Le Chocolat de H/Paul Bassett, Tarte Banana

Wednesday, I had to work late, but did a run down past Tokyo Midtown from 8 pm trying to get Sadaharu Aoki's Matcha Croissant, unsuccessfully. I did a counterclockwise run to confirm the Roppongi 7 east loop neighborhood course loop, which completes the National Art Center clump of loops. There was rain, but not heavy enough that everyone carrying an umbrella opened them.

I also tried to do the Nishi-Azabu--Minami-Azabu loop and I might have been successful if I followed my intuition, but doubted and checked my map early on. Anyway, I know I'll be able to get it next time, maybe Friday. On the way, I stopped at Café 3206 and got something like Croissant d'Almonde Custard. Not that there was much almond or custard, but the latter doesn't belong inside a croissant. It was good at least, but I don't need to return there soon. The run was about 80 minutes.

Thursday, I also had to work late but could run sooner. This time I went the opposite direction go to Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs to visit the Le Chocolat de H/Paul Bassett café. I arrived by 8 pm, but didn't need to. The eat-in places seem to stay open until 9 pm. This time I got the Tarte Banana. This is pretty thick and heavy, I assume with walnuts, because it reminded me of coffee cake (though that could mean just cinnamon). I should ask next time and update my label. Anyway, it got the balance right, not too moist or dry. I can easily say that it's best banana tart I've ever had, since I usually avoid banana in the my cakes. I might be being generous, but I'll say that it was excellent. Unfortunately, I forget to take a picture.

This shop is currently at the top of the excellent group and higher than some quite excellent shops, but with the advantage that I haven't had to dig as need into the line-up. I'm down to a seasonal Mont-Blanc (not available to me today) and a regular Tiramisu (which was, but banana seemed the lesser or two evils compared to coffee). For running, I finished confirming the new version of the Shibuya east loop. The next one in order is over by Yoyogi, so not so convenient.

Cake-off: Bien-être's Chocolat Cuit over L'Abricotier's L'Abricotier

Monday, I got a late start and ran to Ginza Mitsukoshi. There was a visiting shop there that I thought I'd sample while they were somewhat convenient, but when I asked, the two cakes remaining were special for Mitsukoshi (weren't found at the main shop), so my interest dropped below the necessary threshold. I've put them on the list of places to visit, but I don't often visit new places these days and I've got a lot of nearby targets, though not with this distinction of having been a visiting Mitsukoshi shop. I should have checked whether the sign said who's next, as Mitsukoshi doesn't list the Ginza Chocolat visiting shops under events on the homepage. In general, there is a White Day event starting, so maybe no visiting shop.

Tuesday, I took the afternoon off. It's not the best day of the week for that, but it had the advantage that the dry cleaners is open, so I took something big over. For cake, I ran to L'Abricotier (whose closed day is Monday) and got their namesake cake, the last one at about 3 pm. My navigation was not great (I know the shortest route, but am not patient at the lights and then don't recognize when i cross it later). For the second cake, I wanted Bien-être's Chocolat Cuit, but tried to cheat a look for it at Floto (which has the pictured bread place near it), their sister store, which they share a tart with and I thought that cake, but maybe not today. That store is closer and on the JR line. I walked and ran down to the main shop, which is open seven days a week, and they were well stocked (they're open later hours, so I would expect them to sell out later).

Both of these cakes have advantages. Fruity partially gelatinous cakes like the L'Abricotier are a major category that I generally don't appreciate, so this one holds a special place. In the case of Chocolat Cuit, though I like a lot of chocolate cakes, this might be the best simple, non-layered, baked chocolate cake that I know. I enjoyed both and plan to keep them on the great list, but it's hard to say that one stands above the other. I'm going to let simplicity be a tie-breaker and give the win to Chocolat Cuit, but actually they harmonized with each other very well.

Ladurée: Afternoon Tea Set

Got the full afternoon tea set from Ladurée at Ginza Mitsukoshi. I might have done that somewhere, some time before, but I don't remember where, not Ladurée, or when, not in the last few years. The sandwiches were fine. The meringue was fine. The bonbon chocolate (that I had) was fine. Tea seemed fine, though I didn't have much and I don't remember which one, except that it was one of the classics (the first choice was gone). What I had a lot of was the Chocolat Chaud, which was excellent, but not pictured. There were four macarons: the standards were Vanille and Pistache, which were both excellent, though I liked the pistachio more, the seasonal was Fleur D'Oranger, and the special was Ichigo (strawberry), the latter both being good; note that all were judged based on limited experience of macarons in general compared to cake and only half a macaron each to go by.

There were two cakes. One was a standard for the line-up, the Plaisir Sucré, which is a milk chocolate and praliné over hazelnut dacquoise, specifically praliné "crispy", milk chocolate, milk chocolate ganache, and milk chocolate chantilly. I didn't dig into it too quickly, so it reached a high enough temperature that the sweetness was high, which was what it was designed for. I'm a little suspicious of such a blatant appeal to my sweet tooth, but it seemed successful, so I'll tentatively say it was great. I expect that will get quickly tested in a cake-off. The other cake was Saint-Honoré Pistache. That was definitely good, but the pastry was a flaky pie pastry (versus other pie pastry), not choux, which surprised me. That and the butter cream pistachio frosting gave this a sort of American to me. It's not really a direction that I want my saint-honoré to go.

Gerbeaud, Gerbeaud (Szelet) and Wafuu Mont-Blanc

Back on Thursday, I tried and failed to set up a cake-off, though I did manage to have some great cake. My plan initially went off the rails because Il Pleut sur la Seine is renovating and I failed to understand the details. Right now, the shop is still open but no fresh cake. They plan to reopen at the end of May, so I'll be waiting a while. Ended up down at Paris S. in Jiyugaoka, but either they sold out early or they have an abbreviated line-up on a weekday, as they had neither the several new nor the specific cake I was look for as a cake-off entrant, though I had just seen it the previous weekend, I thought. But it was good weather and good running.

Friday, I ran without cake, working on the neighborhood course. I failed on the revised East Shibuya loop, but reviewing, it didn't really make sense anyway, so I've revised it again; it looks simple enough now. I was finally able to finish confirming knowledge of the Minami-Aoyama--Shibuya loop and was successful for clockwise at the revised Minami-Aoyama 3&4 loop, so that completion will simplify my next attempt at the other two. I did have a snack from a new counter at Isetan for Beillevaire, which also has a temporary shop at Roppongi Hills and a main shop in Moto-Azabu, so it might count as a neighborhood shop anyway, but I need to confirm both of those. As an Isetan exclusive, they have Mille-Feuille Fromage Pie Blood Orange, which was good but not really that interesting as either pastry or cheese (which is what the shop specializes in).

Saturday, I was busy, so I didn't run, but I did get to Gerbeaud for lunches  and cake sets for two. One cake was Wafuu Mont-Blanc. I'l say it was good, though that is based on two bites. It's a simple cake and not my style even among mont-blanc. It was pronounced delicious but not as good as Angelina's Mont-Blanc, which is more comparable than my preference of mont-blanc, so I'm reasonably confident about the rating. I had all but one bit of the Gerbeaud (Szelet), which as the name implies, is very layered, like a pasty, alternating in apricot jam (like a Sachertorte) and walnut. It was like a cross between a pastry and coffeecake, dry, but not in a bad way. It was a big change from my favorites but a nice change. This was definitely excellent, so Gerbeaud'll make the cut as a quite good Tokyo cake shop.

Blondir, Bourgeonner

Monday, I worked late, so I did some neighborhood course confirmation near Tokyo Midtown and stopped for a croissant from Sadaharu Aoki, since they don't have any fresh cake that I haven't had. It was excellent. It says that it was imported from France, but I expect in the form of butter and flour, not already baked, though they could import frozen dough. I completed confirming the Minami-Aoyama east loop and the Roppongi 7 west loop and did the Roppongi 7 east clockwise (all in the National Art Center clump of three loops).

Tuesday, I ran down to the Sadaharu Aoki at Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs and got their exclusive Tokyo-yaki Macaron Chocolat, which is a traditional Japanese cake made from batter and a mold with a macaron inside instead of bean paste. Also, the cake part was mochi-like (chewy) and green tea flavor. I microwaved it for 20 seconds as recommended, and it pretty much recreated the traditional texture despite having a macaron for filling. I'll never do that again. I'll call it good because it was as designed, but if I try another flavor, I'll have it cold, though I don't expect it would be better. Hopefully I'll find better things elsewhere. For the running, I did a one-way neighborhood course run to formally add the newly designed Shibuya east loop and well as confirm my knowledge of it, which completes the Shibuya Station Southeast clump of two loops.

Wednesday, I got cake at Isetan from Blondir, as a third cake from a seemingly quite good shop. This is supposedly pistachio ganache with strawberry soaked in red wine, but then there is Kirsch in there somewhere, maybe in the raisins on top, as they were definitely soaked in something. The feeling was more like a rum raisin cake, but then pistachio is the fruity nut. It was interesting and I approval of the design. Definitely wouldn't mind having it again, so excellent: Blondir will make the cut. Now on to the "C" quite good shops. Running was to Ginza, touring from Mitsukoshi and then (walking underground) to Viron and to 14 Juillet, none of which had anything unexpected.

L'Atelier du Sucre, Mont-blanc

Working my way through the A's of the potentially very good Tokyo cake shops, I did a run out to L'Atelier du Sucre in Edogawa-ku, on the extreme east side of Tokyo. I was prepared to take it slow but hoped for about 3 hours from start to reaching the shop, but actually I guess I didn't take that many pictures and the course is pretty straightforward, so I arrived in 2.5 hours. It was nicer run than I expected (the long straight section along a main road didn't seem so long).

The Mont-blanc looked attractive, so I went for that this time. It was definitely good, a vehicle for lots of sweet chestnut paste, though not that exceptional. Looks like this shop won't make the cut either. New a few such shops to have an excellent third cake, but there ware lots still to check. Next in distance, perhaps, will be Ces Journal, which is a couple kilometers nearer. Before that, I hope to sample Blondir via Isetan.

Cake-off: Paris S'éveille's Saint Honoré Caramel over Origines Cacao's Tarte Caramel Chocolat

Started off trying to get a cake from JPH at Isetan for a cake-off, but they've changed the line-up mid-February, despite what I was told in January. Unfortunately, the change doesn't bring back one that I was looking for, but I'm not sure how stable the line-up is now, so I should probably check to see whether they slip anything else in in coming weeks before the text announced change (Tonka remains).

I stuck with my plan for the other cake in the cake-off, the Paris S'éveille's Saint Honoré Caramel. On the way, I dropped by the Tokyo Mid-Town JPH, just in case they had it (that was where they told me, after a long search through records, that it would be around until Feb. 28), they had switched the line-up there too. I also stopped at the chocolate shop Chapon and saw that that it had some café customers, so I guess they're okay. For the Paris S. cake, it's hard to get because they make it in the afternoon (when I asked once, they said could get it it 1 pm, but it seemed like even that was hurrying things), apparently. This time I was there just after 14:00, and there were a couple left, so they don't seem excited about making a lot of them. For convenience, I went to the opposite end of the shopping area there in Jiyuugaoka and got the Tarte Caramel Chocolat from Origines Cacao.

I was not thinking ahead of time that I wanted to compare two caramel cakes, but that's the way it turned out. It took a little bit to recognize the greatness, but I definitely got there with Saint Honoré Caramel by half way through. Usually I can judge each cake on its merits, but I think the fact that I had the saint honoré Caramel meant that it was harder to appreciate the Tarte Caramel Chocolat. It's definitely excellent, but I didn't feel that the chocolate was especially complementary to the caramel, whereas the small amount of nuts with the saint honoré were. I just don't need the former if I have the latter. However, the tart won its previous round, so it will get another chance in the third round. So the Saint Honoré Caramel gets its second cake-off win in a row and I'll probably get to its third round within the next month or so. As far as a follow-up to Paris S., I was one cake ahead (some weekend when I didn't have another distance shop in mind) already, and the three untested cakes  I saw today were all coffee-flavored, so I think I'll wait a while.

Maison D'ahni, Béret Pistache

Wednesday, I had pretty sore feet all morning and knew it was time to take a rest day, which I hadn't this week. And yet, I'm an addict, so by evening I wanted to run and didn't stop myself. I ran to Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs again, hoping from something from Sadaharu Aoki, but instead of 4 people in line, there were more than 14, so I gave up. Instead, I went for a third pastry from Le Pain de Joel Robuchon, this time choosing the Kouign Amann. It was the usual but excellent, so no complaints (I didn't eat it then, obviously, but after dinner, after which I was really full).

I worked on confirming my knowledge of the neighborhood course. I failed on the Minami-Aoyama--Shibuya loop but succeeded on the Minami-Aoyama south loop. However, it was a net loss in that, on the way back, I recognized a shop that should be added to the Minami-Aoyama 3&4 loop, though what kind of chocolate shop is empty of customers February 13? I won't be surprised to find it closed next time I go by, as it seems a hopeless case. Nevertheless, for now, I need to relearn that loop and I'll probably keep the new loop even if it does close.

Thursday, February 14, I followed by plan to rest. I had pain in my left thigh, which was new. Now sure how that happened or how to avoid it.

Friday, a tentatively good shop that I've only had one cake from visited Isetan, so I decided to give them a second chance early. I got the Béret Pistache, which is a pistache mousse dome with a milk chocolate center. It was reasonably good, but definitely not anything that excited me, so that will probably be my list trip there.

In good news, Blondir in the next visiting shop. They are only potentially quite good, but I've reviewing the quite good shops and they are one of the less conveniently located (I took care of the worse last weekend and plan to handle the next most distant one this weekend). Now if Ces Jours would just visit.

Actually, before eating my cake Friday, I did another neighborhood course run. This time I did the Minami-Aoyama--Nishi-Azabu and Nishi-Azabu northwest loops counterclockwise, but successfully, so that puts me over 40 km of loops confirmed both directions. I still want another 10 km before any major additions, though I might fill in the Shibuya east loop before that, and while I'm at it go for some more loops in the Shibuya area.

Le Chocolat de H/Paul Bassett: Chocolat Framboise

Ran down to Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs to visit the Le Chocolat de H/Paul Bassett café again. I promoted this shop to excellent already, but it's also challenging some quite excellent shops by giving nothing but excellent cakes. Nothing I need again, but still there is potential to find a great cake there. Today I had a few choices but went with the Chocolat Framboise as this seemed to be seasonal. It was very fruity, which is not my favorite. Still, the quality is difficult to deny. I'm not sure that this was not just as good as JPH's cake, though different. The raspberry is definitely foremost compared to the chocolate, and actually there is a cream layer rather than stacking in more chocolate to compete with the raspberry. In the end, I think I'm going to have to say this also was excellent, the fifth in the row. It looks like I'm going to be continuing frequent visits until I run through their line up, though I'm close to doing that. Probably won't finish this month, though. Still waiting to see how frequently the seasonal ones change.

Did lots of little neighborhood loops, including east Shibuya (not even officially added, since I discovered I need it), Minami-Aoyama 5, Minami-Aoyama--Shibuya, and Minami-Aoyama south loops. Just adds up to a few kilometers (plus the kilometers to get there and back, so it was more than 1 hour of running). Since I'd like to go to Sadaharu Aoki at ShinQs next or hotel pastry shop further along the same road, I'll probably do the same loops tomorrow (though I finished confirming both directions on Mianami-Aoyama 5).

Cake-off: Jean-Paul Hévin's Longchamp Chocolat over Yu Sasage's Fondant Chocolat (aux Framboises)

So I decided that Yu Sasage's current Fondant Chocolat is close enough to what I previously labeled as Fondant Chocolat aux Framboises (let's pretend I spelled it correctly). The store card said "aux Rouges" or "aux Fruits Rouges" (I forget, and it was phonetic), but the Facebook post about it just says Fondant Chocolat, though the fondant itself is chocolate and raspberries, even if the decoration includes a couple other berries. I should note, I didn't ask whether I was supposed to microwave it with or without removing the decoration first, to make it fondant ("melted"), though I don't actually need it to be in the fondant state and wouldn't have anyway. I've been looking for this as previously rated as a great cake and it's only available until the 14th, so even though I just found a different perhaps great cake from Yu Sasage, I went with the old one as a match to Jean-Paul Hévin's Longchamp Chocolat. I'll need another great cake now against the new Yu Sasage, which will at least stay in the line-up through to the beginning of March, so it's not impossible. My priority is the JPH cake, of course.

Put two kinds of cream and a bandage on my sore toe and was also very conscience of putting the weight on the other side of the food, which is where it should be centered anyway, I think. No problem running today. I went out around 8:15 and was running on and off until 11:00 (and again part way from Isetan to home). Took several pictures of new (to being included) food places that I'm adding to nearby neighborhood course loops, which required going 90 degrees from the direct path to Yu Sasage. That course turns back, so I didn't have to retrace myself, but it must have added a few kilometers to a longish run. When I left the old loops, I picked up a couple sites that I hope to eventual need for loops further out, a park, a green space, and the above shrine.

The cake-off was fairly predictable. The Fondant Chocolat was definitely excellent, but I've had more experience now, including with fondant, and am harder to impress the second time around, so this one will get demoted to semi-great, but it's still my favorite fruity fondant chocolat (not sure I know any straight chocolate ones that are great, but there's still at least one more hanging on for the third round of cake-offs to be tested). Also, Longchamp Chocolat is dark chocolate, nuts, and almond meringue in one of my favorite forms of cake, made by my favorite shop, so it's tough to beat.

In the afternoon, I went hunting for discount mass-produced chocolate (Look 3 is my favorite now) by bicycle. It took three shops to find it, but I went to stop by Les Cacao just to see whether Cuba had turned up (no, though it would only matter if another first-round loser still on the great list becomes available), so I just made finding the chocolate part of that quest. It was a long ride, as I stopped by Shin-marunouchi Building also, where I also didn't find the cake I was looking for at 14 Juillet, though I should check again when Valentines day is over, as they had several cakes that were obviously seasonal.

Maison Douce: Macaron Chocolat Mon Amour

Le Poulpelin

Maison Douce, which I've only had two cakes from, though one was initially rated as great and got a first-round cake-off (neither was declared a win and I demoted both, the only time I've done that), so by in terms of a place where I might find a great cake, it has more potential than some supposedly excellent shops, so it was a high priority to resolve where the shop belongs among my grouping of Tokyo shops. Unfortunately, they are a minimum 35 kilometers out, they don't have eat-in space, and it is not weather for eating outside (see snow above), so I run there and take the train back. I did a 45 km run recently, no problem, so I figured that I would be fine as long as I kept at the same pace, but my right little toe is giving me trouble, and my whole foot tenses up trying to protect it. The shop last told me I need narrower shoes, which might be true once the swelling goes down. I wore new socks with toes this time, but that doesn't really help. I'll use a lot of petroleum jelly and consider taping it, though I'm not sure that I have the right kind of tape now.

Maison Douce: Macaron Chocolat Mon Amour

On the way, I stopped at Le Poupelin whose chef was on the NHK sweets show I started watching. I got a Chasson au pommes, which I'll say was excellent, though it's 27 km, so maybe not in a good position to judge. If I run that far to try them for cake, I think I'm going to get two.

As it happens, I'm probably not going to have to worry about how far out Maison Douce is. I really didn't like the chocolate in this. I suppose it's the chocolate whipped cream that makes for a really weak watery taste. I've had this experience before with chocolate cakes from specialists, so maybe it's just my physical condition. Still, it was ok, but ok isn't doesn't justify going anywhere. The shop still has some potential above shops that have given me nothing better than one excellent cake, but I don't expect it to make the cut to stay in quite good shops.

That clears some excellent shops, though now I saw some other partially challenged by Les Cacao and En Vedette. I hope I can get a visit to Les Cacao next weekend, even if I don't get cake there. Now, I'm really looking forward to a cake-off tomorrow, though reviewing, I'm convinced that Fondant Chocolat au Rouge is just a slightly differently decorated Foondant Chcolat aux Framboises from Yu Sasage, so I've got two choices from them to go against JPH. I need to ask tomorrow how long the two Yu Sasage cakes will stay in the lineup. I need to also review Numero 7 to see what's in it: maybe it's been give a more appropriate name and also can be found in Yu Sasage's line-up without me realizing it.

Yu Sasage, Ardèche

Did a west run to Yu Sasage in Minamikarasuyama, Setagaya-ku, in response to their cake-off win with Perfum, the only cake of theirs that I've put to the test. I tried to take pictures along the way, though I only seem to have a few. Anyway, the weather was cold and there was a little snow, so I didn't want to expose my phone with a cracked edge.

I always have trouble choosing, as my mind is not that organized after running and people are waiting in the cake shop so I feel pressure. The thing that made me pause was that they have a Fondant Chocolat ? Rouge, whereas I've been looking for their Fondant Chocolat aux Framboises for cake-offs for a few years. This is apparently the correct season, as I had it originally in Feb. '16, so the current Fondant Chocolat is probably a close match, but maybe not. Instead of finding out, I got Ardèche. This is very similar to the JPH cake I want great cake to match against: a chocolate cylinder with a hard coating. In this cake, the inside is very moussie: chestnut mousse and (Western) tea mousse chocolate, along with chocolate caramel ganache. This is actually a fairly mild cake, almost a milk chocolate taste, whereas I'm easily impressed by less subtle applications of sugar and nuts. This did have some crunch in the base, along with the coating, so there was sufficient variation in texture.

I'm not sure how it will hold up against further scrutiny, but I think it's not unreasonable to designate it as great. I'll try to get it again Monday and put it in a cake-off against the JPH cake. I don't have anything to match the loser against a second round, though, assuming that I still think that cake is good. My best bets are if 14 Julliet has reintroduced Au Lait Noix (they were back with having small cakes again last time I checked, but a smaller different line-up that definitely didn't have that one) or Les Cacao has put Cuba back in the line-up (haven't seen it since 2017). Not sure that I'll have time to check that latter this weekend, but I wouldn't mind an east run Tuesday or Wednesday, not to let F. Cassel go too long without a visit.

Toshi Yoroizuka, Rouler

Resting up somewhat, I just ran to Tokyo Midtown and back Thursday. I noticed that D&D has cake from a shop I haven't sample yet (couldn't remember the shop name correctly later when I tried to look it up), but it has to get in line after other local shops that I haven't sample yet (Lotus, you are my #1 back-up, since you're open the latest as well as being on the closest loop that I haven't finished sampling from). Today's goal was to get a new cake from the shop providing the last cake-off winner, Toshi Yoroizuka. Not a great selection at night, of course. There were a couple cheesecakes that I haven't had, but I just had cheesecake on Monday and I think my previous new cake from Toshi Yoroizuka was a cheesecake (they still had it, as well as a variation with a little whipped cream and a strawberry). So, for the first time, I got roll cake from them. I'm going to call it Rouler, but between the ambiguity of Japanese pronunciation and French spelling, I'm not sure. Maybe Roule. Anyway, it's strawberry roll cake. This was much better than I expected from the type, though not from Toshi Yoroizuka. The cake was not too dry, having absorbed a good amount for strawberry juice, I think, but not mushy, the strawberries were good, and the amount of whipped cream was restrained even that it was not dominant and I could enjoy the other parts. It was sort of like eating café strawberry and whipped cream pan cakes. Still not my thing, but definitely good, to the point that I'm tempted to call it semi-excellent, but I'll still to the base rating system.

I'm not disappointed, though I still keep hoping for another great cake. I might need to do a run to FC, even if it isn't a priority. Friday, I rest (or rather, buy a new pair of running socks, since they don't last very long).

Bel Amer: Caramel Amer

Working my way through the list of possible quite good shops/brands that I have only evaluated two cakes from, I went to Isetan and got a cake from Bel Amer. As expected, they were busy with chocolate sales, but they still had a supply of chocolate cakes. I choose the Caramel Amer. I thought later that I should have checked whether it was bitter or sweet caramel, but chocolate was obviously dominate, so I figured I didn't have to worry about it.

For the run, I did clockwise around the Minami-Aoyama--Nishi-Azabu loop (the first time in the current version) and the Nishi-Azabu northwest loop, no problems, other than taxis that don't stop where they are supposed to (the latter is the most dangerous loop in that respect, I think). With the run to a suitable start point and a shopping detour, it was quite a long run. Also, I decided I should add a couple sites further up Aoyama-doori Avenue around Gaien, though I'm not sure when I'll get over there next in the day time to take the photos.

The cake was very good. It could come from Amer's deli/coffee shop back home, though it would be much bigger in that case. The caramel is not a very dramatic accent to the chocolate, so I didn't have to worry about my dislike for bitter caramel. It's sort of a dense café cake and would probably benefit from a whipped cream topping, which I'm not prepared to provide at home. As it is, this shop probably won't make the cut to stay in quite good.

Feuilleté aux Marrons

Tuesday, I rand back down to Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs and this time managed to get the target object, Feuilleté aux Marrons from Sadaharu Aoki, or at least that's what I think they are calling it: they seem to be the only one using the particular Japanese phonetic spelling, at least online. Anyway, it's a flaky pastry like a galette des rois but filled with chestnut. I dared run with it, trying to do a few small nearby neighborhood course loops without looking them up, it it survived fine. I only managed the Minami-Aoyama 5 loop, which doesn't have any cross-streets.

The pastry was excellent. I decided from experience that I shouldn't try to eat it cold, so I let it heat up at 40 degC in the convection oven for five or ten minutes first. Also, I cut it with a knife, because the edge texture isn't as good from biting. I should have more pastries from them, like their croissants (regular and green tea, I think I've seen)), but I'll have to wait until Valentine's season is over, because they don't have the time or space for them now. Hope I can still find cake this weekend around all the chocolate selling.

Le Chocolat de H/Paul Bassett: Tarte Fromage

Did another run down to Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs. I was trying to get something from Sadaharu Aoki, but I guess I should have been more efficient about leaving home, as it sold out just ahead of me, so I went for a fourth cake from Le Chocolate de H at Paul Bassett. They only had one variety left that I hadn't had, but I didn't mind getting the Tarte Fromage. It's simply baked cheesecake in a tart shell with whipped cream on top. But it's better cheesecake than I've been able to make (I've given up on the old recipes and haven't been looking for anything new) and keeping it simple avoided ruining it, so I'm going to say it's excellent. Actually, that's four excellent cakes in a row, so I'm going to go ahead and promote it to the excellent group, as the 15th member (still space for one more).

I did counterclockwise runs on a lot of little loops on the way back: Shibuya west and north loops and the Jinnan and Jinguumae-Jinnan loops. That brings me past 37 km in successfully reviewed loops. I need another 13 km before I'll allow myself to add a new loop, though I might make an exception for the newly created one that expands on an old link.

Cake-off: Toshi Yoroizuka's Saint-marc over Paris S'éveille's Gateau Vanille

Was busy Saturday, but did a run from the morning, about 8:15, Sunday, taking pictures and adding sites along old neighborhood course loops that I haven't reviewed yet, picking off the near ones. I recently switched my target for the next cake-off, since I realized both were so easy to get that I could probably do on a half-day, so I would leave them for when I was busy on the weekend. Next in line, then, was Paris S'éveille's Gateau Vanille as a two time cake-off winner. If I failed to find it, there were three other cakes with the same status. Paris S'éveille has the best record in that respect, better even than JPH. But I had no problem there at around 11 am.

Next, I took the train back as far as Shibuya Stn. and then walked to B-E, along the way discovering a couple things sufficient to make a major course revision that expanded what was once just a run around a small block (for the Shibuya Viron) to a few kilometers (from about Shibuya station to near the southwest corner of Yoyogi Park). I could move a couple sites from the largest loop to the expanded one, which shrank the former down 0.8 km, which is very slightly helpful, as well as making the corresponding parts much simpler. Unfortunately, E-B never put their raspberry cake back in the line-up when they took it out for Christmas, which left me hanging with one cake. Being tired, I decided to look along the near train route and found it convenient to visit Toshi Yoroizuka and get their Saint-marc. Ended up being three train rides to get two cakes despite the initial running, but I avoided transfers, so all low fares.

As hoped doing a third round with two two-time winners, these were both really great cakes, so the decision between them came down to the last bite. Paris S'éveille's Gateau Vanille is probably the best vanilla cake I know, but somehow Toshi Yorizuka makes a cake that's half cream and yet the chocolate does not seem diluted at all, where I'd expect to get a milk chocolate effect (though milk has a different taste than cream). The orange liqueur, perhaps (along with a good chocolate base), brings out the flavor. (There isn't noticeable caramel in this saint-marc version.)

Only one great cake from January and no reappearances of any of the as-yet-untested one, so I'm still waiting for the next first-round cake-off of the year. I'll perhaps do a second-round one with one of the four available ones left at the end of the month regardless.

Anniversaire Café, Blanche & Porto Rouge

Yesterday, I had a relative short run, less than 6 km, and today (Saturday), I didn't run at all, though I walked a similar distance. This was partially because I was busy, partially laziness, and partially acknowledging that I need to take a full day off running sometimes to let my feet rest. Continuing with reviewing the quite good shops, I went back to Anniversaire Café above Omotesandou Station on Omotesandou Avenue. After a very nice lunch at the same place, I shared cake for two: Blanche & Porto Rouge. The first is a kind of light strawberry shortcake, with low-fat cream, strawberry, and sponge cake including rice flower. I thought it was definitely good, though I'm not much into shortcake to begin with.

The Porto Rouge was similar flavors, with port wine, berry gelatin, and some white chocolate. Maybe also not my thing, but it was definitely well made and I feel excellent is reasonable classification, so I think this shop will make the final cut. We won't necessarily wait until I need a fifth new cake from them to visit again.

Libre: Fleure Pomme and Paris-Brest Marron

Friday afternoon, I took off, so I visited P. Libre down in Shirokane, which is peripherally connected to the neighborhood running course, but requires a long detour, so I haven't plotted out the specific path that would include it. This is the first shop recommendation taken from Sweets Magic! (see your local NHK Premium listings). The eat-in capacity is 11 or 13 people, and it's hard to image that many people there. Besides the chef (who took my order) and three other underlings there was a man and woman in black who were also staff, which was more than really fit in a place not that much bigger than my living room. They were busy though, so I suppose they were preparing for the night French restaurant time, as cake time was about over. The guy in front of me ordered 5 packs of 3 large bonbon-sized chocolate "pyramids" for >4,000 yen.

The closest thing they have for cake are the "fleure", which are mousse or sauce in a shell in a jar. I saw him make just little balls like that by dipping frozen mousse or sauce in the coating. If you eat in, you can probably see him do it, because the bar counter is both the eating and preparation surface. I asked for the apple version, Fleure Pomme.

The other like that I allow as cake is their Paris-Brest. They only had the Marron, but I didn't have a strong preference, so no problem. They both survived the train ride home. These are certainly interesting, and good. They were nice as something different, and excellent as art, but maybe too far from what I'm looking for in cake to take me back unless it is for the restaurant, which I bet would also be interesting.