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.