Très Calme: Allure

Wednesday, I ran to Bien-être and found them closed for renovation, through to Friday of next week; so, after a stop for a few groceries from Nikunohanamasa, I went down to Shibuya Hikarie and got Chocolat Citron from Le Pain de Joel Robuchon. I walked some but eventually ran most of the way back, despite the uncomfortable load in my too small backpack. The pastry was excellent, crisp leaves around chocolate and lemon (I assume, though it could have been some other citrus fruit) cream. That's too excellent ones, so they remain in pretty good standing for further visits.

With Bien-être out of the picture, I killed two birds with one stone by going to Très Calme, first to confirm a cake for the next cake-off (though the cake is not actually necessarily seasonal, so I'm not sure why I'm in a hurry for the second round other than Très Calme being one of the priorities among quite good shops since it seems to be better than some already on the excellent list) and then to get Allure as the reward for the shop for winning a recent cake-off (which catches me up), which is a rum and raisin tart under caramel cream/mousse, with chocolate accents where shown. I ate in again, since that is convenient there in the evening, sort of the opposite of Bien-être, so I'm a little worried about getting too attached. The cake was excellent, though I needed to make sure I got a balance of the two parts, since the separate parts are not excellent by themselves, or at least I can confirm that the caramel isn't (I don't like the necessarily level of gelatin to stabilize this). If you balance the parts, then the final flavor is very balanced across all four flavors, which is not something I get to say often.

Origines Cacao, Saint-Honoré Passion Coco

Did a run to Ginza 6 and got my eleventh (type of) Origines Cacao cake. This is maybe the first time that I've bought from them at Ginza 6, though I bought several mostly great cakes from the closed Nihonbashi store (not sure why I've never seen those great cakes since; have to wonder if someone quit at the same time).

Anyway, very unstable weather today but there was only a little rain while I was out. It was fairly hot (close to 30 degC) and quite humid, so I didn't push it that hard, though I did run most of the way back (I stopped a Marusho for groceries and walked after that).

Like with éclairs, I seem to appreciate fruit flavors with saint-honorés more than with other types of cake. This was passion fruit and coconut, of course, but also mango. Definitely excellent.

Ryoura: Mont-Blanc

After some other afternoon business, I rode out to Ryoura. It was about 4 p.m., but the main road running along/under the highway wasn't that bad for bicycling. Ryoura is closed for a couple days next (fairly standard schedule for them), but there was still a good selection when I arrived today. This is my 11th cake from Ryoura, which catches them up to other quite excellent shops, and I decided to finally try their Mont-Blanc. It seems much flatter at home than originally, but that's what a bicycle will do; I assume that the taste is the same. This is a very basic/standard mont-blanc, with a meringue base, whipped cream, and chestnut cream (no fruit and not even chestnut pieces inside). Everything was well balanced, I enjoyed it, and I don't have any suggestions for improvements. I could make an argument for a good rating, since it's not clear that it stands out from other mont-blanc, but I'd like to make that comparison more directly, since this seems great.

I had time to run afterward, so I considered in on the way bicycling back with the cake, but I worried about making myself sick from overdoing it, spoiling future runs, so I didn't. Of course, what I should have been thinking was that there was a lightning storm threatening (according to the most recent news I had bothered to check), and some rain drops on the way back, so I shouldn't be outside. It did get pretty noisy outside around 7:50 pm, though I wouldn't have been out there by then even if I had run, but I shouldn't cut it so close just to check off a couple more neighborhood course loops. Maybe next Sunday again.

Caffarel: Gianduia

Had reason to be inside JR Station, so I finally got a cake from Caffarel to blog on, their signature Gianduia, which is gianduia brulée cream on top of chocolate cream with a some raspberry filling. It was definitely good, but not especially compelling among the crowded field of chocolate cakes. Strictly speaking, this was not my first cake from them, or even maybe even my first cake from them since starting to blog (and probably not my first time to even have this particular cake), but my other encounters were in Kobe.

For running, I finally got back to my neighborhood course and finished doing a one-way neighborhood run completing the Jinguumae east loop, Kita-Aoyama central loop, Minami-Aoyama north loop, and newly added Kasumigaokamachi--Kita-Aoyama loop.

Libertable: Grace

Went back to Libertable to share the previous cheesecake and try another new cake, Grace. It was hot and in the middle of a day that I had other things to do, so I went by bicycle, though it was still a pretty sweaty business. Grace was chosen among things I haven't had because it's been in the line-up for a long time, so I figured it was a about time. This is mainly a red fruit mousse cake, which means fruity and gelatinous, so a tough sell with me. I those terms, this did not really rise above the standard, though definitely of high quality. This claims heavy (? not sure how to interpretty koku = コク in this case) cream, but the distinctive taste is the basil: actually I wouldn't be surprised if there are other spices. It was definitely good, and interesting, which their cakes usually are. The last three cakes have been excellent on average, so the shop category excellent is probably appropriate, so my focus will turn to better than excellent shops, though I've had one great cake that I'll have to get back to for cake-off, so it might not be that long before I revisit them.

Il Pleut sur la Seine, Chou à la Crème

Typhoon coming again, so there should be strong winds tonight and tomorrow, but it's crossing Japan on the west side, so should not be too bad in Tokyo away from the sea, rivers, mountains, and lowlands. Did a run out to Sarugakucho to visit Il Pleut sur la Seine, the most recent cake-off winner. Maybe because they had been closed a few days, the selection of cakes was pretty weak. The best I could do was a Chou à la Crème. Once in a while these are special, but this one was pretty much standard, which is what I would expect from this shop. That works for me with their saint-marc, but not for this. Still, it was good. It's smallish, but with a fairly complete but thin shell. The filling is whipped cream and custard cream, sort of lightly mixed, but thankfully no fruit. The only other new fresh "cake" was a banana version; I think I'll pass on that as long as there are other options.

Didn't say much about this week's running in the last post. Monday, I just went down to Tokyo Midtown, so just around 40 minutes of running, but I tried to do a good bit of it fast. As a result, I had a lot of foot pain Tuesday, which seems to be the routine. It didn't hurt so much by the time I ran again in the evening, but was tough every time I stood up from sitting at a desk for long. Did a lot of stretches through the day for my heel. So didn't run that fast Tuesday but was my more usual 60+ minutes (or 70+, I had to go to my back up). Wednesday, it was back to being a pretty hot run, as was Thursday. Wednesday I had already eaten my cake, so I could semi-sprint the last 400 m and actual build some muscle. Thursday, I was carrying cake and it was too hot to do that. Both days, I was tempted to walk home, but told myself that I could run as slowly as I wanted to, which worked. I'm actually more comfortable running and it's easier in a way to just fall forward and keep catching yourself running than walking. Once I get moving coming back, even on the hills, I'm okay plodding along. I'm missing the few cools days we had last week, though. It's going to be hot and humid after the typhoon.

Bien-être: Onctueuse

Wednesday, I finally managed cake.

Monday, my goal was a pastry, so I went to The Ritz-Carlton Café and Deli (which is at Tokyo Midtown, in Akasaka) and got what I thought had a (small) chance to be a pastry, Pain au Crème (might have been the Latin script name), though this was definitely sweet bread. The cream was custard cream and it was definitely good sweet bread. There was a croissant there, so I can go back next week for a pastry, but that's about it among their selection, so it seemed worth trying this pastry-like bread.

For Tuesday, I made my first attempt on Bien-être. I had been successful last Tuesday, but this time there were only three cakes that I've already had, so I went to Viron in Shibuya, for Pain au Chocolat. This thing is huge, and fluffy, which I'm not so into. The chocolate is proportionate to the amount of actual pastry, rather than the size, which is probably just as well. It was definitely at least good and in the end (after a day to think about it), it seemed too perfectly formed not to rate it excellent, even if it wasn't actually to what I imagine would best suit me.

Wednesday, my second attempt at Bien-être was successful. There was another new choice, so I can try again next week, afterwhich September will hopefully bring more new cakes, though I've also seen a couple tarts this month that I've never had. I choose Onctueuse ("creamy"). This was a chocolate mousse cake with a pistachio center, which is pretty standard around here and also something I don't have high expectations for: too much chocolate, maybe. Pistachio cream was a reasonable choice (vanilla seems hopeless), though it can't do too much against chocolate. Fortunately, it was definitely good chocolate and definitely good cake. I wonder if it's more the chocolate coating that keeps me from liking these more, since JPH's layered mousse cakes are great without it, but they usually have a lot else going on in the other layers, so that might not be it. So this wasn't a breakthrough for this style of cake, but what was interesting was the raspberry: the forkful with the whole fresh strawberry was awesome. If this cake had enough raspberries for every bite or at least every other bite, it would probably be at least excellent. I've never seen a cake like that, but now I'm going to be looking for it everywhere. If I ever get bold enough, I may ask, "Can I get that with extra raspberries? I'll pay extra."

Cake-off: Il Pleut sur la Seine's Le Saint-Marc over Paris S'éveille's Fondant Chocolat

Did a run to Jiyuugaoka by the long way, taking pictures for my neighborhood course map, finding a few new things requiring revisions and inciting me to simplify some parts of previously made courses. My goal was to get Paris S'éveille's Fondant Chocolat for a second-round cake-off in the first-round losers bracket. I realized about two-thirds of the way there that I had forgotten to put cash in my wallet case. Fortunately, I had taken my change, which was enough for the fondant, and I had my train pass (which works at some shops, but most require cash, so I wan't going waste time at a shop I wasn't sure about). My feet were tired from yesterday's almost 2 hour run and the about 80 minutes of running today, so maybe it's just as well that I took the train back home first and then went out by bicycle to get Le Saint-Marc from Il Pleut sur la Seine. The cake didn't seem to suffer any damage.

Both of these cakes are simple and chocolate. In the photo, you can see that I've already microwaved, as recommended by the shop, the Fondant Chocolat. Still, I'm not remembering why I liked this type of cake enough to mark it as great, but I'm give it one more chance before I drop it, since it survived the first round. The saint-mark was definitely great and deserves to be compared to other saint-marc some time, to figure out which is the best in Tokyo, though that's different type of project.

Among cakes (generally) available, I've only got three more cakes left for the second-round of the loser's bracket, so I'm going to have to be careful not to run out and not be ready if something suddenly becomes available, although I've got three that I've done a first-round, so, assume that they are actually great, I may be able to generate another relatively quickly. Next weekend I'm busy, though, so I'll worry about what I'll do next later, but eventually I'll get close enough to the end of the the second-year that I may try some pastry-offs, though my list of great pastries is pretty short.

Paris S'éveille, Tarte Mange Caramel and Ryoura, Éclair Pêche

After some morning business, I set off for Ryoura by way of some sights I wanted to photo and Paris S'éveille. First, I got new photos for an Aoyama neighbhorhood park because I thought Google Maps had lost them when my map crashed, though it turns out not. Then I went looking for a shrine that Google Maps showed on my Aoyama route, but that seems to have an echo of the one 1 block away, which I already have, because I couldn't find another one. From there, I was more productive (in a sense) and got pictures for the Shibuya--Minami-Aoyama Loop, which I've yet to do as a one-way neighborhood run but expect to soon. I added Clinton Street Baking and expanded the loop, since they have "baking" in the title and seem to have cake, if not the kind I'm looking for (these were sort of American dinner-type cakes, perhaps, though I only saw one type walking by, not the several on the website).

At Paris S'éveille, I had a few choices for a new cake, so I went with the "recommended" one again. It was called Tarte Mange Caramel, which I assume was supposed to say Mangue (mango), except I didn't recognize what they were talking about in the description that included the corresponding word; thought it was something about tea. I ended up eating this nearby rather than carrying it. It's, I think, an orange baked tart with a top that definitely has mango chucks, maybe has caramel (not sure how the caramel works in, since the mango is raw), and is gelatinous but in a disgusting sticky way. Not sure whether the decoration is coconut, which it looks like. Fruit is not much my thing, but this had a nice balance of textures and the fruit seemed well served by the cake rather than better on its own. I can say that it was excellent.

I continued running to Ryoura, which I got cake to take home this time. This was cake number 10. I'm trying to get this shop up to 11 cakes, as a new quite excellent shop, though it's near the top of that group, so it's theoretically in the best position to make the jump to the next level, but there's a pretty big gap. Next weekend I'm busy, so maybe I'll go next the following Monday, when I'm off early for other business. This time, I decided that I would give one of their two éclairs a chance, the Éclair Pêche. Similar to the other cake, while not my usual thing, I would say that this was excellent. The crispness of the pastry went well with the softness of the fruit and its flavor, so I'm really believing that fruit is better for éclairs than chocolate, on average.

Hediard, Pain au Chocolat

Went for a second pastry from Hediard at Isetan and chose the Pain au Chocolat. Then I went running, intending to do the loop through Gaien, now that the pedestrian bridges connecting it to Minami-Aoyama and Minami-Aoyama to Kita-Aoyama are renovated. The bridges are fine, but it turns out that the north end of the planned loop through Gaien is under construction on the north end, across from the new National Stadium (but they were only ripping up the other side of the road). At least I could do the longer sections of the Jinguumae east loop, the Kita-Aoyama central loop, and the Minami-Aoyama north loop, though the latter has a new access to the main road on the east end, so I used that. Also, I just noticed that Chocolat Chic is no more, though they seemed to be just average as far as meeting my tastes, so I won't really miss them and there doesn't seem to be a compelling reason to change the neighbor route by them yet. Shrines and temples are more dependable about sticking around.

The pastry was excellent. The chocolate is just what you see on the outside, though it is enough. It's an interesting design choice. Not sure why the picture is blurry, though the lens gets a lot of abuse.

Libertable: Laitir

Finally got back to Libertable, which is an excellent shop that might be quite excellent, but so I need more information. This was only the sixth cake, I think. I went by the neighborhood route and finally finished a one-way neighborhood revisiting of the Kita-Aoyama--Jinguumae--Shibuya loop and the (central) Shibuya loop. It takes about 40 minutes by the shortest route on the neighborhood course to get to the south end of Shibuya station, from which I can cross into parts south. So actually I went to the ShinQ counter of Libertable, but it worked out and they had another cake that haven't had yet (Grace) so it's reasonable to go back there again, but I'll hit the Akasaka main store if that doesn't work sometime (there are a couple shops at ShinQ I'd hit for pastries as backup.

The cake is Laitir, which is baked cheesecake with epoisses cheese and cream cheese with marc cream and marc gelatin and streusel on top (soft of a reverse crust). This is the cheesiest-flavored cheesecake that I've ever had, I think, and is a pretty substantial ball of cheese, if obviously tricky to know how to approach it (radially, cutting between streusel and marc gelatin cubes). It's not my new favorite cheesecake, but it is definitely excellent and certainly recommended to anyone who likes cheesecake. Looks like more visits to Libertable are in my future.

Bien-être, Mille-Feuille au Mangue

It took me two days, but I got a semi-new cake from Bien-être. On Monday, they did not have anything new left in the evening, so I kept running down to Shibuya Stn. area, reviewing part of my neighborhood map where I missed a turn before,  and got a Pain aux Raisons from La Terre in the Toukyuu Food Show, which was a second excellent pastry from them. Not that my standards are that high, but it was layered, in a ringed way, and moist (though flaky can also work), so I'm happy with them so far. On the running side, I worked in 10 1-min intervals and managed to get to the cake shop in under 28 min of running time.

Tuesday, they had a couple choices, a short cake and a mille-feuille, so I went with the one I knew I would like, the Mille-Feuille au Mangue (or something like that). As usual, their mille-feuille was excellent and mange might be the best combination yet, though there is still the danger that I'll get tired of their mille-feuille, so next time there is a new one, I'll try to get something else. Tried to take the shortest route until I had to wait for a light and ended up running in a U and took more than 35 this time, though slower running was also a factor. I only ran a little bit on the way back because I stopped soon for groceries and then had a 4+ km walk home.

Unfortunately, my next priority for both a new cake and the next cake-off is closed for summer vacation for the next week. I guess I'll finally get back to Libertable for cake, but first I'll take a rest from running tomorrow and do some shopping.

Au Bon Vieux Temps, Nonetto and Ryoura, Passionemon

Had a long run out to, first, Au Bon Vieux Temps. Thinking that I had lost an umbrella (since found) I stopped by the doughnut shop and swung through Kita-aoyama and found that Q-Pot Café had moved northeast (I had seen the new shop, but wasn't sure whether it was a branch or also whether it included the café), so I can take the kink out of that neighborhood running course loop (the new shop is already on the adjacent northeast loop).

It took the usual 100 minutes to get to Au Bon Vieux Temps (since I always seem to take a detour), where I went with the Nonetto, which is chocolate, passion fruit, and hazelnuts. This was in reward for winning a cake-off, since otherwise I've already over-sampled this shop, which is quite excellent.

Since I wanted to go back by train, and it takes two lines, and also my priority is more to get two weekend cakes and run without cake another day during the week, I ran to Ryoura, which only too about another 20 minutes.

Google said I could get a bus and arrive in the same time, but waiting for a bus on Sunday wasn't attractive, even if the Nonetto got a little skewed. At Ryoura, which I've undersampled, I went with the first cake in the line-up that I hadn't had before, which was the Passionemon (Or I suppose Passion Lemon if you don't pronounce the L, but "lemon" is no French for lemon, so forget that), which is, of course, passion fruit and lemon, with whipped cream and I think light meringue on top.

The results are perhaps predictable. The Nonetto is lots of things that I like and Au Bon Vieux Temps doesn't lack skill, so it was excellent. The Pssionemon is fruit and more fruit with nothing substantial to cut it (I had tea, but not that much), so as much as a tried, though it was good and I enjoyed it, it wasn't special to me. Au Bon View Temps remains near the bottom and Ryoura remains near the top (and I've had about double the cakes from the former), so not much changed, just these are likely to stay settled as quite excellent shops, though my priority is still to get too more cakes from Ryoura, and that's even before I get them into another cake-off (they currently have one great cake available, but I've already done the first round).

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.

Cacao Store (Théobroma): Tarte Berries

Went to Bien-être, but, no surprise, Friday evening they were sold out of the newer cake items in the lineup, so I went for a second cake from Cacao Store, the nearest shop I wanted to follow up on. The cakes are double-listed with Théobroma, which is reasonable since Cacao Store's focus is bean-to-bar chocolate, not cake. The only choice was the Tarte Berries, which is self-explanatory, at least with the picture. I walked back, still not that interested in running with cake, at least not in the evening heat. My expectations were low, and this tart failed to meet them. The fruit quality was reasonable, although blueberries (or whatever) aren't very flavorful and the base tart didn't have anything good going on in terms of crust or filling (there is custard, obviously, but this was very dry for a custard tart but not good as a butter tart). It was still ok, but "ok" is not okay with me, so I won't be back probably unless their first cake, which seemed great, wins a cake-off round.

Frédéric Cassel: Charlotte Framboise Verveine and Sudaki Sugar Savarin

Tried to get new cake from my favorite shop currently having new cake, trying to treat someone who likes savarin. Specifically, Frédéric Cassel had/has Sudaki Sugar Savarin, which I'm not sure what to say beyond the name: is sponge with fruit rum and a special sugar that I'm not deeply familiar with, but I think I've used it in my own cooking as a "red" sugar (that is, it's like brown sugar but different). The other cake chosen was Charlotte Framboise Verveine, which isn't a usual charlotte, but rather made of cheese, in this case Verveine, which I'm also not familiar with.

These were both good but not really more than that, unfortunately. Of course, someone more into savarin could like it more. The charlotte was more bland than I remember the previous wild strawberry version being, versus this raspberry version. The problem with having too many choices, I'm told is always thinking that you haven't made the best. However, the search is fun, too.

In the evening I ran. I decided to do a neighborhood run to at least finish revisiting the Jinguumae--Kitak-Aoyama loop, which I did all of before going home (off the course). Total run was just over an hour.

Königs-Krone: Kobe Bear Pochi Éclair Chocolate & Kobe Bear Pochi Éclair Custard

No running, just stopped by Shinjuku Takashimaya for the last unsampled counter there, Königs-Krone. They don't generally have fresh cake (though they have cakes), but they do have their Kobe Bear Pochi (little?) Éclair, of which I got the chocolate and custard (you can get a five-flavor set, but that was more than I needed). These are are a little crude as éclair, but close enough, and they are good. 

Toshi Yoroizuka: Croissant

Did a run (there and back) to check on the shops between Tokyo Station and Ginza. Nothing interesting to report, but it was a good run. There was a threat of heavy rain, but it fell elsewhere. As a snack, I got my second pastry from Toshi Yoroizuka, a Croissant. It was fairly fluffy, but after the recent pain au chocolat I've had, which were more tough than flaky, I'm pretty happy with fluffy. Despite being a cake shop, they are more geared toward bread than pastries so I'm not surprised that their croissant is somewhat on the bread-like side. Good pastry, though.

Paris S'éveille: Tarte Rhubarbe

I'm calling it: 35 degC is too hot for cake, even by bicycle.

My goal had been to get to Au Bon Vieux Temps, since they won a cake-off a little while back. It's really hot, so I went by bicycle. However, since Paris S'éveille hasn't had any new cakes for a while and it was a new month, I stopped by there. Even if I decided that they are a superb rather than a quite superb cake (looking like the case, but they have the disadvantage that I've had more of their limited-time cakes and their standard cakes are mainly the great ones), I would be one cake behind on them, so kind of a priority. I was still prepared to get a second cake elsewhere, on the grounds of missing a week recently, though I'm ready to call things even now.

In fact, Paris S'éveille had a few new cakes, so I took the one they were particularly recommending, the Tarte Rhubarbe, which is a hard crust type standard shallow fruit tart with flavored whipped cream on top. Not necessarily a bad idea, and certainly pretty, but for me, whipped cream and fruit rarely works, even though that's considered a pretty standard combination (such as in most Japanese "short cakes", which a recent Japanese NHK program backed me up on as having a silly name since they lack short cake, which is biscuit-like cake made with shortening, since the Japanese definition is sponge cake and whipped cream). Good tart but not that interesting to me. Of course, not being 35 degC would have been better, but probably wouldn't have changed my evaluation, bested on previous experience with this type of tart. Not the best photo, but I wanted to eat before the cream died in the heat.

At this point, I decided that it was too hot for eating cake, or carry cake in a box dangling in a bag from my handlebars, or even in fact for cycling, really, so I headed home. Until I realized that I wanted to check the line-up at L'abricotier, which was way too far north, but I went and confirmed that they still have Sicilien Figue anyway, because I'm obsessive compulsive like that, so that's want I want next weekend for the cake-off. Then I convinced myself that I should go some place local and get something that I can't get on a weekday, so I was off too far back south, though at least I talked myself down to 365 Jours, which is a apparently super-popular bakery west of Yoyogi Park (closer at least than Daikanyama). Fortunately, the line was not out the door (though there were instructions for how the line should fold if it came to that), but it still took a while to get a Canelé. I also got photos of the shop and of 15°C (not that far way; interesting number theme around). Not sure about After Hours around the corner, which is apparently on vacation until next month. The canelé was good, as expected. The shop is mostly little breads, with the only other pastries a croissant and essentially a chocolate croissant.

Saturday update

As planned, I went out and hit the neighborhood running course and finished revisiting some parts. I finished revisiting the Sendgaya central and Jinguumae north loops, though I have to traverse parts of both of these to get anywhere remaining. Down on the bit of the Kita-Aoyama--Jinguumae--Shibuya loop, I got a Chocolate Croissant from The Little Bakery Tokyo, which I've newly added. It was definitely good, though the outside was a little tough and the center was denser than I expected, so it was a little bagel-like. I also will add a picture to the map after this.

It took 50 minutes to cross the road from Yoyogi west, so that gives me a benchmark of how easy it is going to be to expand my running northeast (by doubling back). Today, though, was about filling in to the south on this side of Yamanote Line. I also got the same type of pastry, under the usual name of Pain au Chocolat from 15°C, which I still need a picture from (the shop, not the pastry). This was better, much more airy inside and the patterning is obviously more tradition, though still a little tough on the outside, so perhaps its just the heat. I found it interesting that the lines of chocolate inside weren't symmetric (one was in the middle and one was above and on one side, which made it seemed more handmade. Also definitely good, though I didn't eat it until was on my way back (at about 95 minutes).

Had to check a fork on the Hatagaya-Motoyoyogichou-Nishihara-Tomigaya-Uehara loop, since it's been a while, and I overshot the new turn on the Kamiyama-chou--Shouto loop, but doubled back and could complete revisited that loop, as well as the little Udagawa-chou loop for the Shibuya Viron, so mission accomplished. I ran all the way back (except stopping at Yoyogi Park to eat the second pastry) and had a total run a little over 115 minutes and seem okay.

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-être: Jasmine Lime

Went back to Bien-être, this time by bicycle, though it was not in fact hotter today than yesterday, maybe about the same, but apparently I was hearing about tomorrow when I thought it was going to be hotter, because they are saying 39 degC for the weekend. That's only further northwest, I hope, where they tend to make the Tokyo records. Still, it might not be until next Friday that I actually run again, since I also have a busy midweek planned with little time for running.

They did have cakes that I hadn't had before and I could even avoid the verrine and get Jasmine Lime, which I had seen before recently, so I figured it was worth keeping trying visiting despite yesterday's failure. I asked about eating in and they said that they were full, which I was okay with. Then, after I select my cake, they offered to let me sit at the counter. Not sure why the story changed, but I took it. Maybe they took a second to calculate that it was only going to take me a few minutes to eat cake by myself. Not sure whether it's cheaper. They save themselves a box, ice packs, and a bag (actually, I would have reused a bag), get a glass, plate, knife and fork dirty and use a paper napkin and a wetwipe.

I kind of messed up my review of this cake. It was going along fine at first. It's quite sweet, again reminding me of Christmas cookies like another recent cake that I didn't care much for, though moister cookies that evoke better memories, apparently. I probably wouldn't have been able to guess lime, much less jasmine, though there was a dark green bottom (which I probably would have guessed pistachio, which can be fruity). There was a layer of red in there, so that might have been from red fruit, judging from the top. The problem came at the end, when it subtly turned on me and actually the aftertaste was a little bitter, which didn't make any sense (I was expecting to get sick of the sweetness). If you look carefully, you'll notice a stem sticking up behind the cassis/currants. I think I accidentally ate that (I definitely did not eat the plastic; give me that much credit), and that's were the bitterness came from. I was mulling over calling this great even maybe but decided against it, I think before eating the cassis stem, so I'm going to call this excellent and make it a somewhat priority to give it another chance to confirm, at least if I get to a point that I'm retrying excellent cakes, which I'm on the verge of doing for some shops.

Now, Bien-être would have reached #3 status based on reviews so far, putting as among the quite superb shops, except I haven't had that many cakes from them and I've managed to avoid some that I don't expect to be thrilled by, so I'm holding off final judgement. Even for a superb shop, I'd like a few more cakes from them and their competition doesn't have anything new for me to try anyway, so their relative rankings aren't so important.

In other Bien-être news, Pistachio and Grapefruit Chiboust is back (I'm guessing that they're out of American cherries), so suddenly I'm doing a first-round cake-off for tomorrow.

Cacao Store (Théobroma): San Juaquin Dos

Defying the Sunday forecast that Monday was the violently hot day and the rest of the week would just true summer hot (30-35 degC), every day has been hotter than the previous this week and it looks like tomorrow is more of the same.

Nevertheless, I went running to Bien-être, where they had nothing new for me, so I headed down to Cacao Store in Tomigaya, Shibuya, where I got San Juaquin Dos, which actually comes from the Théobroma shop, which several blocks south. Now I know. Their closing hours are the same, I think, so it doesn't matter which I go to. Cacao Store is a little Bean to Bar & Chocolate Bar shop, whereas the other is an older shop on a larger scale, whatever that proves.

Anyway, in some ways this is a pretty basic chocolate cake, with high sugar glazing (to keep moisture in, of course). It was definitely excellent, and I'm really not sure how it is not as good as the best other chocolate cakes, so I'm going to call it great and put to the test, though I'm not in a hurry. However, as a cake shop, there was not much on offer there, just 3 other items (none chocolate), so I'm not sure that this shop can rise very high in the rankings. Also, I've yet to buy cake from Théobroma, so I'll have to see whether they actually have different things there (I know Théobroma has pastries, which Cacao Store doesn't).

I think I'm to try Bien-être again tomorrow, so maybe I'll find out, since the next nearest backup isn't so close and Théobroma is easily on the way. I'll go by bicycle, I think, so I might have time to get to some place that closes at 7 p.m. instead, such as 365 Days near Cacao Store, which has pastries and over 2000 photos posted on the main food rating site, so maybe I should try something; anyway, I've put it on the local neighborhood map, so I'll have to learn a new route.

Takano: Rare Cheese

Decided to swing by Isetan to see if there were any unexpected changes for August (not that I found) and check out the line up at Yu Sasage (which didn't have either of the cakes that I was looking for), which is visiting from today (next week is a non-Tokyo shop, so outside my interest). Didn't get anything there, so I went to one of the last two remaining neighborhood shops that have branches in that area, Takano (the shop on the neighborhood map is the counter at Toukyuu Food Show, in Shibuya), which has their own building in Shinjuku near the station and has take-out cake in the basement, with access from the subway corridor. I decided to get what I think was called just Rare Cheese, which is a rare cheese dome over a short roll cake (double-layer) base around a peach center, I think. It was definitely good, though moist spongy cake is not my thing, but a nice change, actually, so I'm pleasantly surprised, especially based on other cakes from fruit dessert shops.

The running was long, 90 minutes. I did the neighborhood course (one way), picking off various loops that don't lead to any other loops: Sendagaya northwest loop (going through the heart of Harajuku), then down and around to Jinnan (which is actually outside the Yamanote Line, so forget what I said about inside being my priority), and then back up past Harajuku Station to the Sendagaya west and southwest loops, which are pretty out of the way. So that means the next options are to go outward from Yoyogi Park, which takes a while to get to and then to get down to near the northwest side of Shibuya Stn., where the isolated loops are, or down to the new Shibuya east loop, and there will be a tiny loop even east of that just to pick up the Lindt shop there north of the station. Also, the Shibuya--Minami-Aoyama Loop wouldn't be bad; it's farther than the Nishi-Azabu loops, but short. Before, those, though, I think I have add a new loop in Kitaaoyama going through Gaien, now that the pedestrian bridges are repaired across Aoyama-douri there; I also need to get some photos to go with that, as well as some scattered ones of places that I've added on current routes.