Cake-off: L'Abricotier's Sicile over Ryoura's Mont-blanc

Saturday, did a run out to Jiyuugaoka, since my first choice as a pairing in a cake-off was a Paris S. cake, but I was not willing to wait around for two hours. Didn't see this the next time I went either, so it might be out of the line-up. On the way, I stopped at Sunandwitch and got Choco Rusk (might not be the correct name), which was actually labeled as from Bread Espresso &, part of the same group, so I didn't really need the second sample. Still, the rusk was good and useful as a snack to carry on from Jiyuugaoka (though I had rations)

Also on the way, I checked out a café, which was closed, so not the useful, a non-existing shrine, and an unexpected church (forcing me to adjust a neighborhood running course loop). So not the most direct run to Jiyuugaoka to begin with. I continued on to Ryoura and got their Mon-blanc.

After taking my Ryoura cake home, I ran out to L'Abricotier and got the second-to-last Sicile. There seems to be a pretty narrow window of availability during the day for the cake, or they just don't like to make many. It's featured on their website, so it might just be really popular.

L'Abricotier's Sicile was as I remembered it. The Mont-blanc from Ryoura was also excellent, but I wasn't feeling the greatness this time, so I'm putting it on notice and giving the win to Sicile. L'Abricotier needs the help anyway, since they are slipping in ranking. Of course, the additional new cake could just confirm that while they are excellent, they aren't really at the quite excellent level. Report on that soon, I expect.

Cake-off: Ryoura's Soyeux over Jean-Paul Hévin's Macaron Chocolat a l'Ancienne

Friday, I did a run down to Bread, Espresso & and got a sweet bread/tradition cake, a Chocolat et Marron Kouglof. It was good as sweet breads go, though I would have been happen with a more tradition bread. Why is there also a chocolate chunk and pecan cookie in the photo? It was also someone's last day at work, and departing treats have been the custom the last several years, though not when I started. The cookie was definitely better than the cake, but then it came from shop that's apparently at Isetan, Flavor. I should look for them, since they have at least cheesecake online, which could count as fresh cake.

Saturday: Been having trouble with being behind on Jean-Paul Hévin so that one cake even slipped completely between my fingers (an Isetan exclusive that I saw for the first time this week and apparently ended Wednesday) and another I only managed to get in a first-round cake-off (the chocolate mille-feuille from the extra cake-off), though I would have wanted a second, so (misrepresenting cause and effect) I was determined to find something to match Jean-Paul Hévin's Macaron Chocolat a l'Ancienne. However, I was busy most of the morning and late afternoon and evening, so I had to be in a hurry (as much as I can running these days). Still, I made time for taking some photos of some new places and even discovered a whole new class of landmarks, the "churches" of Tenrikyou, a Japanese new religion. I'm suspicious when Wikipedia says there are 1.75 million followers, since that's 1% of the population, which makes it sound like a pretty made up number. Anyway, there is an old church/temple in the Aoyama/Jinguumae area and I've found several others in other neighborhoods covered by my neighbor course.

For cake, first I tried Paris S'éveille, where I was not completely shocked to find that the season for Un Dimanche a Paris had ended. Next I went to Ryoura (another 25 minutes of running, perhaps) and was successful at finding Soyeux.

I like the idea of Macaron Chocolat a l'Ancienne, but I'm still having trouble finding the greatness, so I'm putting in probation. I definitely like pistachio and fruit in a mousse cake better, so Soyeux gets its first win, in the the second round of cake-offs.