Éclat des Jours, Passion Chocolat

The final cake of last Saturday was a second cake from Éclat des Jours, as it comes time to lift the exceptional shops up to 16 net cakes (plus cake-off wins). However, since Éclat des Jours won the cake-off, this was the reward and I still need that next cake, though maybe I'll let the Toshi Yoroizuka go first.

Taking a break from running through the fruit tarts (though there might only be a mixed tart left), I got a cake new to the line-up, as well as me, Passion Chocolat. As one would expect, this is passion fruit and white chocolate, an excellent cake.

 

Viron, Rouge

Last week, wasn't quite so late, so one day, I managed to get to Viron early enough to get cake, though I failed three days with Sadaharu Aoki and F. Cassel. Actually, even that one cake was one cake ahead, but since I expected to busy the next week, and it felt like Tokyo could go back into shutdown, it was justified. Actually, this was the cake I expected to get on Sunday, but I found something else. This time I was getting from the Marunouchi shop, which is more focused on the restaurant side, so maybe they don't have as many take-out cakes. Anyway, it's Rouge, which is obviously a fruity cake, and obviously has some gelatin, from the shape. An unusual point is that this is coconut cream, rather than some other medium. The fruit is specifically raspberry, I think. The reality isn't so exciting or different from other fruit dome cake, but it was good.

L'Abricotier, Fraisier

Sunday, my goal was just one cake, since I knew I'd have the coming Wednesday off, so I could get one cake during the week. As a challenger for promotion to superb, I got a 24th new cake from L'Abricotier; learning somewhat from the day before, I ran there and mostly walked it back, so it was mostly in good shape. Really, I need to walk my cakes back or use the trains (which are pretty empty these days, so they feel pretty safe, but I should still walk if I can) to maintain photo quality. This was another one of those I-can't-believe-I-haven't-had-this-yet cakes. It's a standard cake various places. On one hand, it's just a way to eat custard and strawberries in cake form, but on the other hand, there isn't anything wrong with that in principle, and I had to admit at the end that it was excellent. Still not the first thing I would go for elsewhere, but I respect it as a reliable standard.

The afternoon was me exploring/practicing the revised neighborhood course around Daikanyama, where there were way too many people out on the north side for a state of emergency, including a pack of about 7 elementary school kids, a procession of three foreign teens girls on bikes without masks, and a lot of people at the restaurants by the main area video/bookstore. I think I'll choose a different time of day than lunch time next time I run through there.

Origines Cacao: Mont-Blanc Japonais

Failed to get the new cake of Sadaharu Aoki from Isetan, so I went to Ginza. Normally, I wouldn't go to Origines Cacao so soon, but they are holding up FC, who has new cakes, and there is only one new cake from Origines Cacao to try, so I figured it might take a few tries (even as it is looking like getting SA's new cake is going to take a few tries, but I'm free Thursday afternoon, so certainly by then). And I was successful and got the Mont-Blanc Japonais (corrected), actually the first mont-blanc I've ever gotten from there, as the 24th new cake. I mostly walked it back because I was using the big bag and because I planned (and did) the non-weights indoor workout when I got home.

This was another great mont-blanc, and again I'm not sure why other then just pure simplicity and I could have kept eating more, and yet it was different from the last great mont-blanc (it will be interesting if they get to face off against each other). The Japanese chestnut is milder than the standard import, which should work for someone like me who isn't that into the strong flavor, but that hasn't proved true until this one.

I'm going to officially call it and promote Origines Cacao to the superb category, knocking down poor Bien-Étre to quite exceptional, so they need a cake-off win to get a visit from me (though, speaking of mont-blanc, they have a great one that hasn't had a third-round match). Also, now Origines Cacao is slightly dominated both quite superb shops, though will only half the cakes, so they are a long way from that promotion. Still, it means, I should hold of on FC at least, whose slightly below SA. Also, now that the superb shops are resolved (and Viron's dropped slightly), I should get a new cake from Paris S. Wish now that I had paid closer attention to new cakes when I was there yesterday. Maybe that's where I'll go Thursday, though I can put that off while I visit the returned Hilltop Coffee Parlor and go there Saturday.