Cake-off: Yoroizuka's Saint Marc over 14 Juillet's Au Lait Noix

Before I get to the cake off, Friday I went for about a 70 minute run, first to Shima to get a pastry, then tracing the Sophia University Link, most of the Hrakawachou Loop clockwise, and then most of the Nagatachou Loop clockwise and everything looked good except that I had to move where I cross the road from the St. Ignatius Catholic Church side to the park side, neither of which

I've labeled on the Neighborhood Running Map yet. At Shima, I got the Brioche Praliné Rose as a pastry, but I'm not sure that this qualifies, versus sweet bread (the French Wikipédia entry says its "une viennoiserie", but this includes puff pastry, which is mainly what I mean, whereas I lump tarts in with cakes, though this is more due to the broad types of things called "cake" in patisseries). Anyway, it was good, but not a pastry. I also took some pictures of where the HIrakawachou Loop passes through Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho.

For Saturday, I ran two hours, one each from noon and about 6 pm. I wanted to try again at the last cake-off and also hit all the Tokyo/Ginza area shops, where I didn't find any cake I was look before besides the two for the cake-off (which had been available pre-Christmas, so it wasn't a huge surprise to find them).

This was Toshi Yoroizuka's Saint Marc and 14 Juillet Tokyo's Au Lait Noix (written as "Noa"). There is some orange in the saint-marc, but basically this was two milk chocolate mousse/cream cakes. Still happy with both and it was hard to decide until the end, by which time I was really impressed by Saint Marc. I don't really need the extra incentive to visit Toshi Yoroizuka again for a new cake, but it's fine if I have it.

The running was along Roppongi, where I took a few photos to add, where I discovered the no-stopping connection to Midtown hills, so I should use those two as a bridge to east Akasaka rather than going to Akasaka Palace. At night, I could do Aoyama and Akasaka courses correctly with referring to my map but also decided where I was going to simplify them, so lots of map revisions to do and new courses I need to verify before I can do my next big neighborhood run (I want to do 60 km next).

My plan for tomorrow is cycling for cake reconnaissance and a pastry. If they are available, I'll try my first second-round cake-off on Monday (a national holiday).

[Wed] 14 Juillet Tokyo: Au Lait Noix

Sasadera at night

The little Inari shrine on the same grounds as Sasadera

Worked a little late, but 14 Juillet Tokyo is open until 9 pm, which is not the same as having a good selection that late. Still, I can't complain, as it happens. I left Runtastic to measure the distance, which worked out. It's about 5.5 km to "New" Marunouchi Building, where the shop is, and I did 10 km/h and 9 km/h back with cake. For a change, and because the distance is not that much different, I returned going north, completing the loop around the inner moat (though I left the course at the northwest corner).

The cake I chose was Au Lait Noix (actually, it was written "Noa", but let's pretend not), which has some aspects of a chocolate tart. Milk chocolate is not my favarotie and often fails, but the walnut and jasmine made this something different and the base gave a good texture contrast to the creamy top, so I'm going to say that this was great.