both stayed upright. The motorcycle was turning and the bicycle was trying to go straight. Probably the motorcycle had the right of way, but the bicycle was pretty much doing the normal thing, which is pretty standard for Japanese traffic regulations: safe in theory, except too strict for people to follow, though bicyclists are perhaps the worst offenders in general.

Verrine Chocolat Café was pretty much as good as I could expect. The chocolate mouse was delicious and the coffee part certainly tasted like coffee, much more than the mint did in the mint verrine chocolate. Didn't make me sick, but I'd need to eat a lot more of these (over a period of time) to get used to coffee enough to want it again. I'll call it good.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Verrine Chocolat Menthe

Monday, I first went and got cake from Jean-Paul Hévin, as well as pick up knives from Isetan. It's verrine season, which is not my favorite, but I've allowed them as fresh cake and JPH doesn't have as many new cakes as I want. This time I got the Verrine Chocolate Menthe. I don't like mint in general, at least with my chocolate. Chocolate mints are usually pretty bad, except as a sweet way to consume mint. Still, I expected it to be better than the coffee one.

For exercise, before doing my indoor muscle training (excluding legs), went out to do some minor loops related to my recent neighborhood course. I did the little (600 m) Akasaka 3 loop, near Akasaka-Mitsuke Station, and did the Akasaka east loop next to Tameike clockwise correctly and varied the existence of a couple coffee shops, a Tulley's and a Starbucks, that give me an excuse to add a couple loops to the east and call the three a new clump, so I don't need to include the Akasaka east loop in the clump with the huge main Akakasa loop, which means I don't have to finish confirming it until I get to some clumps that are closer in.

I cake the verrine and it started like others, since I don't mix it up, but work my way carefully through the top chocolate mousse. When I got the mint part and mixed it in, I couldn't even identify it as mint, though there was a change in taste that harmonized with the chocolate. Partially in relief that the mint didn't destroy it, this seemed like the best verrine yet, so that I almost would call it great, but I'm not sure that I really need to have this particular one again, just my expectations for future verrine has improved and I'll call it definitely excellent.

I'll lump in Tuesday, since I forgot to take a picture, but I went to Théobroma(who supply Cacao Store) and got their Chocolat Classique. It's on the dry side of the classic chocolate cake spectrum, but not very dry. It was good but not remarkable. This is actually an improvement on the previous two cakes from there, which made me put off visiting, despite designating their signature chocolate cake as great. BUt it means that it's not at the top of the quite good group, so it won't be the one that will be a priority to explore to possible replace the low ones in the excellent group.


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Le Salon Jacques Borie: Savarin au Rhum

Went to Isetan for a croissant and didn't consider carefully what having a backup of cake implied about the rest of the week, but anyway, I got the Savarin au Rhum from Le Salon Jacques Borie, as well as confirming what the next Isetan 1-week cake shop visitor is (one I'm not interested in) and that the current 3-week visiting sweets shop doesn't have fresh cake, at least not this week. Besides other shopping, when I went out by bicycle, I confirmed the Tomigaya--Yoyogi loop clockwise. One turn is still going to be hard going clockwise, because the apartment buildings aren't that distinctive, and I spaced on one turn and started down a hill but remembered what do to before getting to the next intersection and went back, so I think it's time to move on.

I've gotten somewhat used to savarin by this point, and verrine deserts to a lesser degree, but I think I'll judge this excellent. Three excellent cakes in a row doesn't have the same urgency  as under the old system, so I have a lot of places to catch up on before I get back there, but they're definitely at least a quite good shop, which suggests I should have better ranking system for these.

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: Verrine Chocolat Singe and Verrine Matcha

No cake Saturday, as my plan to go to Cova for lunch at Shinjuku Takashimaya was foiled by them having been replaced as the third-floor café (we did eat in Takashimaya, but not at a café). Of course, nor was there running, so there is a certain fairness to that.

Sunday's plan to go to Jean-Paul Hévin at Isetan, which does not have a café (in Tokyo, you have to go to Tokyo Midtown for that), but does have a chocolate bar with a drink and verrine set, did go through and even arriving at noon, we had the place to our selves, at least initually, so early Sunday is a good time to visit there. We got two verrine sets. I got the Verrine Chocolat Singe (I'm guessing for the last word, as there is no monkey in it, just basil and yuzu) and the other was Varrine Matcha, which certainly has matcha (powdered green tea) in it. Drinks were Nature Tradition, which is a cold chocolate drink, and Thé Glacé au Yuzu (no picture), or something like that.

Both verrines were excellent. The first had chocolate apparently infused with basil, though I couldn't tell, with yuzu gelatine in the base. The chocolate mousse was quite good, though just plain chocolate and it took some effort to dig down to the yuzu. I suppose I could mix it all up at the beginning (which I wouldn't have done this time even if I had thought of it, since we were having halves and I ate the first half of this one). The matcha, of course, had the chocolate and matcha up top, so you didn't have to wait. The gelatine in the bottom was griotte cherry, though I couldn't identify it at the time other than fruit, which is probably good, because matcha is subtle enough that you don't want to pair it with too strong a fruit. A child of a shop specializing in green tea assured me that it this was really nice green tea, which I beleive and would expect. Jean-Paul does a good job respecting Japanese flavors, in my experience.

The Nature Tradition (cold chocolate) was also excellent. It had been a while since I had had this. Unfortunately, the cold Yuzu tea was more like icewater flavored with yuzu juice, especially by the end, so I can't recommend it, but it was good to okay.

In the evening, I went for a run (about 24 minutes) and then walk (considerably longer), first to Libertable, at which I found a new pastry and bought it, justifying this by my not having had cake or pastry Saturday. This time, it was the Feuilletée au Almonde, which was definitely exactly like an almond croissant, specifically the type where there is almond paste both inside and outside as coating, on which there were also almond slices and a lot of powdered sugar. It was excellent, but not ideal for me, somehow. It was a little moist for me, I thought, and yet my other suggestion for how to improve it would be to add almond liquor, so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. Anyway, they remain  as a top tier place for pastries for me, so I'll get back there again to try to score something else this week. They also had an apricot tart today, as well as the two pastries that I have already posted on. I asked whether they had the same line-up everyday, and the counter person said that it varied and didn't offer any details, so I left it at that. If they don't have a new pastry for me next time I go, I also want a new cake from them, which so far has not looked like a problem, despite them still having at least most of the old ones.

In other information, Toshi Yoroizuka has both their great Cassis and Saint-Marc, but the Marunouchi JPH has switched to regular JPH cakes from having their own line, so I've lost access to Orly. I hope they put it the line-up again. I've had the (non-coffee) current new cakes from JPH now, but when I was in for the verrines, the menu included a tart that won't be available until later in the month, so now I'm looking forward to that.

Grégory Collet: Avant-Garde, Mimosa d'Été, and Roi de Maron

Another day in Kobe last Sunday and had cake for two at Grégory Collet, which has moved north and exchanged being a café for being a modest salon de thé. We'll miss the lunch menu, but at least there are a lot of interesting restaurants around there (which we wished we had taken advantage of rather than trying to eat at the hotel at Shin Kobe Stn.). 











Along with tea and coffee, we got three cakes: Roi de Maron, Avant-Garde, and Mimosa d'Été. It's been almost a week, so details have been lost in time, but t
he first is pretty much a basic mont-blanc, but not in a bad way: excellent.

The mimosa was a verrine, so not my thing. It was still good, and definitely orangy.









The last was sort of a surprise, as I didn't look at the specs closely. Outside is vanilla but inside is dark chocolate (Guadaja; 70% cacao) cream, as well as some biscuit, crunch, and nuts, I think. Definitely  excellent.

Only based on three cakes from ehre and the others that I've posted on, right now this seems like my top shop in Kobe. There are a couple other places I want to hit, but otherwise my priority is to get back here and also try again with L'Avenue, which previously had been excellent.

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.

Jean-Paul Hévin: Verrine Chocolat Apricot & Verrine Truffle Blanche

Was at Isetan Monday afternoon (taking a half-day off) and decided to visit Jean-Paul Hévin and tried the other two verrines, Verrine Chocolat Apricot and Verrine Truffle Blanche. The first also has a layer of pistachio cream and the bottom biscuit has sansho, which is unusual. The other one obviously has truffle besides chocolate (it's a chocolate shop, so always expect chocolate). These are both definitely good, but I'm sticking with my original opinion that this is a bad substitute for cake. Actually, the biscuit on the bottom sort of ruins the smoothness of the rest (from the texture, not the taste), so my best strategy going forward, I think, is to try to avoid it until the end, as the chocolate apricot one was maybe excellent as just gelatin and mousse.

In the evening, I wanted to check at Yoshinori Asami, just to see if they had the Van Dyke (which, as expected from their website, they did not) and I could get there before the closed. Despite getting lost and taking a long way, I did make it (someone else was before me, or maybe they would have closed, but they didn't seem impatient to get rid of us). The selection is not really very special, although sometimes what looks simple and basic is quite good. I had already had verrine, so I just got a canele, which was excellent (and a lot bigger than the ones I make at home). Total, the running was about 15 km of running averaging 10 km/h.