Frédéric Cassel, Mille-feuille Chocolat Poire

Sunday, I kept my plan to get a new cake from Frédéric Cassel (I didn't want to go out to ABVT again and I did two new shops last week), which I'm three new cakes behind due to cake-off wins. The advantage of going Sunday was I could get Mille-feuille Chocolat Poire. The regular mille-feuille is their most promoted cake, so I figure I should their mille-feuille a chance once in a while. In a week, I'll get to the next Inspiration cake.

Since the typhoon is coming, I want to do my running early, but really it was too hot. Sunday, I definitely finished of the Azabu-Dai--Azabu-Mamiana-chou--Higashi-Azabu loop, which is the fourth and last making up the Roppongi clump of loops. That was run, but the two other loops I've been working on I walked most, after a heavy rain to raise the humidity, the sun came out in 30+ heat. I photographed a lot of Japanese sweet/snack shops around Azabu-Juuban and went home and found more shops that I missed, so the fact that I messed up the loop at a new twist is not so important. Also, I realized why the Grace Church wasn't originally o the route: it is/was a wedding chappel, not an active church, but it seems to be inactive even for that now. Still, it's not worth changing that part of the loop. Failed the bottom loop for the same reasons as last time, so I axed the stupid green space and it's suicide access path and determined that the hotel cafe was out of bounds (literally, unless you're associated with the US Navy, apparently), so I'm back to just bypassing that whole corner to get around the stoplight. Walking was too slow, and I had to pay for parking; I should have gone back after the first loop and moved my bike but I wasn't thinking that far ahead.

The mille-feuille was fine. Chocolate and pear weren't so different from the caramel and apple version, the last one I had. It was excellent, no complaints about quality. Maybe the next favor will excite me more. I don't know how often they change these, but probably 6 months, though it could be 3; I'm not usually paying attention, as they have something new every month so even as my number 2 after JPH, I don't usually have to have every new cake, until Sadaharu Aoki, which I might never get caught up with. Hopefully they'll have another new cake next month, but it will be a special limited cake, so I have to watch closely.

Forgot to mention that I forgot to pack Calorie Mates, so I bought a pastry from Dumbo Doughnuts and Coffee. I got Meringue Lemon, which I hoped was lemon cream filled, but no. It's a big yeast doughnut and it's ok, but I should have waited another block for an actual bakery. Or, I found a Niko later, which, I hope, has better donuts.

Cake-off: Au Bon Vieux Temps' Marjolaine over Dalloyau's Croquant Fraise

It was a busy day. First, I ran to Jiyuuoka and got my favorite (still available) cake from Dalloyau, Croquant Fraise, and then continued two more stations distance and got Marjolaine from Au Bon Vieux Temps to have a third-round cake-off with two undefeated cakes. I'm not going to get through all the third rounds this year, I think, so I'm prioritizing to at least staying caught up, in terms of month, on the top winners. Next week I can do a pair one-and-one shops for August cakes.

I came back by train and had a half-lunch before going out by bicycle to try to learn what had been the Daita--Daizawa--Hatagaya--Kamiyama-chou--Kitazawa--Komaba--Motoyoyogi-chou--Nishihara--Oohara--Ooyama-chou--Shouto--Tomigaya--Uehara loop when I ran it, but might need a name change when I finish renewing it. I've had to split off about one third of it as separate loops, as I add shops or notice inconsistencies. In 3 hours, I could do about half, checking out new shops or routes and trying to follow the old route, which I've never known. I may never get this loop, so I'll probably alternate with other more reasonable loops.

The result of the cake-off was that Au Bon Vieux Temps' Marjolaine is perhaps a perfectly executed traditional cake that is nutty, creamy, and not too sweet. I'm less excited about other traditional cakes, but this was is rich and flavorful enough to satisfy me. The Croquant Fraise lost some of its croquant, in that the crunch decoration wilted over time (it should be sticking up behind the strawberry). Seven hours is a long time to wait, but then sell it over a longer period of time. I'm now trying to adjust my handling to un-box cakes when I get them home. The drawer I put them is much smaller than their regular showcase but should be better than just the box. Sorry Dalloyau. I'll try to treat you better next year. (They still have a non-baked cheesecake in line for a third-round, but it lost the first two rounds and I wouldn't surprised if I drop it from the greats list after the next round.)

In the evening, I went out to do neighborhood run down in the Azabu area again. Note sure whether I was wrong about Friday and this was the night I got the Azabu-Dai--Azabu-Mamiana-chou--Higashi-Azabu loop clockwise or what the deal was. I can't think how I would mess it up once, but I'm missing a try somewhere. As I wrote for Friday, the next loop south is still under construction, so even if I got it correct (which I think I did), the course itself was wrong, so no advancement. Southwest of that is the Minami-Azabu west loop, since is a little over 3 km, but I really don't know that one, so I didn't even try to do it without consulting the map. It seems to leave out a correct I thought I had already made to avoid a traffic light, so I adjusted it, but then found a bakery cafe in a hotel, so I adjust it again. Also, there is a tiny path of the main road that looking down it doesn't really resolve whether it is correct to go back a little green space squeezed between apartment buildings.

I went through a lot of Calorie Mate packets (800 kcal worth). I'd like to eat better things or lose a little more weight, but after 1 hour running, I need some energy to keep my immune system sharp, so I watch my time and take care of myself.

Origines Cacao: Tarte Exotique

Friday night, for cake, I went by bicycle to Ginza 6 and got Tarte Exotique from origines Cacao, which was back to challenging Sadaharu Aoki, despite being two categories below it.

For running, I went back down to Azabu and finished off the Roppongi 5 loop by doing it counterclockwise. I also got the Azabu-Dai--Azabu-Mamiana-chou--Higashi-Azabu loop correct clockwise, which also was not a huge challenge. I also practiced tried the Moto-Azabu--Azabu-Juuban loop, but I keep finding new things to add and it's got lots of tricky turns southwest of Azabu-Juuban station, where there are lots of shops. Gave up trying the loop further south.

The Tarte Exotique was an excellent substantial tart. I'll have to check again to find out what fruits it has besides pineapple, but it was not overly sweet, which I was fine with. This cake was front loading for when I'm busy next week, though it was also part of an attempt to find a second great cake for the next cake-off, but I found stopping at FC that the cake I was looking for an opponent for has been replaced in the lineup by an Opera.

Sadaharu Aoki, Cuneo

Got cake from Isetan again, this time Cuneo from Sadaharu Aoki. Had other shopping, so still got a late start on running. Again, I went by bicycle first and parked, this time right on my Roppongi 5 loop, which goes past Azabu-Juuban Station. It's an easy course only 1.09 km, so getting it correct clockwise was not a big deal. I almost got the next one, the Azabu-Dai--Azabu-Mamiana-chou--Higashi-Azabu loop, but there's a short turn after "Rat slope" that I missed because at that point I was not sure which direction I was supposed to go and went up the next slope to the main east-west street rather than curving back around to the main north-south street. At night in a dip, I couldn't tell what direction I was going, but now I know what to do, so next time should be easy, since I was almost done. The Moto-Azabu--Azabu-Juuban loop I knew I had no idea, though the main trouble is around the station, so if I can get through that part, the rest should be okay (if full of steep slopes). I might make it next time, but won't be surprised if I don't. I walked a lot of it and decided to then head for home to finish by 9 pm. The Minami-Azabu west loop will have to wait for Saturday, probably.

Didn't read the details and they haven't posted it yet, but the Cuneo is chocolate and hazelnuts flavored by passion fruit. Like last night's, if I was expecting a chocolate taste, I would be surprised. As a review from 2015 pointed out, it's sour (for lack of another English word), but not in a bad way. Certainly the balance was good, so it wasn't just fruit backed by chocolate/nuts but a real harmony (unlike last night's cake, where chocolate could provided little flavor against the fruit onslaught). This was the usual high quality and was definitely excellent.

La Vie un Rêve, Chocolat Spécialité

Tuesday, I went over to redo verifying the Maruyamachou--Shinsenchou loop, not because it was the highest on the list, but just because I had it and then had to change it, so I wanted to clean that up. Then I can get back to Roppongi and the different Azabu neighborhoods. I biked out to Shibuya Hikarie and parked and then walked and then ran the loop, which is only 1.33 km, but with biking and then doing a basic indoor work out at home, it was enough for one day. At Hikarie, just to sample everything (though there were places along the way that I could have stopped), I got a Chocolate Sand' Bitter sandwich cookie from La Maison Shirokane Bis, which links to Bon Bonheur (which I thought was associated with a different brand) and the home page is part of a French restaurant La Coupe D'Or. Anyway, it's not a fresh thing, it's gift sweets, but what the heck. Because it's not fresh, the cookie is made with vegetable oil, not butter, which I can understand. It ends up being a pretty hard cookie, but since the filling is really thick, that's useful under biting pressure. Actually, it was excellent, consider the price, so I can recommend them for gift sweets. I ate it at the west JR exit, where it was pouring rain. It settled down by the time I finished eating and had made use of indoor routes to cross to the full west side of the connected system of stations and buildings for Shibuya Station.

Wednesday I did the same loop, only the reverse direction. First, I got cake from La Vie un Rêve, which is at Isetan with a lot of cakes that tempted me. I went with Chocolat Spécialité, which won an award in 2010. It is chocolate and orange. Unfortunately, the test just reminded me of bar chocolate with orange, which I wouldn't have thought was a problem, but apparently did, because it was not a flavor that I appreciated. Maybe I don't like chocolate and regular orange (versus blood oranges). Or maybe I impression from looking at the online cakes was correct: too fruity for my tastes. I'll call the cake good, as it was, really, just not what I want from cake, and consider them a fine shop for now but probably never get back there.

Jean-Paul Hévin: Paris-Brest

Only a tiny bit of running today. I started by cycling to Ginza Mitsukoshi to check out the special classic series at Jean-Paul Hévin. I've been watching for this for a year without realizing what I was looking for, just that sometime they sneak in cakes there unannounced and checking once a month is not enough. For the first half of September, is Paris-Brest which is new, which differs just slight from their Paris-Tokyo, which has chocolate sheet in the base. It's excellent. I'll able to get a new cake from JPH next week too, since they have one other new cake, but otherwise I need to get the second one from the series the second half of September. The one for the first half of October is excellent, and the one for the second half of October is maybe great, so I'll want to get it in at least one cake-off within the two week window. Haven't checked in on Sadaharu Oaki in person, but the Maron Fruits Rouge is back thru November, so I'll be able to get that in a third-round cake-off before it disappears again.

After getting cake, I went out again and did what I had suggested last time, which was ride out to the Dougenzaka south loop, which is one largish block, and do it counterclockwise to check it off, which I did. Then I went to get groceries and rode past a Natural Lawson that should be on the Maruyamachou--Shinsenchou loop next door, so I'll have to redo that one, which, which the added block, becomes 1.33 km. One step forward, two steps back. I had originally planned to do indoor exercises, but it was more than 2.5 h after all the shopping, so it will have to be tomorrow, when maybe I'll also ride down to the Maruyamachou--Sinsenchou loop.

Fortnum and Mason: Cassis, Mont-Blanc, Sachertorte, and Victoria Sandwich Cake

Searched for a tea salon or the equivalent that would seat two in a reasonable time around 14:30 on a Sunday, and failed at my first two spots in Ginza. I went and did some shopped and continued on to Mitsukoshi (Nihonbashi Muromachi) and went to my first choice there and still had to wait a while, but not as long and we could sit inside, so better than our other options. A little earlier and being willing to settle for basement seating and we might have gotten seated in Ginza, but there was also the problem of a few items being sold out already, so I'm not sure that we would have been happy there even if we had been seated. At Fortnum and Mason, where we ended up, the cakes are small and though I saw going out that you could get Sachtorte and Cheesecake take-out for under 400 yen each, the inside menu was only sets that included two cakes each. We went with one full afternoon tea set, which also included two scones with clotted cream and jam and little sandwiches for one, along with tea of one's choice, and one cake set with just the two cakes and the tea. They seemed to over-seep the tea, but maybe that's the English way (or the Japanese way: people at work put tea bags in cups and just leave them for a long time, even if the instructions are 30 seconds, though they also may be using cooler water than I, as I always boil mine). Really too much food for two.

Let me start by saying that the Cassis was my bad choice: it was cassis mousse with even more gelatinous (though a little textured, reminding me of canned cranberry sauce). Still okay, but I should have known better. The told me that my other choice was chocolate cake when I asked them to repeat the names (they bring out a tray, but they left out the apple pie that was added later), but I'm assuming that they actually call it Sachertorte, based on the front counter, even though I didn't sense any apricot when I ate it. Still, I thought it was excellent, mostly in comparison. I probably liked the Victoria Sandwich Cake next of the four, which was good, and is sort of like a shortcake with coarser sponge than Japanese shortcake usually has (which was still much more like Japanese shortcake than cake made with actual shortcake, but my partner did not appreciate) and uses white chocolate as the filling around the strawberries. Finally, there was a Mont-Blanc which my partner liked the best, even if she though it wasn't up to the highest standards of the type, and I agreed that it was good.

I went running in the evening and finished off a couple loops only about 1 km long each that had been giving me trouble west if Shibuya (in the sleaziest area, though not in any dangerous way on a Sunday evening, regardless of age or sex: it's Tokyo). That leaves a tiny loop (just around one big building) that needs to be done counterclockwise. I'll probably just stop there when I'm cycling through sometime, lock the bike where it looks least offensive and take a couple minutes to circle the block). Or I'll need to work on the Kamiyama-chou--Tomigaya--Udagawa-chou loop, but that's 2.75 km long and not that close or high in priority, so I'd rather save it for later. I still having loops back past Roppongi to take care of before attacking the biggest loop of them all.