Rue de Passy, Éclair Caramel

From their last cafe-off win, I owed Rue de Passy another visit, so I was there August 14th and picked up their Éclair Caramel, which worked out well, since it was excellent.

Pierre Gagnaire, Éclair Fraise Pistache

I'm falling behind again, but last Saturday I visitied Pierre Gagnaire's pastry and bread shop again, which has a very limited selection, but apparently I hadn't had their Éclair Fraise Pistache yet, or any éclair from them. Not sure whether it's reasonable to want a harder/crispier pastry, but it was fine. The mixture of strawberry and pistachio was definitely nice, but what really did it for me was an abundance of honey/sugar pistachios. Really, it would be bad if I had a bag of those, because they would disappear really quickly.

Ryoura, Éclair Jardinage

Tuesday, I ran out to Youga again, this time for new cake. Even more crowded than before, with children literally stepping on me in a line that was not following social distancing, but how much can I complain about whole families crowding into a small shop (which at least was making people line up outside, but only to the point that people inside could have avoided physically touching each other, except for the little kids dashing around) when I didn't urgently need cake from there, just it was on my list and open. (If Sadaharu Aoki had been open, I would have gone there, though eventually I would have visited Ryoura again).

Backing up, I stopped for a pastry at Bigarreaux. I wanted their almond croissant, but they didn't have that. Instead, I got their Kouign Amann, which was different. It was a loosely packed, so to speak, as they go, and inside there was actual melted butter, in liquid form, which I've never had in one of these butter cakes. I'm going to have to say it was great just because I've never had another like it and it was worth having again and comparing to other types.

Back to Ryoura, I survived with no problems so far and got as my new cake one of their Éclair Jardinage, one of two types of eclair currently running, eclair being one of their regular things, and I've had an excellent one before. The major ingredients of this one, besides the pastry, are pistachio and tayberry, though there is some strawberry. Unfortunately, I couldn't get too excited by this. Maybe tayberry is too subtle for me. Still, it was good, so I'm sticking with Ryoura as a quite exceptional shop.

One note is I walked home, which was a mistake, though one I mad the day before. That time it was after quite a long run. This time, just a fairly straight run to Ryoura, but walking uses different movements and is hard on my hip and feet. The next day I jogged both ways (though to a nearer shop), which turned out much better, and I could even still run in the evening (though thunder sent me hope early).

Cake-off: Jean-Paul Hévin's Saint Honoré over Sadaharu Aoki's Éclair Caramel Salé

Got an early start (from having slept most of Sunday) on the Monday holiday, leaving at about 6 in the morning to try loops in the Azabu area. I was successful in 3 out of 4 cases, leaving a split: I did the very recently revised Nishi-Azabu--Minami-Azabu loop clockwise, and then finished off the Minami-Azabu west loop. Of course, the Azabu-Juuban loops was trivial to complete, the the tricky Moto-Azabu--Azabu-Juuban loop defeated me two places, both which I can put down to fatigue, since it was in execution rather than knowledge that I failed, though the latter was not perfect overall either, just it was not necessarily what tripped me up.

I had time before shops opened, so I went back over to the big loop circling Shimo-Kitazawa that I haven't updated the name for. I spent not much more than an hour, so I only traced about half what I did last time with only slightly better knowledge. I did find one place where a seemingly unneeded detour could be removed. I feel that I've forgotten another place that needs correctly, but perhaps I was just thinking of a Starbucks that I need to add (I should also find out of the next nearest one closed) on a loop I passed coming back.

For cake, I was not planning to do a cake-off, but just get two cakes from top shops that will only be round for a couple weeks. First I went to Hikarie close to opening time and got the Éclair Caramel Salé. For the second, I went to the Jean-Paul Hévin Marunouchi shop, since they open later than Isetan, so I figured I would have a better chance of getting the new cake starting today, and I was right. The danger there was the small supply, but rain probably was keeping people away and I had Ginza Mitsukoshi as a back-up, which also probably has a smaller demand than Isetan.

I ate Sadaharu Aoki's Éclair Caramel Salé first and decided it was great, both in terms of the caramel filling and the pastry. Of course, Jean-Paul Hévin's Saint Honoré is very similar in both, but I decide that it had more complexity, which was working for it, so I selected it as the winner, since they both seemed to be great. These two are probably going to dominate cake-offs for a while, which I may have to do extra ones for. I'm consider my cake budget for this month.

Lenôtre, Éclair Gourmand Orange

Monday was a no-cake day, so I'll deal with that first. I wanted to rest somewhat from running, so first I did my basic indoor trunk workout and then went by bicycle down to Roppongi Hills to run some loops. I was successful on all four this time (from practice), which means I completed two easy ones and finally got clockwise on two others. Along the way, I found a shop specializing in scone and cheesecake, Happy Day for You, so I finally have a reason to make a loop in the northeast sector of Nishi-Azabu.

Tuesday, I went to Ginza to get another cake from Lenôtre, since it is now in the exceptional shop group and needs to more cakes to catch up and also is challenging the bottom of the quite exceptional shop group, so it's a priority. I did the running without walking, except for when the light was red, and did dashes between 4 minutes of running, so I got in a little more than four 1-min high-speed stretches. I ran back rather than walk the whole way, but didn't do any dashes. The rain started falling lightly a little more than 1 km out, but I could protect my cake. For the cake, I choose one of two open-face éclair, which I figured I should try. I went with Éclair Gourmand Orange (versus citron). The fruit is high quality, but overall it's not too exciting, despite the price. I need a lot more with my fruit. Lenôtre is still down 1 cake, and their great cakes haven't finished this year's cake-off challenges, so I expect more cake in the near future, but they are no longer a top priority and I'll go somewhere different next week.

Pierre Marcolini, Éclair Vanille

Thursday, I did a lot of food shopping errands, starting with visiting Pierre Marcolini, which had four éclairs I haven't tried. Since it will probably be a long time before I'm back and finding something great that's about to disappear would be less useful, I went with one of the two standards rather than the seasonal ones, and got Éclair Vanille. The filling is vanilla, but obviously there is some red fruit on top. This is one of the quite fine shops that I've only had two cakes from and I decided that this éclair was excellent, so they stay on that list. This is despite the crust not seeming to be the traditional choux pastry, but was rather soft. Maybe I'm influenced by the high-end atmosphere, but in any case, this remains as some place that I would like to visit again. Actually, I'd like to visit the salon and get one of their salon deserts, but like the éclairs, everything is about double what you would except from an ordinary shop, though they are not trying to be ordinary. I think eventually I'll do it, but it might not be until October. Interesting trivia: if you pay by cash, they round down to multiples of 10 yen.

I'll include Friday here, since no food is involved: I went for a long run that took about 3 hours, though I walked on stairs and crowded places, so maybe close to 2 hours actual running. The balance was good, and I was still running well at the end and am ready to run again on Saturday, though there was a lot of stretching between. Back to the trivial details for Friday. I did the recently altered Jinguumae--Kita-Aoyama south loop counterclockwise, so that route is confirmed. The main goal was to do counterclockwise the Daikanyama-chou--Ebisunishi--hachiyama-chou--Nanapeidai-chou--Shibuya--Uguisudani-chou loop, which is 9.75 km long and has a lot of stairs and slopes (as well as churches as sites). Along the way, I first confirmed the current (until the construction on the southeast corner is finished) updated Dougenzaka south loop (1.1 km), but later failed trying to do the Maruyama-chou--Shinsen-chou loop (I did the first turn at the correct intersection, but onto the wrong street (it's a five-way intersection). I didn't try to do connecting Dougenzaka north loop. I'm going to call the main Daikanyama... loop a success. Actually, I turned early at the end, but it was dark and a long run and I could immediately see that it was wrong (and the reason for not turning there is not that important), so I'm not going to ding myself for it, or I can never do long runs in the dark. So I'm done with that area for now, and I'll move over to in front of and south of Roppongi Hills for the run Saturday afternoon, where I've really only run a little bit, though I've previously done runs to officially add those loops to the neighborhood course, while consulting a map.

Lenôtre, Éclair Chocolat

Did the first run to Ginza of the week, but expect to be repeating it a few times. I only ran one way, as far as Hibiya, and then walked back with cake from Ginza Mitsukoshi, protecting my cake more than my feet. Pretty light exercise after two days without running, but the cake comes first and I'm hoping for longer runs Friday and Saturday. Today's target was Lenôtre, as the top shop in the quite fine category that was challenging all the shops in the higher exceptional category. I've gone through the traditional fresh cakes there and I'm starting on the éclair types. Today I got what seems to be a standard, the Éclair Chocolat. It's not easy to stand out as an éclair, but this convinced me that it was excellent, with a nice rich chocolate filling with some nibs (?) on top to add to the texture. This puts Lenôtre even in number of cakes with a shop in the exceptional group, so I have to bump the bottom of that group, Fraoula, back to the quite fine group (which doesn't have a great effect, as I've oversampled this shop even as an exceptional shop, so I wasn't getting a new cake from them any time soon). Now Lenôtre is tied for the top of the exceptional group with the fewest cakes and having new cakes available, and marginally challenging the bottom of the quite exceptional group in terms of rating, so it still remains a top priority, after cake-off winners. However, when I do get a chance, now Fiorentina Pastry Boutique is the top of the quite fine shops and is challenging at least some of the exceptional ones, but with fewer cakes, so it's next in priority. Probably won't get to it this week, though, as FC deserves another visit for its cake-off wins, and then I'll take another shot at the 2-cake quite fine list, which has two shops in Ginza that should now both be open.

Sadaharu Aoki: Éclair Sakura

Monday, I again didn't run due to not liking how my feet felt. I hadn't gone out on Sunday at all, so it was a little surprised that the feeling was as strong as it was just from walking a kilometer at a time, though when I was running daily, my morning foot pain was worse (not sure that today even would count as pain, just a somewhat weird burning numbness), but less the sort to be concerned about. Still, I went to Isetan and got something, so I was not that bad: the Éclair Sakura from Sadaharu Aoki. All the éclair I've gotten from them have been good and my experience is that fruit goes well with éclair. That was also true with this one. Not sure what was in it besides the obvious cherry, but quite rich for custard. I suspect alcohol. Anyway, not to have another new cake from Sadaharu Aoki. They have one more that I can try, so I'll save it for next week.

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.

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. 

Pierre Marcolini, Éclair Chocolat

Did a run to Ginza, the long way down to Aoyama-douri, to avoid congested areas and have some open stretches to do some faster running. I set my timer to 1-min intervals and managed to get in 5 60-second stretches of relative fast running, which was the first time for a while, so I wasn't too ambitious. That kind of interval training is supposed to increase stamina (specifically, mitochondria), though it obviously is good for building muscle as well.

Today, unlike last Friday, Pierre Marcolini was not sold out of éclairs, in fact they were sending people out into the street to make sure that you didn't walk by them without noticing the shop (they are not helped by the big construction on the main road, which sort of discourages people from going down their side road). They had four éclairs available, including the passion fruit that I had last time (or maybe it was a different passion fruit one; it's not worth checking now). Having had a fruit one, I decided to have the Éclair Chocolat, since they are a chocolatier. I was much more willing to run back until I got the bag and then reverted to not wanting to running carrying things in my hand (now that my left arm at least seems to be in good shape) and walked back. Of course, then I stopped to groceries and then had several kilograms to carry in one hand (because the right arm doesn't seem up to it), so I'm not sure I shouldn't have gone home first and come back with a big backpack and a bicycle.

Éclair Chocolat was definitely good, so I can say tentatively that this is a definitely good shop but it didn't convince me that I needed to be a hurry to try the caramel and pineapple ones, which were the other flavors available---maybe next time they are at Isetan.

Pierre Marcolini: Éclair Saison (Passion Fruit)

Went to Ginza Mitsukoshi to finally get the choux cream from Frédéric Cassel, just to get ahead or not get behind on the top shop with available new cakes while I work on catching up excellent shops to 5 cakes each and  digging deeper in the line-ups of shops that might deserve up-grades (which includes one of the previous category that did well, Ryoura). Unfortunately, they were sold out of that item, maybe because of a SMS post of a similar item and it being a Friday night, when one is always lucky to find anything. Of course they had other cakes I hadn't sampled, but nothing I was particularly interested in, so, after verifying that Origines Cacao at Ginza 6 still has none of the great cakes of a few years ago, I went with finally visiting a new shop, Pierre Marcolini, which in Tokyo only has something cake-like at their Ginza mother store (they are a chocolate brand, but mostly use ice cream as bait at their shops/counters). I wanted to visit here because of their visit to Isetan (I waited to long to try to buy an éclair there, and they had switched to less perishable items).

I'm calling this Éclair Saison (Passion Fruit), which is slightly different from Éclair Passion Fruit (shown elsewhere online) in having macaron shells and white chocolate disks; no complaint here. Actually the filling base is white chocolate too, which makes sense for a chocolate shop. Interestingly, they rang this up with a 6 yen discount to round it down to the nearest 10s/50s/250s. This was definitely excellent. Maybe I should always choose fruit flavors when it comes to éclair (I choose it over pineapple and coconut, which was the only other flavor left that time of night, whereas they've been completely sold out the other time I went, to verify their location), though I suspect the choice of white chocolate over some sort of custard cream as the base filling is important.

L'Éclair de Génie: Chocolat Grand Cru, Caramel Salé, and Vanille Pecan

Wanted cake for two on Wednesday, so I went to Shinjuku Takashimaya. On the way, though, I stopped by Toshi Yoroizuka visiting Isetan and saw that Annya (tart-based rhubarb and red fruit cake) was back, which was useful information for the next cake-off (second round, loser's).

For Takashimaya, I didn't check which shops were available at the cafeteria-style patisserie counter, so I wasn't surprised when the ones that I wanted were not there (just need to remember not to go on Wednesday again). I selected instead L'Éclair de Génie from among by backups, and got the Chocolat Grand Cru, Caramel Salé, and Vanille Pecan. These were all good, so I wasn't disappointed, but not exciting, so I probably won't be back again.

Rue de Passy: Paris-Brest aux Cassis et Noisette

Monday afternoon I did my first run for a while. There was some walking too, especially where I swung past some marked locations on my Central Tokyo Neighborhood Running Map. Actual, in western Jinguumae, I found a temple that I had missed and a café next door that's related to Le Petit Mec, which is a bakery I respect, so I've had to introduce a new Jinguumae-Jinnan loop, though looking at the map, I have to wonder whether I've actually shortened it and so should have had this as part of the route anyway. I means all my kilometer markers past #21 on the previous long run and some new ones that I had made since are invalid. Anyway, my next run is going to skip some places from last time so that I can do more new parts of the route within increase the length.

Since I was off in the afternoon, I to get a new cake from Rue de Passy, who won the previous cake-off. I got Paris-Brest aux Cassis et Noisette because it was "Chef recommended". Like the previous cake I had calling itself a Paris-Brest, I don't understand the naming of this definitely now circular éclair a Paris-Brest. Anyway, since it was cream-based, I let it thaw a few minutes, though it was still plenty firm even then. Also, the pastry was nice and crisp. The mixture of currant cream and hazelnut also worked well, so I don't have any problem calling this excellent, which firms this shop up in the very good category (which is pretty bloated, so I'm going to have to cut some of these eventually, after I get to having a third cake from each, which I'm not yet in a hurry to do).

Tuesday was also a pretty long run. First, I managed to get to Donky again in Tomiyaga near Yoyogi Hachiman Stn. and this time they weren't closed early. I went with the croissant, which I walked and ran a little down to the nearest park in Shouto as part of practicing what's currently labeled as the Kamiyama-chou--Shouto loop but should actually be merged with a much larger loop extending out as far as Hatagaya. I failed, in that I turned correctly but with the wrong route in mind (I should have gone clockwise but was thinking this was part of the counterclockwise route. The rest I was okay with without checking my map, so I don't need to practice this again until I need to learn new kilometer markers for the next big run, which I haven't set yet. The croissant, while bread-type, had at least some layering in the crust and was fresh and buttery, even though Donky was minutes from closing. Don't need to go there again, but wouldn't mind if I needed to.

Frédéric Cassel: Éclair Chocolat Manto

Yesterday, my left foot hurt more than I wanted it to, so I also quit running immediately. Instead, I put up with it and shorted my course. Not sure that it was a good choice, but there's always of pain of no doing anything as well as not doing enough. I blame my walking after Sunday's run, since I've run double the distance without that problem, but I still plan to keep my next long run to 30 km again and see if I can take better care of my feet. So Monday I went to Délifrance at Akasaka (though maybe the one at Omotesandou would have been closer, but I didn't know about that one) and got the croissant. They have lots of good looking pastries on their website, but this was a no-layer croissant, and not completely fresh, though buttery, so I'm going to say that it was just ok. Maybe it was good as bread, but I have to draw the line somewhere and even among croissant that don't do layering of the crust, this was nothing special.

Tuesday, still more pain than I appreciated in my left, so Monday's resolve held, but it was clearly better so I was more confident, but ran slowly and careful of my feet, even more so coming back, which I walked and could really see how bad I am at walking fast (one of the reasons I had to switch to running). I finally got back to Frédéric Cassel. There was a monthly cake I was interested, but they keep having interesting alternatives, which this time I went with:  Éclair Chocolat Manto. Not sure about what Manto means, maybe Spainish/Portuguese for Mantle, though it might be related to something Mayan, since that was what the description starts mentioning. This is chocolate made from cacao from the Xibun plantation in Belize with a kind of mint (again, I confront a childhood flavor nemesis). It was definitely good but not exciting, so I don't need to jump at the next éclair, which I wanted to be crispier for some reason, which probably wasn't reasonable. The mint was fine, and just a little as promised.

Frédéric Cassel: Paris-Brest Sakura

Tried going to Frédéric Cassel again, this time the day after White Day rather than the day before, and things were calmer, though there were still a couple dozen people in line at Jean-Paul Hévin. F. Cassel did not have a line, though all four people were busy filling other orders before I got served, and they were almost out of cakes, but they had two that I was interested in (which was good, because I looked in at my back-up on the way home and they were completely sold-out). I would have gone with a cake from this month's variation, but there was an actually different cake available, Paris-Brest Sakura, so I went with that. It seemed somewhat delicate, so I walked home (though vigorously) rather than jog. Because it was almost warm today, I was wearing the same thing I would on the hottest day, so it was a little chilly for walking, especially with high winds, but I was okay.

This cake is actually an éclair, so I'm not sure why they chose the name they did (the Paris-Brest part: it was obviously cherry-flavored). Very sweet (maybe that's why), and relatively pretty while still being excellent.

At home, I was happy to see on their website that Jean-Paul Hévin finally listed what the new upcoming cakes are and all three are ones I've rated great and one I've never did a cake off, so it's going to continue to be JPH versus everyone else in cake-offs for a while.

Sadaharu Aoki: Éclair Mâcha

Had planned to finally do that 7-min pace 20 km run, but had to work late again today. Instead I just went down to Midtown and circled around through Motoakasaka. I went there because I had gone to Isetan for an éclair, though not the one I got, Sadaharu Aoki's Éclair Mâcha, which is excellent, though chewier than I expected (which was not chewy at all, so not a big change). Anyway, at Isetan they told me that the Mont D'or was on its last day, after they had just resumed selling cakes following Valentines Day, it had felt. At midtown I asked the same questions about line-up changes and instead they told me that the Mont D'or was ending the beginning of March, but wouldn't say that today was the last day, though the other outgoing cake is over today. So another day, another change in plans for the next cake-off. I guess I'll try Midtown for Mont D'or first, though that has me leaving home dangerously late, and ask them about the Marunouchi shop's supply, if necessarily. Otherwise, I'll need to get to Jiyuugaoka and come back to Isetan hoping to catch their soon ending Violet.

Paris S'éveille: Éclair Pain d'Épieces

Did a run to pick up some photographs of places on the neighborhood running map and also explore how far I can get toward Jiyuugaoka running "continuously" (as I get toward Shibuya, the degree to which one can really run on pedestrian bridges decreases, because other people actually need to use them, but these still constitute potentially exercise equivalent to running, though I wonder whether I should go back on not including underpass tunnels). I walked from crossing Yamanote-doori, just because I had already run over an hour and so that I coudl focus on where I was. Ultimately I was stopped around Yuutenji, so still three stations out, though I cut south toward Meguro-doori part way, which I need to do eventually, and went back to running from there to Jiyuugaoka.

I wanted to use the weekend to get something that would be difficult to get during the week, as well as take photos, so I was back at Paris S'éveille earlier than I usually would (usually I won't return within the week unless something is leaving the lineup). I have an excellent shop that I could get a fifth cake from, but really I'm not that close to that being a priority, so tomorrow I'm planning just to go to Tokyo Midtown, which I could go to any time, so that I can look at neighborhood locations in Roppongi and take some pictures.

The cake today was Éclair Pain d'épieces, which is in shape of an éclair but uses spice bread as the crust,chocolate cream as the filling with pieces of fig and orange confit (a combination they like, but I've been waiting about year from the corresponding tart to come back to the lineup). It was excellent, though it's probably benefiting a bias toward this shop and toward usual cake types (the latter at least being defensible).

Pierre Hermé: Éclair Infiniment Chocolat

Got this week's fresh cake from Pierre Hermé via Isetan: Éclair Infiniment Chocolat.

The running was once along the second half of the Shinjuku History & Culture course (which is from Shinjuku 1-chome to Akasaka), which is about 6 km, at 10 km/h, despite hills and stairs, and another 6 km home (well, a convenience store, really) by way of the Ichigaya Nikunohanamasa to get some roasted peanut pieces for making peanut butter, at 9 km/h. It was hot, due to being too hot a day and cloud cover, though I started after 8 pm, but not terrible, so I survived despite forgetting to bring water.

Éclair Infiniment Chocolat was definitely good, but not special, just a straight chocolate éclair. Maybe I'll try one of their baked goods tomorrow, as a non-patisserie day. I'll have to go to Omote Sando, since Isetan is closed.

Paris S'éveille: Éclair d'Été

Did a run down to Paris S'éveille in Jiyugaoka, to complete my sweep of the three Superb-level patisserie. It was really not (I learned that, technically, Paris S'éveille should open at 5 a.m., but maybe they can argue that's when they start baking). I started off at 10 km/h for at least the first 4 km, which was fast for the heat and not having warmed up much (I got up late, and intended to stretch when I was stopped waiting to cross a street, which I did), and then slowed down but still ended up on the 10 km/h side of the actual ~9.5 km/h. It was ~11 km long and I took the train back, not only for the cake but because I was scheduled to picked up my new bicycle (which I should take a picture of and post, before it gets stolen) at noon, not that they probably cared when I was going to actually show up.

I only had one choice for a new cake, Éclair d'Été, though I suppose I could have gotten the new version of Everest (it's oval instead of circular, but maybe that's the only different). As usual after running, and because I would not remember anyway, I didn't read the card, so I'm not actually sure what is in it, but obviously it's an éclair and it's got chocolate as the main component (and whipped cream), and some sort of fruit in the middle, so the question is, what is the fruit: I can't even tell from the dried fruit bits on top, so it maybe be something exotic, but my best guess of the moment is grapefruit. It was mild and tropical but too tart to be orange although not really all the way over to lemon or yuzu. Maybe pineapple is equally likely; it does not have the usual pineapple taste, but then I did not recognize the distinctive grapefruit taste, either. In any case, it fits with this cake and this is definitely excellent, so I'm pleased.

I went over to Isetan to see whether they had the same new cakes at Sadaharu Aoki as at Tokyo Midtown, which they did, and I got greedy and bought some bread at Andersen. The new thing is the Denmark Roll, which is sort of halfway between a usual roll and a cookie, in terms of texture and shape. It as icing, so of course it is good, and it was pretty cheap, maybe 120 yen.

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