La Vie Douce, Praliné Orange

Thursday, I was able to stop in at La Vie Douce for a 6th new cake on my way home from work, to see whether they could succeed where Jun Honma failed. I went with the Praliné Orange, but they had a good selection for near closing time (bad for them, but good for me).

For running, I worked on clumps of my neighborhood running course, and also reconnaissance. I was successful on the Jinguumae northeast clump but failed to get the links between loops in the right order (and realized it, so I quit) for the Jinguumae Stn. east clump just south of it. I plan to try that Saturday afternoon. That finishes off the first 22.04 km of neighborhood running course clumps. I also confirmed the new Jinguumae southwest link, which uses two pedestrian bridges, as the new way to get to the Jinguumae--Jinnan loop and all loops west--north of there. It adds about 1.5 km, but it works. Hopefully the next construction won't be to take down those pedestrian bridges, or I'll be resorted to going through Aobadai, which would add a few more kilometers, though it's all good.

The cake surprised me a little, because it looked like the kind of cake that would be pretty heavy, about actually about half of the inside is sponge cake and half is cream, so it's pretty light. It was definitely good, and probably more legitimately cake than a lot of things I like, but still I would like something more dramatic, so they slip below Jun Honma for the moment, which won't immediately matter if at least one of the two exceptional shops can come through with something excellent for their next cake, which I hope to determine Sunday.

I'll sneak in Friday as well, when I had coupons for a bakery, and could have gotten cake but already had in my mind to get bread, since I had forgotten about the cake, since I wouldn't go there normally. For exercise, I had finally decided on a proper revised Akasaka--Azabudai--Roppongi--Toranomon loop, which I did clockwise. I hope also to do counterclockwise Saturday and confirm this as the newest of verified loops. I also did revised the Aoyama-Minami 1 loop clockwise to take into account the loss of the Croissant cafe, but that only took an extra couple minutes of running, since the new loop is even smaller than the old one, only 209 m to loop around the building with a Tully's. I'll get the other direction when I do its clump, since that's next after the two I plan to try Saturday afternoon.

Jun Honma: Waguri Mont-Blanc

Still trying to sort out the quite fine shops versus the exceptional shops, I ran to Jun Honma again. I didn't get turned around 180 degrees again, but I also didn't pick my route that well, so it took about the same time. Actually, coming back with cake took the same time, and I walked under Shinjuku as far as Isetan. Takes a couple hours total.

I went with the Waguri Mont-Blanc this time, very traditional. And it was very traditional tasting, so good but nothing special, so Jun Honma slips behind, giving a different shop a chance for the next day. I'll say that this had a sort of almond tart base, since besides using Japanese Chestnuts, the base classifies it within the Mont-Blanc family.

En Vedette, Rocher

Tuesday, under the threat of heavy rain and wind (and during medium rain, but not so cold), I went down to Shibuya Scramble Square (the building) to visit the En Vedette counter, since they are one of three candidates among quite fine shops vying for two possible spots in the exceptional group. I didn't try to any a neighborhood clump because of the rain, and because I wanted to do a weights workout when I got back, which I did. I chose the Rocher, though there were other tempting cakes. On the way home, I noticed that they were taking down the pedestrian bridge over Meiji-dori Ave. that crosses in Jinguumae and gets me to all those big loops to the west. I think I can cross further south (though it will probably become more convenient when the construction north of Shibuya Stn. finishes, since now it takes two bridges), but it's going to shift all those west loops down in priority slightly. I'll need to recalculate. I should also mention, though I had noticed Monday, that Nana Gâteaux is now Amiri, though they're still selling cake during the day, actually from earlier than before, just they're a bar restaurant as well.

I really liked the Rocher. Top and bottom is nut-based "biscuit" sandwiching an equal (combined) width of almond and hazelnut flavored butter cream. This is accented by lemon ganache. It's fairly simple, but the text and balance are just right, so I'm going to call it great, which should guarantee them a spot among the exceptional shops, though I'll wait until I've had at least two more cakes from them. It also means this will be one of the cakes in the next cake-off, unless the PH cake I just saw disappears again (it's been almost three years since I last saw it).

Rire Ginza: Griotte Cherry and Pistachio Fondant Chocolat & Baked Apple Mille-Feuille

Despite the title, the most significant find was perhaps my taking advantage of a Monday off to visit the Morihan shop in Sendagaya, very close to the base of my running map, so a priority (though I've since added even closer ones that I haven't finished getting to).

This seems to be half office for the Tokyo branch of a tea distributor, which explains why they keep office hours, closed weekends and holidays and closing at 18:00. I was there because they had enough snake-time things to deserve to be on the running map, even if they're usually closed when I'm running. They had chocolate, but I went with Matcha Dacquoise, I didn't expect a lot, but actually for once I could understand the appeal of dacquoise cookies: this was excellent. I should remember to add that I was over there working on the neighborhood running course clumps in that neighborhood. I successfully did the Kitasandou east clump and the Sendagaya Elementary School clump, neither of which is much larger long than 2 km, which fit in the amount of time I had before going out for lunch.

Wanted to visit Rire Ginza, maybe based on the chef's reputation. However, I'm all about cake and this was strictly café desserts, so I probably should select my locations more carefully. Still, the lunch and the desserts were good, and the location was convenient for us. I got the most cake-like thing, the Griotte Cherry and Pistachio Fondant Chocolat. It was good, but definitely too little and subtle for my tastes, which says more about me than the shop.

The other dessert was Baked Apple Mille-Feulle, which is basically an kind of apple pie with ice cream on top. That said, it was definitely good and I liked it more. The apple had more texture than a tatin, but fit the dessert and the cidre sabayon sauce worked well to combine the ice cream, fruit, and pastry.

I'll also include here that the Match Chocolat, made by Hokkaido Carmelite monks, which was excellent. Maybe I'll get the white chocolate next time, from San Paolino near Yotsuya Station (because it's near Sophia University).

Finally, running news for Monday, at night I tried to do the Akasaka--Azabudai--Roppongi--Toramon loop counterclockwise and realized (1) I didn't know where to turn at the far east corner, (2) I hadn't followed the map previously, when I thought I did it clockwise, and (3) the map wasn't followed, because it didn't follow a legitimate route. This entire loop may collapse, which isn't shocking since I've lost a major interior street to a construction project; I not sure whether there is a way to unravel this. Probably I'll just do a cheat and add a loop that overlaps a bit, since otherwise, it's going to be a huge ugly revision and I'll have to revise again when they finish the project (March 31, 2023). Anyway, I have bigger problems on the west side, that I discovered Tuesday.

Lenôtre, Espirit Tartelette Fraise Chocolat & Viron, Charme

Was busy in the afternoon, but squeezed in a run and bought cake for later. I tried a neighborhood run through the just-revised Akasaka-Azabudai-Roppongi loop. Even though I wasn't up on the progress in Azabudai, I'm pretty familiar with most of this loop, so I could finish it clockwise this time, and also do the full Roppongi Itchoume Stn. clump (there isn't much to the extra link and loop), so I'm ahead on that. Tomorrow I'll probably work on clumps closer to the base, as I'm off and there's a shop that's only open during normal work hours that I want to visit over in Sendagaya. Along the way, I got a Croissant from Pierre Gagnaire, since Libertable doesn't seem to have pastries any more, or at least now (I was over that way because I first did the just revised little Yotsuya north loop clockwise). The croissant was more of a hotel breakfast croissant than a good patisserie croissant, so it gets just an "ok".

I was getting cake for two, so I got two cakes: first, Espirit Tartelette Fraise Chocolat from Lenôtre, which I had been trying to get since last Wednesday (though they have one more new item I haven't had, a strawberry verrine). The other was the new cake I spotted at Viron yesterday, Charme, which is a chocolate dome cake, but with a hard shell. I had to save them, though, so for my lunch dessert, I also got the Almondine, which is an almond petit four, I would say. It was good, but this kind of dessert isn't going to become a focus of mine, I think.

I liked the cake in the evening better, though I did add tea, which was lacking with the Almondine. The Espirit Tartelette Fraise Chocolat was good, but not so exciting and I'd rather have less fruit and more other parts. The Charme did a better job of meeting my chocolate cravings, and I can say that it was excellent.

I expect I'll have to wait another month before I can get another new cake from Viron.

Cake-off: Jean-Paul Hévin's Tonka over Viron's Mille-feuille

This week, I had a lot of working late, so no cake Wednesday to Friday. I managed to bicycle to Ginza Mitsukoshi before closing Wednesday and Thursday, but had a couple cakes in particular in mind that were not there. Friday, I didn't even try (I might have gotten there just before closing, which wouldn't be that useful on a Friday), but went to Isetan and confirmed that PH has a great cake in the line-up that has never had a cake-off (but I don't have an opponent for it right now) and the strawberry tart at SA is the one I've already had (which was excellent). Think I did one workout with weights one of those days, though I can't remember the details. Friday, I finished off confirming the updated Daikyou-chou--Shinanomachi loop and also confirmed the updated Shinjuku Gyouen clump (3 loops, 4.909 km) and definitely did a non-weights indoor workout.

Saturday, I went to Ginza Mitsukoshi again for cake-off materials, but I also confirmed that they had one of the cakes had been looking for but not the other one. I later found that Viron has a new cake, so I still have a backup for next time I go out there looking for new cakes, which might be tomorrow (I haven't decided where I want to go, and a new errand has come up). My main target for the cake-off was Tonka, which is one of their new cakes, from Jean-Paul Hévin for a fourth-round cake-off. They are currently two wins to one loss, so I matched them with the highest priority cake in that bracket, Viron's Mille-feuille. On the way back, I got a matcha chocolate bar from a new site on my Souga Gakkai clump route, though on the opposite end from the Souga Gakkai campus, near Yotsuya station, at the San Paolino shop, which is mostly sweets. I am saving it for later, to share, so I'll have to update this. While I was there, I noticed a castella place that should be on the Yotsuya north loop, so I revised the loop and will have to do confirmation runs another day.

Before cake, I went out again to try to confirm the Akasaka--Azabudai--Roppongi--Toranomon loop, as next in priority after the Daita-... loop, which I'll get back to another time. I knew the planned route fine, but the construction in Azabu 1 has expanded to the point that streets have disappeared, as well as a park and possibly a temple that was on my route, but the latter might have an entrance on the other side and still be there, though I didn't find one last time I looked. Anyway, I need to figure out a new route and try again. Actually, I'm not sure how the old loop was valid, unless there was an entrance to the Reiyukai Shakaden Temple on the old route that I can't remember now. On the loop, I stopped at the Pierre Gagnaire shop and got a Croissant d'Almonde. I don't know why I chose that one, since it's not my favorite type, but it always catches my eye. It was good but standard, which is too sugary even for me, but I won't let that put me off retrying other pastries from there. I also found another Japanese style sweets shop that I'll add as a site on the map, but there's still a lot of shops ahead of it, and cake and pastries are my priority.

I was pretty happy with cake-off this time, as expected. It was hard to choose, but Tonka is a great example of why I like JPH's cakes, and I've giving it the win. In the previous round for Viron's Mille-feuille, I had my doubts about it as a great cake, but even though it lost this time, I'm satisfied with it as on the list: it lacks subtly, but it seems to be a perfect classic mille-feuille, which I haven't had anywhere else and am happy to be able to eat.

Jun Honma; Edo Matchi

Did a run out to Kouenji to visit the Jun Honma branch there, since it's closest. It was a longer run than necessary because I got turned around past Shinjuku Station and ended up heading back south and losing all my northern progress, though that was probably just a few minutes of running. Coming back, I didn't have trouble and actually walked from the west Shinjuku subway entrance to pass under the station, and then had shopping in Shinjuku (though that was it's own kind of exercise).

At Jun Honma, I got Edo Matchi, which is a traditional heavy (think, central/eastern Europe) layer cake with matcha, matcha ganache, chocolate, and some mandarin in there (I assume the sort of gelatin looking layers is matcha and fruit gelatin). I chose it thinking that chocolate and matcha is a good combination, but I didn't really have high expectations that it would be very exciting, based on the type and the previous two cakes from there. Certainly, it is not something that blows you away from the first bite, but it impresses over the full eating, so I can easily say that is excellent. It surprised me, though I expect most chefs to the bigger places to be able to make excellent cakes, just what I think is excellent is not necessary what sells well for them. Because of one early great cake that I've never seen again, they score high enough to challenge the bottom of the exceptional group, but now it's looking more like they have an actual chance of moving up. Of course, a different shop is at the top of the quite fine shops, but they are closed Tuesdays and there is room for two to be promoted, so Jun Honma got their chance, and did well. One nice thing about them is that they are open until 21:00, so even if they are little far and getting past Shinjuku Station takes time, there was a pretty good selection.

Coffee Parlor Hilltop, Lemoncello

Ran to Coffee Parlor Hilltop to bring them up to 6 tried cakes, my target level for exceptional shops, so I can stop treating them as a new shop. It was a good run there, but I got lazy walking back about halfway, though I tried to keep it a good walk. I did basic indoor non-weights exercises at home. I had a late start, or maybe I would have done more.

As the 6th cake, I choose the Lemoncello, which is, according to my translation of the card, lemon cream and glaze and milky white chocolate mousse. It's a small cake, but elegant, and a nice change. I'll rate it excellent.

Frédéric Cassel: Mille-feuille Chocolat Fruits Rouges

Sunday, as a reward for a cake-off win the previous day, I visited Frédéric Cassel to get a new cake, trying to make up for missed cakes during illness. On weekends, they have special mille-feuille that I like to try once in a while. This time was Mille-feuille Chocolat Fruits Rouges, which uses strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, so more berry than red fruit. It was comparable to previous versions, so I'll say it was excellent. I'm still waiting for the combination that really excites me.

Might allow them another cake during the week, since the cake-off doesn't really have to count and I'm catching up resolving the borders between different shop categories. Still, maybe not until Thursday, if things go smoothly earlier in the week. 

L'Abricotier: Pomme Caramel

Eighth try at the Daita--Daizawa--Hatagaya--Kamiyama-chou--Kitazawa--Motoyoyogi-chou--Nishihara--Ooyama-chou--Shouto--Tomigaya--Uehara loop counterclockwise got me another 800 meters farther before failure (turned one street to early). Also, I could include two revisions since the last run, no problem.

Decided that it was easier to go straight to L'Abricotier (chosen because they are challenging the bottom of the Superb group) rather than run home and then go by bicycle. It was still a little under 7 km after almost 3 hours of running, but I walked much of it (though I also didn't take the shortest, 7 km path, because I wanted to pick up some photos).

Today's new cake was Pomme Caramel, which uses green apple mousse. It was definitely good, but this layered cube cake was hard to eat with a fork (at home, I'm used to using a knife). I suppose I need to practice.

Cake-off: Frédéric Cassel's Breteuil over Paris S'éveille's Saint Honoré Caramel

Still working through seasonal cakes I want to get to for fourth-round cake offs, I first ran in light rain to Ginza Mitsukoshi, arriving two minutes before opening. They weren't that surprised to seem me as their first customer at Frédéric Cassel, which I got the Breteuil.

After getting it safely home, I ran down to Shibuya in what was now snow, because I'm really greedy and wanted to also compare pastries. I got the regular Croissant from Sadaharu Aoki, since the next stop was Paris S'éveille, which also has great pastries. It was the next step, but I didn't go the shortest way.

At PS (still snowing lightly all the way), having successfully timed it to arrive between the interval that Saint Honoré Caramels are brought out and when the sell out, I was able to get this three-time cake-off winner. For the pastry, I got Croissant Orange.

For a first of the new viennoiserie-off, I'm giving the win to Croissant Orange. It's no secret what appeals to me about both: sugar. The SA uses a syrup coating and PS uses powered sugar. But I'm giving the win to Croissant Orange, for what it's worth. Not sure that this is as useful as comparing great cakes, since the bar is really lower.

The main event, however is the cake-off. At least on this day and in this combination, the caramel of the Saint Honoré Caramel was more bitter than I wanted. Also, the nutty creamy decadence of the Breteuil could not be resisted. It's a little sad to think that I'll wait another year before I have this gain, but I did squeeze in two cake-offs with it this season, so even a four-time cake-off winner can't really ask for more.

I tagged this with neighborhood run, but then failed to include the night run. What I tried to do, as a new project this year, is do neighborhood course "clumps" (at least two loops and including all attached links with sites), but I failed both. I added a new site and split what's become the Yotsuya 3-choume Stn. southwest clump into a Samon-chou-Yotsuya loop, which I could do, and a Daikyou-chou--Shinanomachi loop, which I failed on when it came to matching on the east and west ends of the north stretch. I tried the remaining Shinjuku Gyouen clump, but failed on a link, which was not consistent with another link, so I revised them to all use the shortest path (versus favoring hugging close to Shinjuku Gyouen).

Fiorentina Pastry Boutique: Paris-Brest

Working through catching up the established exceptional shops that aren't under threat from below before going back to Hilltop, I did the short run to Fiorentina Pastry Boutique, with the plan to do some non-weights indoor working out afterward, which I did. As a 7th new cake, I choose the cake Paris-Brest, which in the tradition of many Japanese cakes, is in almost now way what it calls itself: it's not tire-shaped and no hazelnut praliné. Instead, it's custard cream, whipped cream and strawberry sandwiched between choux pastry, which is also pretty common. Actually, they got the balance of ingredients just right for me, whereas usually I don't like mixing custard and whipped cream, much less popping strawberries in. It's still not my thing, but it was definitely good and I enjoyed it.

Ladurée: Galette Capucine

As planned, ran to Ginza Mitsukoshi to visit Ladurée. I tried to do some harder running in some parts, to actually build some muscle, though not in any systematic way. Maybe I'll actually use the timer of my watch running tomorrow, as the planned destination is rather close. Ran back, not trying to be so fast.

I chose Galette Capucine as the new cake to catch up this shop to the baseline for exceptional shops. Capucine is a type a flower, though I think the filling was mandarin. The cake is made of a rather dense pastry, so this was more like a pastry than cake, but I'll let them label it. Whatever it was, it was definitely excellent, so I'm happy that I promoted them and started visiting them again. Hope the other two below-water exceptional shops do as well.

Lenôtre: Verrine Tiramisu Pomme Crumble

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

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

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

Cake-off: Sadaharu Aoki's Mont D'or's over Jean-Paul Hévin's Macaron Chocolat a l'Ancienne

With today (Monday), finally catching up on blogging. I've been out sick, but today I went out and visited Isetan, among other errands. I believe this will be the last weekend for an indefinitely time for Jean-Paul Hévin's Macaron Chocolat a l'Ancienne, otherwise getting it in an 4th round cake-off would not be a priority, since I still have lower ranked 3rd rounds to do. I matched it against another two losses and one win limited-time (through February) cakes, Mont D'or from Sadaharu Aoki's. I'm planning something more challenging for next week.

The Macaron Chocolat a l'Ancienne had the usual problem of being over-engineered as a chocolate delivery device, though I remain fond of it as as an old classic. Mont D'or as a nice smooth chocolate with enough chestnut to give it a special flavor and an accept of cassis/currant and I give it the win.

Besides cake, I also proved my recovery by performing my standard non-weights (mostly upper body) muscle training and then doing a run taking in a neighborhood clump, my Shinanomachi Stn. one (just 3.577 km length by itself), and a counter clockwise confirmation of my revised Samon-chou loop, spending about an hour total, though there was some walking while I grabbed a candy snack and firmed the last loop before heading for grocery shopping.

Lenôtre: Tour Eiffle Fraise

Tuesday, I was feeling a little sore and the weather was poor, so I went by bicycle to get cake from Lenôtre at the Ginza Mitsukoshi. I avoided the glass desserts by trying another red winter variation on one of their standard cakes, in this case a strawberry version of their caramel cake. The Tour Eiffle Fraise. I'm not a big fan of strawberry in particular, but it seems like an improvement over the regular chocolate version, or at least a nice variation. It was definitely good, though one could reasonably want more from the price. This shop still remains at the top of the exceptional shops, so it will likely get promoted. There are a still a couple glass desserts to try. Also, there is a winter version of their Plaisir that wasn't that much different from the original, which was just good, so I'm hoping something else will turn up. They should at least come up with something special for Valentine's Day, though I'm sure they'd rather sell chocolates.

Viron: Choux Rétrodor

Last Monday, ran to Viron in Marunouchi and got their Choux Rétrodor, which is a cream puff using their Rétrodor brand of flour, in both the choux pastry and in the custard. Note sure that it made a difference, but I've learned to appreciate the simplicity of this dessert. Excellent. I took the long way, looking in on Ginza Mitsukoshi on my way back.

Cake-off: Pierre Hermé's Carrément Chocolat over Jean-Paul Hévin's Longchamp Praliné

Still behind blogging, but Sunday I ran morning and afternoon, with a cake-off in between. The first run was to Yu Sasage, where I found that they aren't currently making either of the cakes that I want from them, one of which is undefeated after three rounds of cake-offs. I'll have to do a better job of watching the website to see if it reappears, but otherwise I'll probably never get there again. I took the train back to Isetan so I could get my backup pair of cakes, Pierre Hermé's Carrément Chocolat, their standard chocolate cake, and Jean-Paul Hévin's Longchamp Praliné, which finishes its current run on the 15th, so it was priority. Both were two wins and one loss in three rounds, but Pierre Hermé's Carrément Chocolate easily took its third win. It's got a brownie base, crunch middle, and mousse top, which doesn't sound like anything special, but it adds up to a great texture.

The late run was the Ebisu 4 loop, which is short but far away. I had originally thought I was going to do the third clump of loops, but laziness took over. Since I seem to have overdone things, it was a wise choice.

I was greedy Sunday, as I hadn't had a pastry for a week and Sadaharu Aoki, which doesn't have enough new cakes to satisfy me but has among the best pastries, had something new, the Gallette des Rois Nature, where Nature indicates that it is almond filling. This was definitely excellent, so I hope to get the chestnut version before it finishes its run.

Pierre Marcolini: Marcolini Chocolate Gateau

On Jan 3rd, finally got over to my next target café for two, the main Pierre Marcolini in Ginza. My interest was only in the cake, which they call Marcolini Chocolate Gateau. It's a café dessert, but one could image whipped cream sold on the side, so I'm going to go ahead and list it with other cakes. It was excellent, as a quite dense moist cake. I ordered it with the Marcolini Cacao Tea, which was interesting but I got tired of pretty quickly, so I can't recommend more than a taste.

For completeness the other dessert was the Marcolini Brussels Waffle, seasonal Cacao flavor. As it happens, ice cream and waffles doesn't work for me. I should of recommend the parfait. Actually, I had their vanilla soft-serve ice cream the day before in Shinjuku, and it was excellent.

Running, over a few days. I did a couple neighborhood course "clumps" of loops, the Suga-chou clump and the Soka Gakkai clump, which covers the neighborhood course between Yotsu 3-choume, Yotsu, and Shinnomachi stations, which only adds up to about 5 km.

For new loops, I finished off the Aobadai central loop, which gives access to both directions and sides of the Meguro River around Nanakameguro Station. I also completed the Ebisu 4 loop (two different days), which gives gives further access to loops leading up to immediately east of Meguro Station before dead-ending.

Pierre Hermé: Paris-Brest Classique, Carré Blanc, and Cheesecake Céleste

New Year's holidays are almost over, so I should catch up, though there was less cake and running than usual. Monday (Dec 30), I ran to Paris S'éveille, where I expected and found two reasonable cake substitutes. One, however, includes coffee gelatin, which I'm pretty sure would not agree with my mouth or stomach, so I'm going to ignore that. The other was Crème Molle, which seems to be a (custard) crème brulée, so I went with that and ate it in the shop (didn't have to wait). It was excellent, as a change, but I'm recording it as "other", not cake or pastry. Future visits will probably be either for cake-offs or pastries, but I'll watch for the rare new cake, since this is a superb shop.

The next actual cake was New Year's Eve, when I visited Pierre Hermé at Isetan to get new cake because of a recent cake-off win.

I was particularly interested in the Paris-Brest Classique, but it was cake for two, so there were two more cakes that I had half of: Carré Blanc and Cheesecake Céleste.

The Paris-Brest was standard, as expected, with choux pastry and praliné cream. Carré Blanc was very fresh tasting, based on mascarpone cheese with I can't remember what kind of herbs and spices--maybe this had ginger, though I'm also thinking something more herb-like. What I do remember was it was not trying to be subtle about the herbs/spices, nor should it, since mascarpone by itself would be quite blank. The cheesecake followed the featured "fetish", céleste, which is strawberry and rhubarb. All three cakes were good, though none of them stood out, so this shop will probably remain a cake-off only visit going forward, as it will probably have to give up its place in the superb category, where it's already had more than it's share of cakes anyway.