Cake-off: Bien-être's Mont-blanc over Pierre Hermé's Deux Mille Feuille

I'm working through the last cake-offs of the year. Saturday's was expected to be the last, a fourth round for two more two-of-three winners, both regular year-round cakes, so were never a priority until the end. One I could get at Isetan, which opens at 10am, so I did that one first: Pierre Hermé's Deux Mille Feuille, their praliné mille-feuille. Getting the other at Bien-être required a little waiting in line (only two customers at a time for ordering, though the café is available with a reservation. I ended up being lazy and going by bicycle. I can note that I went to Isetan the long way, running down the Shibuya Sta. northeast area to check out a shop that turned out to be closed despite their posted hours (it was the Stream Coffee Company shop and I caught them later; they only had chiffon cake, which I've decided doesn't qualify as fresh cake; a brownie would suit me better). I did hit the nearby WeWork café (Foru Cafe) and had the croissant, which was good, if overly fluffy for my preference. Back to Bien-être: they didn't have the Mont-Blanc showing (I could see through the glass), but I was optimistic that even if they cut the lineup during the Christmas rush season, they wouldn't cut that one, which this is especially the season for. The service person was probably inexperienced, as they had to ask the person working at actually making things (they kitchen opens directly on the shop and isn't very big). Note sure what her exact answer was other than that it would come later, which was the answer passed back to me. Questioning further, she said all they had now was what was showing, but I asked how long I needed for wait for the Mont-Blanc. At this point someone who either knew more about how things worked, or recognized me and how I operate (I know what I come for and I don't buy anything else, but I'll wait or come back if I have to), asked the same kitchen person whether she had the Mont-Blanc ready and immediately got a tray of them and told the other clerk to ring one up, so I got what I came for. 

I was satisfied with both of these as great cakes. The Mont-blanc is a straight mont-blanc, no fruit or any other bells or whistles that need to be mentioned, just what you see, whipped cream in the middle (I can't remember already whether there was any additional chestnut in the middle, but if there was, not so much compared to the top), and some sort of softish sablé or hardish cake biscuit base supporting it. The mille-feuille, on the other hand, is already a pretty complex standard, this one including three thick layers (an advantage over FC's, excellent though they are) and lots of praliné. It's a tough choice, but I have to give it to the mont-blanc, that wins with simplicity. Not sure why it beats all the similar mont-blancs, but they've been dropping out one by one, which this one seems in no danger of doing.  

 

Cake-off: Pierre Hermé's 2000 Feuille over Jean-Paul Hévin's Duja Pistache

Finally blogging about last weekend. This time's cake-off was a little challenging, because everywhere is busy with Christmas cakes. I figured department stores were my best bet. Originally, as the next cake-off, I had wanted to the Origines Cacao's Tart Citron, but when I visited on Wednesday, they didn't have it so I asked whether it was just sold out for the day or had finished its run. The latter was true, not just for the season but forever, as the counter will close Jan 15th (there was I sign which I confirmed later). If I understood the answer to my next question, the Jiyuugaoka main shop will also close, so that's it for the rising star of my list and maybe the most visited shop this year. I do not expect any more new cakes from there, so that leaves me only three priority shops which now don't need to replace something to get promoted, they just need not to get passed from behind as they move fill in the chain of gaps.

Back to the actual cake-off, where I had no trouble getting Duja Pistache from the Ginza Mitsukoshi Jean-Paul Hévin, location because of minimal line and I expected to get cake from LaDuree on the 2nd floor, but a cake I've always seen over several years was out of the line-up, hopefully just for Christmas. So I took the train to Isetan where I expected to see a couple standards of Pierre Hermé's but only found the 2000 Feuille, their praliné mille-feuille. Fortunately, it was great and I appreciated the lack of custard or cream interfering with my appreciation of the pastry, as well as just enjoying the praliné. The mousse chocolate Duga P was still great, but they have a lot of great mousse cakes and I wasn't feeling particularly attached to this one on Saturday.

The run to Ginza was pretty minimal, so I went out later again to do neighborhood run loops. I failed at the Dougenzaka--Maruyamachou--Shinsenchou loop when I forgot what the next site was and couldn't remember why I should or should not turn at the Natural Lawson. I made up for it by getting the revised Kamiyama-chou--Tomigaya--Udagawa-chou loop (for the new Shibuya LaDuree). On the way, I got some missing photographs and saw a new shop open on Aoyama-doori Ave. (on the already established route).

Sunday, I tried again to do the current version of the Daita--Daizawa--Hatagaya--Kamiyama-chou--Kitazawa--Motoyoyogi-chou--Nishihara--Ooyama-chou--Shouto--Tomigaya--Uehara loop counterclockwise. I got slightly farther than last time, which took about 2.5 hours, and then ran anther half hour to a pizza buffet that I'm still trying to work off. On the way, I tried two fresh pastries. One was the Natural Lawson across from Yoyogi-Hachiman Stn. which I turned my nose up at last time, as they were all wrapped. But at least they wrap them fancy, with part paper (which should be good for excess moisture), so I tried a Mini Cinnamon Danish, which was reasonably good, so they stay on the map.

The next pastry was 1 hour later when I circled back to one station over at Yoyogi-Uehara and I got a Bear Cub Claw from the Little Mermaid. (It was a late start and the good shops are crowded, so I was aiming low on this run.) This was as close as I could get to a pastry, but I should have gone for the donut, as this was just too white, though at least the chocolate hazelnut filling was not bad. It wasn't raw, just I think they don't use much butter or bake it very long, so its sort of a Wonderbread version of a pastry. Okay, but never again.

Cake-off: Viron's Mille-feuille over Pierre Hermé's Deux Mille Feuille

Still cycling. Went first for the cake, first to Viron near Shibuya Stn. (which opens at 9 am) and then, after some other shopping, to Isetan, where it turned out that bicycling parking was not free for even the first hour. Should have gone to a different Pierre Hermé if I was not willing to walk. The rest of the day was touring down through Meguro-ku and Setagaya-ku confirming or failing to confirm some cakes, for example.

The cake-off, like many, was difficult to decide. Both mille-feuille are the highest quality I know, both have something, traditional icing for Viron and praliné mousseline and paté feuilletée (apparentely) for Pierre Hermé, but they are fairly equivalent mixed with everything else. That being the case, I'm going with the traditional-style from Viron, despite my preference for Pierre Hermé generally.

Cake-off: Pierre Hermé's Deux Mille Feuille over Sadaharu Aoki's Chocolat Pralin

For my run, I went a long way to Sadaharu Aoki's Marunouchi shop to satisfying myself that the cake I had thought they had did not exist (at least not this year: I think I was conflating cakes, though I was sure I had seen a Marunouchi exclusive on a green tea cake, so not the Bamboo, which you can get everywhere). I had already bought my cake at Isetan, so no problem. I might have to get a cream puff next time, but maybe something seasonal will come out in the mean time: July is almost here. The run was an easy 9 km/h over 11.1 km (69 m up and down each).

Today's delayed cake-off (prepared since last Thursday) was Pierre Hermé's "Deux Mille Feuille" versus Sadaharu Aoki's "Chocolat Pralin", two heavy hitters, both in terms of the shops and the cakes. These are both definitely great cake, but the total decadence of the Deux Mille Feuille wins out: praliné mousseline, praliné feuilletée, as well as the normal caramelized layered pastry. This is one of my favorite cakes, so don't think the Chocolat Pralin was not also wonderful. Tomorrow will be more running and less cake.

Local tour 9 to 10 km: 2000 (Deux Mille) Feuilles from Pierre Hermé

Bought my cake at Isetan first, from Pierre Hermé: 2000 Feuilles for 864 yen. It was a praline mille-feuillles (or apparently a double mille-feuilles). The online description is "Flaky caramelized puff pastry crust, crispy praliné with Piedmont hazelnuts, and praliné mousseline cream", which is as much ore more than you need to know except how it was.

For the run, I meant to check out the state of the Ginkgo trees along the south lane to Aoyama Street, but forgot. Even Tuesday night in light rain, there was a long line for the new Shake Shack, I think it is called. Doesn't sound like something I would need, but must be a big deal and it, their line, running, and the darkness distracted me.

Continued the tour to Takagi (still there), Louange Tokyo, which is in a dead-end alley that does not look like it should have anything besides condo entrances. Actually it is a private club as well as a cake shop and had the most high-end entry way I've seen on a patisserie, but it still looked like I could just walk in from jogging if I wanted (but not sit down on the upholstered chairs). There was a customer, so apparently other people are able to find it in a cul-de-sac (I think) off a street, off a short street, off the main street that runs in front of Roppongi Hills.

Continued on to go past Tokyo Midtown (stopping briefly to use the facilities) and swung by Neues, the German cafe I go for cake, which had the sign out saying that they were open. 

Went on to Akasaka and on down to the Niku ("Meat") no Hanamasa to get some roasted peanut pieces for making peanut butter and confirmed that I can get cheese there okay (I've been to a branch too small to have the 700 gram blocks, but I need a new source now that the one on my main street closed). Major difference from my old one: this one was playing French pop classics, whereas my old one played 80's alt/college pop. Different neighborhood.

Doubled back to confirm that I could find Del'Immo without checking the map (but I still need to check on how to spell it). 

Finally, went to Lawson 100 for snacks, crackers, and yogurt. I walked from there.

Which bring me back to the cake: praline (deux) mille-feuille: every part of it was great. It's expensive, of course, but it is a good-sized piece of cake. Probably just as well that there was not more of it, because I could have kept on eating (actually I did keep on eating, because I could not resist my freshly made peanut butter).