Pascal Le Gac, Chocolat Framboise

After finding that the current address for Schloss Backerei is a residence, so they don't even have a Tokyo shop (though they are selling packaged sweets online and as shop-up/visiting counters at department stores, so they haven't given up), I decided to visit Pascal Le Gac for a 4th cake from a maybe quite fine shop. I went with the Chocolat Framboise, as being reasonably priced while most cakish. On the way back, I looked at various places for scones without finding anything I was satisfied with. I have enough cake for today, so I should probably do scones tomorrow, when I want to go out to Omotesandou anyway, though I was hoping for something new from a bakery. Few bakeries deal with them, versus coffee shops. Speaking of both, the bakery next to Starbucks at Shinanomachi has cake. It's a pretty low-level bakery chain shop, but on the root local course (which I'm not running, but still using for reference) so it should be my next new cake shop visit.

I'm delaying saying that I wasn't into the Chocolat Framboise at all. The flavor is fine, but I don't like the gummy texture of the frosting (though not outside the normal for a certain kind of glazing) or having a gelatinous raspberry layer in the middle (but still a pretty standard cake thing, e.g., the mille-feuille of F. Cassel) and too much raspberry with the chocolate for me (with that much raspberry, I'd rather lose the chocolate completely). Still, objectively, it's completely reasonable, so I can say it's good, but not for me. This shop may not make the next cut, but only if I can find enough that can. 

Cake-off: Bien-être's Mont-Blanc over Au Bon Vieux Temps' Chocolat Framboise

Sunday, I went out by bicycle, as a little cross-training is good, plus it was predicted to be around 30 degC, although it wasn't sunny, so it didn't seem especially hot on a bicycle. The goal was to get cakes for a third-round cake-off, which I'm still trying to finish off: I'm up to October at the same time I'm current on the fourth-round. This time was between two one and one cakes. I started by going to Au Bon Vieux Temps to get Chocolat Framboise, as the far point. I got few hundred meters and I was thinking I would visit Paris S. nearby, and realized that I hadn't actually looked carefully at ABVT, so I went back and confirmed that the two great cakes I haven't seen for a while there still aren't there, whereas the other one I have is there, ready for its next round. At PS, I saw they had a new cake, so I made a plan to visit Sunday, but kept to the schedule to go up to Bien-être to get their Mont-Blanc, which they always have (and it was early enough that they we're close to selling out). They seemed to have three new cakes, but (looking ahead) one had disappeared the next day and one turned out to be a known cake by a different name. Still, I should get the Melon Shortcake soon, before it's gone.

Got home and had lunched and then went out again, this to to Ginza Mitsukoshi to get what I missed the previous weekend, special croissants from Frédéric Cassel, by #2 shop. These just started last weekend, only on the weekend, don't start selling until noon, and were sold-out last Sunday before 3 pm. I got the regular Croissant and the Croissant aux Almondes. While I was there, and because I've been busy during the week and gotten into the habit of squeezing all my cakes into the weekend (plus I'll be busy next weekend), I also got a new cake, though I was surprised that they had two. My choice was two cakes similar to ones I just had, but that's not much of a problem with a shop this good. I went with the Roulé Pêche, though I'll get to that in a different post.

The croissants came with instructions for heating them up, so I followed them, even though usually I prefer not to, as I'm not so much into the soft croissant. I have a regular oven rather than a toaster over, so I went with 150 degC, which seemed about right. These were both excellent, I can say, and certainly high quality, but didn't convince me that FC's viennoiserie should be that high a priority, though these were only the 2nd and 3rd of those, since usually they stick with cake and packaged things (and macarons). Still, after their cakes, these are the best I've found from them so far, but usually (when they aren't closed for two months), I don't have trouble satisfying myself with just cakes from them.

Having put it off to the end, as my might have noticed from the photo, the Chocolat Framboise was a little worse for wear: the top of the brownie shifted off the rest of the base and circled, so I had to shift it back and break it up a little to get it back together. Probably not a big deal, since the different parts don't hold together under cutting anyway, so I don't think it affected the texture. Still, I have to acknowledge that, as I have having trouble feeling the greatness this time. It's appear is chocolate and raspberry, of course, a little strong on the raspberry and definitely rich with the chocolate on top, with the brownie base there to keep it grounded. Still excellent, but I'm not sure. The Mont-Blanc, which doesn't have any obvious tricks or accents, like currant or meringue, and yet still great. I think maybe there is liquor or something that vaporizes so that you get a lot of flavor in the back of your mouth. Despite moving to lose some excess mont-blanc from the greats list, this one definitely stays, and should see a fourth round this year, since it's only got one loss.

Le Chocolat de H/Paul Bassett: Chocolat Framboise

Ran down to Shibuya Hikarie ShinQs to visit the Le Chocolat de H/Paul Bassett café again. I promoted this shop to excellent already, but it's also challenging some quite excellent shops by giving nothing but excellent cakes. Nothing I need again, but still there is potential to find a great cake there. Today I had a few choices but went with the Chocolat Framboise as this seemed to be seasonal. It was very fruity, which is not my favorite. Still, the quality is difficult to deny. I'm not sure that this was not just as good as JPH's cake, though different. The raspberry is definitely foremost compared to the chocolate, and actually there is a cream layer rather than stacking in more chocolate to compete with the raspberry. In the end, I think I'm going to have to say this also was excellent, the fifth in the row. It looks like I'm going to be continuing frequent visits until I run through their line up, though I'm close to doing that. Probably won't finish this month, though. Still waiting to see how frequently the seasonal ones change.

Did lots of little neighborhood loops, including east Shibuya (not even officially added, since I discovered I need it), Minami-Aoyama 5, Minami-Aoyama--Shibuya, and Minami-Aoyama south loops. Just adds up to a few kilometers (plus the kilometers to get there and back, so it was more than 1 hour of running). Since I'd like to go to Sadaharu Aoki at ShinQs next or hotel pastry shop further along the same road, I'll probably do the same loops tomorrow (though I finished confirming both directions on Mianami-Aoyama 5).

Cake-off: Au Bon Vieux Temps' Chocolat Framboise over Bigarreaux' Le Plaisir

Friday, before a 60+ minute run trying the new Roppongi-Akasaka Loop and Akasaka East Link (yes, I've renamed all my routes again to focus on the neighborhood names on this neighborhood running course map), which I did not do perfectly but good enough that I'm ready enough for a 60 km run, when it fits in my schedule (I'm thinking in two weeks). As desert, as "pastry", I got a Gâteau Basque from Maison d'Ahni, who are visiting Isetan now. This was definitely good to the point that I would probably call it excellent if I were more into this type of baked good, which is a sweet biscuit with jam inside priced like cake.

Saturday, as indicated by the title, I tried a cake-off run, which was foolish given that I could not start until almost noon. I followed the lights and ended up at Shibuya Stn., where crossed via the 1st floor of Hikarie, which is much more reasonable that the pedestrian walks outside, in terms of crowds. The lights kept me going west rather than south so it turned out to be faster to go to Bigarreaux for Le Plaisir (where I bought the last one) before Au Bon Vieux Temps for the 1st in the list for 2nd round cake-offs, Tentation Chocolat, which was sold out. Fortunately, I have a smartphone now so I could look up this blog and see that I could use Chocolate Framboise as a backup (though that was pretty far down on list, which is only based on the order I originally blogged this cake). The total run was 14+ km and then I walked two stations to see what the Jiyuugaoka shops had for future cake-offs.

Though both these cakes were losers in the first round, I reported them as still great. Starting on them, though they were definitely good, it was not immediately obvious that they were great, so I had to adjust my strategy with the first half of each cake of alternating between small bites of each to larger bites continuously of each, which worked for recognizing their greatness. Le Plaisir is a little subtle, having lots of cream, so you need enough to get a good experience of the flavor. I'm going to go with the Framboise Chocolat, though, which is ironic in the usual way of contradicting what I just wrote earlier in the week about having a brownie bottom is a bad idea (though this has a couple thinner layers, unlike a brownie, which makes a difference).

Even though I still have to get to Tentation Chocolat as a priority, my next 2nd-round cake off will be between two former winners, which is more interesting. However, I've got a couple recent new great cakes that I'd like to do a first-round with, so I'll see whether I can manage that, even though I'm not going to be able to start any earlier than this week. On the plus side, both target shops open later and are closer, and one has multiple branches, so I can try a different location if I fail at the first.

Cake-off: Paris S'éveille's Giverny over Au Bon Vieux Temps' Chocolat Framboise

As planned, I left early and went to Au Bon Vieux Temps to get their Chocolat Framboise to compare with Giverny from Paris S'éveille, which is just two stations away. Unfortunately, Chocolat Framboise was not ready as early as I arrived, so I recommend waiting until 10 am, which was about when at least some missing cakes appeared, for fresh cake from Au Bon Vieux Temps. I passed the time looking at everything else.

The run was by the recent usual path with no surprises except it was cloudy and a little misty rain, so I was not always on the usual side of the road (since I didn't need shade). Around 13 km at 9 km/h. This was to Au Bon Vieux Temps. I carefully walked my cake to Paris S'éveille to get it's competition, the Giverny.

Actually, I could have done a better job of matching up cakes, but too late now. The Chocolat Framboise is very rich chocolate with nuts a little raspberry, whereas Giverny is pistachio cream with only a little chocolat. Both are great, which is really the important information, but it was not obvious which was better. I'm going with Giverny because I like chocolate, so I've designated a lot of chocolate cakes great and I doubt that this one, which is simple in some ways, being sort of a nutty maybe semi-dry (demi-sec) biscuit with rich chocolate-raspberry (I think, but maybe just chocolate with separate fruit) cream, is the best, whereas I sort of respected the creamy layers of Giverny more. I'm looking forward to having both again, however, for example, when it comes time to do round two (including run-offs of round-one losers) with cakes that were confirmed great.

Heritage: Chocolat Framboise

Finally ran again, and everything seems okay. Went up to Heritage, as I'm visiting the better excellent shops to see which I should promote to quite excellent. I tried to keep it slow, despite the early closing, but still did the 3+ km in a little above 10 km/h. I did the 4 km back slower, as I swung past D-Style Tokyo for the first time (tiny shop), which I'm thinking of go to tomorrow.

The cake was Chocolat Framboise (600 yen), which was their most expensive, though not by much. It was definitely good, balancing the raspberry and chocolate well. They were pine nut size, so I assume that they were pine nuts, though I just found a couple and am not sure what pine nuts taste like anyway, so I'm not sure. Still, not special enough to promote it, so I'll keep looking. Sorry, the photo cake out a little blurry.

Limevert: Chocolat Framboise

Took a run to P. & café Limevert via Fraoula (no luck again on the cake I want), getting off course very soon out of Fraoula, which was standard all day, although I wasn't trying very hard to stay on course coming back, just letting the crossing signal dictate changes. We're in sakurayuki ("cherry snow") by now, but I wasn't running through the famous places and it's just a little misty, so didn't have any problems with crowds, even though I was running noon to 4 pm.

The cake was Chocolate Framboise and was pretty standard, with raspberry ganache between layers of moist (from the ganache, but maybe some liquor; I didn't read the card beyond the name, but something I looked at had alcohol and I think it was this) chocolate sponge cake. It was definitely good and I like chocolate a lot and raspberry, but I guess this standard cake doesn't really work that well for me. I'm not sure what I want instead. Maybe a raspberry chocolate tart (that is, something that looses the sponge cake). Still a quite excellent shop that needs another visit soon, though I also need to get to Abricotier and Yu Sasage, as weekend priorities. Maybe I can manage Abricotier in two weeks, since it's the nearest and I want to do a 50 km run the next day, including a visit to a new History and Culture course (three more to do, I think).

Au Bon Vieux Temps: Chocolat Framboise

As planned, I ran round trip to Tokyo Midtown, about 7 km at 9 km/h round trip, on Friday night and did not get anything, just ate homemade canelé (which were not very successful: I need to follow the recipe and not overfill the forms, as it causes various problems).

Saturday I got my flu shot, as planned and mostly took it easy (did some necessary food shopping).

Today, I went by bicycle (about 26 km round trip) down to Au Bon Vieux Temps (オー　ボン　ヴュー　タン) in Todoroki, Setagaya-ku, and got the Chocolat Framboise (ショコラフランボワーズ; 561 yen）. Note, not so much raspberry in this, just enough to get a taste and seeds in your teeth. However, this is in the same style as their Zyphir and Tentation Chocolat, which I've liked, so I don't mind so much. The top is chocolate decoration and a raspberry, chocolate cream, on top of a chocolate disk with raspberry pieces in it. As far as I could tell, there is no raspberry in the bottom cake part. I was thinking that the bottom was going to be brownie like, but actually it's fairly crunchy. There are nut pieces in there, but some dark crunchy bits as well, maybe nubs, but didn't really have that look. Certainly, it was delicious and let me wanting more. I've had cakes that's I've really liked that would would prefer to split with someone, but this is one where I wouldn't have minded having two of the same. I'
m not complaining about the size, though.

Isetan twice and long run.

Actually, running and cake were completely separate events, and I'm not completely sure about the order, but I think it was cake, run, cake.

The running was down to confirm the location of Q-pot Cafe, which Joshi+ blogged. It's a cute building and I could see cutely dressed serving girls inside, so I'm not so optimistic, especially given that it is a cafe, not a patisserie, but at least they specifically indicate takeout on the website, so I'll try it (if they really have cake by the time I can get there, which I did not check). I also tried a different route to (P.) la Glycine, which still was not optimal, though better, and confirmed that they are closed until the weekend. I was running really hard much of the time, but still only managed 13.6 km in 1:18'12'', which is disappointing, but there as a lot on-the-go navigation involved and a few people, but Aoyama Dori/Street was pretty dead because of the New Year holiday.

On the cake front, there was a pending request from last time for a visit to the Kihachi counter at Isetan, so we went there. I choose the Gateau Chocolat and the other cake was Fruits Short for 540 yen each. The chocolate cake was not fancy, but it was actually very good. 

Didn't get more than a little taste of the bottom sponge layer from the other cake, but the report on the Fruits Short (which is "shortcake" with seasonal fruit) was that it was just okay, except that it had some banana hidden in it, which we agreed was not a good idea. One hopes that a different season would bring a better class of fruits (note: I eat a lot of bananas, but in yogurt, not in cake), but since there was no hint from the top that one could expect banana inside, I'm not inclined to trust them without asking (and I generally don't want shortcake anyway, so I probably never will). 

Given that about half their other cakes were roll cakes, which are usually too soft for my tastes, I'm designating Kihachi as "good" rather than "worthy" on the map. 

Apparently, the Fruits Short was so unsatisfying that a great cake was required, which is a concept that I can well understand. The solution was Mont-Blanc, if possible from Jean-Paul Hévin, and Kihachi would have been acceptable, which I managed before they were sold out (they were close and a lot of people waiting in line outside when I left). Sensing correctly that I was not going to get even one bite of it (and since I've blogged it before), I got a Chocolat Framboise, which was 647 yen. I'm struggling regarding whether to say it was great cake, but ultimately I'm still finding that I'm burned out maybe on raspberry flavor, but I would not want to discourage anyone who isn't burned out from enjoying this excellent well-constructed cake.

Looping the moat to Canal Cafe Boutique: Chocolat Framboise

Light rain. Went to Ginza to visit the CW-X Conditioning Store in Nishi Ginza, since my broken toenails have put holes in my running socks. Also got UV gloves, just because I should have gotten them before. Hope I'm still running next year so that I really need them. Forgot my watch, but was not planning to run hard anyway, as I need to rest my back. It was about a 13 km run. Higher chance/frequency of rain this weekend, so don't know whether I'll get to run much. I'd like to go to Jiyuugaoka and visit Origines Cacao for great cake, but might end up doing the Shinjuku History and Culture course, which would put me next to Del'Imo, although it's not that far to Shinbashi/Ginza (of course, I could go east to west, but that wouldn't leave me in a good position for cake). My next planned bigger run would take me to Patisserie Ces Jours, but I'd want to do that on Sunday, because I can start earlier and have time to run back.

Back to today: circled the moat to go up to the Canal Cafe Boutique at Iidabashi, just because it looked like it should have good cake. Actually, only one that I was interested in and it's a pretty standard type, the Chocolat Framboise for 518 yen. It's chocolate mousse with a little raspberry, but there was some white cream inside too, which probably kept the chocolate mousse in check. Also, nuts in the bottom, which is unusual, but good. Not a bad cake of its type but not that memorable. I don't need to go back and don't expect to, but I could get the same thing or try something else.