Musée du Chocolat Théobroma, Caramel Orange

The other cake the Sunday before last was the cake-off reward for Musée du Chocolat Théobrom's win. I went intending to get their version for Forest Noir, which I would generally avoid, as I can't expect cherry and chocolate to come out well, but their best cakes have been chocolate. However, I ended up getting a cake I hadn't seen previously, Caramel Orange. It ended up being more eastern European, though that just means east of France, as far as being heavy on almond biscuit. It was good, so I'm not disappointed, and I'm caught up with the quite fine shops that aren't tens of kilometers from central Tokyo, which are going to be a problem now that Isetan isn't rotating visiting cake shops on a weekly basis.

Les Cacaos, Chocolat Noisette

Thursday, I took off the PM and went out for cake. Wasn't sure whether I would find it, since pandemic was exploding in Tokyo, but cake shops have materials, and expenses, so they go on. Under the circumstances, I changed from running and coming back by train to bicycling both ways. Still looking for a shop to promote to exceptional, I went first to Les Cacaos for a 6th cake. Chocolat Noisette seemed like a good bet, though not one that always pays off. This one had a nice thick biscuit with some toughness, reminding me of a cake from PS. For additional flavoring, this has orange, which worked for me. It's simple, but excellent, so I'm promoting them (Jun Homma will have to wait its chance).

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.

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).

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.

La Vie Douce, Marronnier

Tuesday, I got a 6th cake from La Vie Douce, which is challenging the bottom of the next shop category, the exceptional shops. I got the Marronnier (horse-chestnut) early, did my non-weights indoor workout (Monday I did the weights workout after running), and went for about a 90 minute run. My target was the highest priority neighborhood loop, which was the revised Ebisu-Nishi west loop, which I failed, as I didn't recognize an old turn (I think they changed the billboard, but I should just remember that it's the first left after incoming link route). On the way, I finished verifying the Higashi north loop and did two new loops clockwise, the Ebisu-Minami loop and the Ebisu 1 loop. Maybe I'll get back there again on Thursday. It depends how I decide to travel to the Tooyou-chou Station area.

The cake, which has hazelnut, chestnut, and cassis/currant, was definitely good. It's a fall cake, so more nutty than sweet. It's really a quite fine shop, I just wish they would make their yuzu Chiboust again.

Pièce Montée, Fromage

Did another run to Ginza, this time for a 6th new cake from Pièce Montée. Went a slightly long way and finished confirming the new Akasaka 3 loop. For the cake, which I ran home, I choose their simplest, the Fromage. It's small, but really enough. A good cake, but not groundbreaking. Looks like if I'm going to get any more new cakes from them, they're going to have to first win a cake-off. I plan to give them their first chance this week. If they win, I'll try one of the more elaborate cakes again next.

Rue de Passy, Saint Honoré à la Pistache

Went out to do a long run and was more successful at getting cake than running, which I'll take. Today was my first attempt to do the Daita-... loop counterclockwise, and I failed within the first kilometer, but now I shouldn't fail there (might try again tomorrow). So, I switched to cakerunning mode and decided that among my weekend priorities, Rue de Passy was closer, though if I had chosen the farther, I probably would have come back by train, so actually I probably would have run less, but returned later.

The Saint Honoré à la Pistache seemed like the best bet. Since no drink order was required and it was late enough for the eat-in space to be open (but almost empty), I ate in.  I've had pistachio saint honoré before, but this one was unique: the top is a pealed grape, the choux balls are full of grape cream, and there's another whole pealed grape buried in the middle. The grape mellows the pistachio cream, I think, or at least allows less sugar to be used. I rarely encounter grape in cake, but this worked well, so I can say that it is excellent. As a result, Rue de Passy definitely qualifies to replace Le Chocolat de H (which I've had six excellent cakes from, but no great ones) in the exceptional list. It might still get bumped by one of the other contenders, since the boundary is rather fragile, but I'm going to try to avoid test that until December 1, when Coffee Parlor Hill Top should reopen, since it's currently at the top of the quite fine group and is challenging Les Cacaos.

On the way back, I noticed a new shop on Aoyama-Douri ave., Le Pécin. Didn't notice anything suitable for a runner (all gift sizes), but got a free sample that was good.

Not sure whether this is related to the café of the same name up in Shinjuku Ward. I was on my way running back to finish off the revised Jinguumae east loop, which I easily did.