Arnaud Larher: Toulouse Lautrec

Another day working on exploring Tokyo to create a continuously connected running course In Tokyo expanding outward from the southeast Yotsuya neighborhood. Today I was exploring southeast of Shibuya, which requires going outside the Yamanote Line and coming hooking around north of Ebisu Stn. I was trying to get to Hiroo but only had time to research in detail just west of there (the tentative course I've made loops around Hiroo High School and Junior High School and past the Elementary School, but all of these are actually in a neighborhood simply called Higashi (East), which is at least east of the Shibuya neighborhood but I can see why it's too genetic to be useful as a school name. I haven't actually filled in neighborhood Ebisunish, which I have to go through to get there (I thought I had found a workaround, but facts on the ground proved me wrong), so nothing final.

I headed to Hiroo because Sweet Sonobe has been posting lots about cakes at Arnaud Larher, who has a shop there. The cakes are certainly photogenic, and they had some baked goods that I'm interested in, too. With some trepidation, I went with their main chocolate mousse cake, Toulouse Lautrec. This is a common cake form, but seemingly difficult, at least to satisfy me. Mousse is supposed to be kept cold, but I think I should have let this warm up more, because I was not getting a lot of taste out of this, though enough that it was good. If they get to Isetan, I'll give them a second chance, but otherwise, I'll keep looking for the next shop that's obviously worthy of repeated visits.

Schloss Bäckerei: Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte

I overdid it this weekend, I guess, walking not running, though there should have been more eating yesterday before the walking, I think. Also more sleep would be good. Anyway, today's cake was to prevent unhealthy running rather than reward running.

This was a third cake from Schloss Bäckerei, the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. I generally avoid Black Forest cake but figured that this was the most cake-like thing they had, according to my definition, and were the appropriate place to get this type of cake. And I was correct about the latter, as this was excellent (though I might not be in the best state to judge). Rather than soft sponge, the biscuit was almost crisp, as I like in order to contrast with soft whipped cream. Also, the cherry was good, not being too tart. Not very chocolaty, but more chocolate would have submerged the other tastes and created a different cake that I probably would not have liked much.

So I'm satisfied that this is a Quite Good shop, down in Hiroo, that I've sufficiently sampled for now.

(Fri.) Schloss Bäckerei: Chestnut Premium Chou

Since the first cake was judged excellent, I changed my plan and got cake again at Schloss Bäckerei at Isetan. I say "cake", but this was a cream puff with the top made up like a mont-blanc (they even warned me when I was buying it that it was a cream puff, not a normal mont-blanc, which I had not noticed but was okay with, due to the limited selection of cake; it is, I'm assuming, actually a bakery anyway).

For running, I tried my South Minami neighborhood running course for the first time, which I'm listed under Aoyama in my map (wish I knew why all the pictures I uploaded to the original Aoyama map are now gone). and found various problems (e.g., not crossing at a cross-walk for a two-lane road, which was true a few places) and later noticed that I left out a little park, so the maps has gotten more convoluted. It was a little under 10 km at a little under 9 km/h.

The cream puff was not even a authentic chou pastry, but the Japanese soft version, and yet, it was actually good. I've complained before about mixing custard and whipped cream, but if you add chestnut paste, which goes with whipped cream, it balances out. The soft shell holding it together was tasteless, but then it is not intended to have a taste and I'm not above enjoying Japanese-style "shuukuriimu". Since the second cake was at least good, I'll have one more on Monday and hold off on cake Tuesday.

Schloss Bäckerei: Sachertorte

Took advantage of Schloss Bäckerei being at Isetan and got their Sachertorte (have to check and update, as they probably called this the Sachertorte Schloss Bäckerei), though it seems more like a truffletorte with nuts, since it has nuts and I couldn't taste apricot (again, I need to check the card and update this post). Still, it was a good solid German cake after a number of less impressive ones, so, as a first cake, I feel this was excellent and I'd like to have more before they go (not sure whether I could make their 7 pm closing time on a weekday). Still, the selection of fresh cakes is pretty limited.
The run was confirming my last change to the Jinguumae 3&r+ course (which I also shaved a corner off of). Not sure sure about the loop around Franzè & Evans, which could be shortened slightly, but I'm really to move on to the next neighborhood. I explored a little bit among the intervening neighborhoods and at least used the designated entrance for each but did not try to complete them in the light right. It was about 9 km at 9 km/h. Rather than other Ralph Lauren display window pictures, I'll note that these two buildings are next to each other on the north end of what at least becomes Cat Street to the south. This area is more street fashion than high fashion and the buildings are eclectic. I assume it developed to its present popular state by being old and relatively cheap.

To Jouvaud in Hiroo: Petit Désirade

Tried Jouvaud in Hiroo again, and this time they had several types of cake. Guess Friday night is a good time to go. I struggle deciding and got the Petit Désirade, which was foolish: I'm attracted to chocolate but these chocolate mousse domes usually don't work out. This was okay though, which is better than average. I don't think I'll designate Jouvaud as being of special interest yet, but I'll look forward to going back again someday, since it's close and open until 8 pm. This was only 508 yen. It's chocolate glaze over chocolate mouse around a little vanilla cream on top of small disk of sponge cake all on top of a hard biscuit base. Nothing bad about any of it, it was nice.

The run was first a straight there and back, which took 25 minutes there and 27 minutes back, more from being downhill there and uphill back than my being tired or the cake slowing me down so much, although it was a little windy. After putting away the cake in the refrigerator, I went out and ran in the neighborhood of another 39 minutes, just because it was a nice night (after the heavy raid this morning, it shot up to over 24 deg C in the afternoon) and I don't expect to have a chance to run again until Sunday night. I think I've figured out that my problem around my right hip is that I'm really stiff, which is how I got into back problems after 1998. So I'm trying to do a lot of stretching.. There's plenty else bad that's going to keep me slow, but it would be nice to be able to move my legs more.