Cake-off: Frédéric Cassel's Choux Vanille versus Jean-Paul Hévin's Guayaquil

Thursday, I took off in the morning and did got cakes for the cake-up skipped last weekend, when I was busy. Since I didn't manage to find a new great cake, I worked through my list to run a 5th-round cake-off for cakes that have only one loss. This pair has the advantage that they are both available at Ginza Mitsukoshi: Frédéric Cassel's Choux Vanille and Jean-Paul Hévin's Guayaquil. These are both pretty basic cakes in their ways, but great. Guayaquil is JPH's base straight chocolate cake; I still haven't tried the thing he showed on public TV of microwaving it to experience the change in flavor chocolate flavor from change in temperature, but that remains a good idea. It's got various layers, so there are texture variations, but the Choux Vanille still has a better contrast, or maybe I'm just a sucker fro the sugar on the pastry, but once again I have to give the win to the one puff pastry on my greats list. Check it out if you get a chance.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Kibune

Lacking enough new cakes to keep Jean-Paul Hévin even even with the next lower shops, I've been giving any excellent cakes that come back into the line-up a second chance. This time it was the Kibune, which was an exclusive in Kyoto when I had it before. Top to bottom, this is pistachio nougatine over a matcha mousse that's half the cake, then a griotte cherry flavored biscuit, a little Brazilian cacao chantilly, and then a chocolate (I assume) biscuit base. Seemed great to me this time, certainly not inferior to other great JPH mousse layer cakes. I've supposed I've had a lot more experience with green tea by this point and also found other cherry cakes that I appreciate. So after getting lucky and quickly finding a partner for one great JPH cake for a cake-off, I'm back to having another seasonal cake needing a partner (which is better than the alternative of not needing one). Guess I need to needing to prioritizing shops with the best records among the ones I'm trying to visit.

Cake-off: Viron's Menton over Jean-Paul Hévin's Maya

For the weekend, I started off
going to Isetan to get cake for a Cake-off at Isetan. It's the weekend of White Day, so even getting there at opening, there was a long line at Jean-Paul Hévin. Fortunately, they closed the bar and were using the space for people who didn't need to individually select chocolates, so I got my cake. For the cake-off, I needed Maya. I figured I had time, so I walked it home before setting out for Viron to get their new Menton, which involved a little waiting but was no problem. It's a rainy day, so no attempts at running were involved.

Both these new cakes stood up to evaluation. As much as I like chocolate, its a crowded field, which might be why I'm giving the Menton the win. It's lemon, but there seems to be a lot else going on, even if I'm not sure what, and a satisfying mix of textures.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Maya

Thursday, I had the morning off and slightly ran to Fiorentina Pastry Boutique down in Roppongi Hills to find out whether they still have Estate in the line-up with they don't. That was as much as I could manage as far as running, so I walked to Ginza Mitsukoshi. The big goal was to get one of the new cakes at Jean-Paul Hévin, which I've never had before. There is also one that I've only seen in Kyoto previously, which was excellent, so I might have that again. I let one of the great ones from last month go without having again, just because I couldn't do a cake-off, which is unfortunately. This month, I don't have a match for Bergamot.

But for now, what I got was Maya, which follows the usual JPH pattern as far as chocolate cakes with layers of mousse. This uses Ecuador chocolate mousse, Provence honey nougatine, crème brûlée, a chestnut biscuit, and croustillant. This gives it relatively sharp taste (I don't really know how to describe chocolate), but that's good, great actually. 

Cake-off: Paris S'éveille's Monsieur Arnaud over Jean-Paul Hévin's Mont-Blanc

Did a run/walk down to Jiyuugaoka, as planned, and got Paris S'éveille's Monsieur Arnaud. Was about 10 minutes early, but there was still a line of several people, so different from last time I went early (though I can't remember what day of the week that was). Anyway, they had that cake and their other undefeated great cake, but this was earlier in the list, so I choose it as the opponent for Jean-Paul Hévin's Mont-Blanc, which was a priority because JPH is the top shop and the Mont-Blanc is seasonal. This is the first fifth-round cake-off, so I'm starting big. Jean-Paul Hévin's Mont-Blanc might be my favorite mont-blanc, but that's still a somewhat limited category so Monsieur Arnaud, which is also a standard cake, and the one they showcase in the article posted in the shop window, but has more of my favorite ingredients, with nuts, chocolate and fruit in a cake with a thick biscuit with good texture, cream, and sheet chocolate. I've going to have to wait for FC's undefeated great cake to come back or I could have two PS cakes battling for the top.

Cake-off: Paris S'éveille's Le Suprême over Jean-Paul Hévin's Duja Pistache

Catching up on cake-offs, I did another one to match something with Duja Pistache (obtained the night before) from Jean-Paul Hévin, following the strategy of working on the cakes from the top shop that might disappear before I'm ready. I tried Rue de Passy first, but the citrus pralin mille-feuille has moved on, so I continued down to Paris S'éveille. Wasn't sure I was going to make it, as just 10 days without running had me out of shape, in that my knee and/or hip hurt so bad that my whole leg was going numb. Got through it though. Had the same problem the next day and found that best answer was squats, which I haven't been doing lately. PS is in pandemic mode, with the café space closed and limiting people inside. Got the Le Suprême, which lost last time I think, when I wasn't feeling what was so great about blackberry chocolate mousse. This time I was comparing it to a chocolate pistachio layer cake. Generally nuts are a better bet with me than fruit, but I was feeling the advantage of the fruit complementing the chocolate over a relatively fruity nut this time and didn't mind the limited texture of a mousse cake (complemented for texture by chocolate sheet). This is a fourth round, where both had been held back last year for already having two losses, but Le Suprême pulls a second win, so it's claimed middle territory among the great cakes.

Cake-off: Sadaharu Aoki's Chocolat Pralin over Jean-Paul Hévin's Matcha Marron

Catching up on the previous week as far as Tokyo cakes (from being busy over the Christmas to New Year's Day period, though I had other nice cakes), I did the first of two cake-offs. Since they are my top cake shop and the line-up could change as early as mid-month, I started with a fourth-round cake-off for recent new Jean-Paul Hévin cake Matcha Marron. I pitted it against another cake with only 1 win in 3, Sadaharu Aoki's Chocolat Pralin. It wasn't my first choice, but it's available even during the year transition period (unlike Ladurée's regular items). Though I wasn't thinking about it, I know I considered Chocolat Pralin as a heavy hitting that started with two tough cake-offs, though I shouldn't be surprised that it takes the win. Matcha Marron is an interesting combination of flavors, but there is a reason traditional combinations are traditional.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Bûchette Pop Music and Bûchette Victor

I got ahead with the second cake (but the following week I'm busy), but I got the two individual Christmas cakes from Bûchette Pop Music, Bûchette Victor (the third design is just the first one below with a different color, though the large scale cakes with the correspond themes are different from each other and from these individuals). I got these when I was in Ginza Sunday morning, reasoning that it was my best opportunity to avoid long lines and them selling out and that both are robust enough that a day at zero degrees in the cooler isn't going to hurt them.

There was half an hour of running, dancercise, and other indoor exercises, as usual. I had the Bûchette Victor first, the second one below, which is mango, like the full-sized version, and I think another fruit, though I can't remember what. The fruit wasn't so strong and it wasn't so exciting, though of course it has all the quality JPH parts of biscuit and mousse, so it was good. I liked the Bûchette Pop Music much more. It's suppose to be pistachio, and it has it's own posting on the web page (not sure why the other doesn't), but it tastes like whisky to me, or at least what cakes that say they have whisky taste like, which is all I have to go by. Anyway, the flavor went with the chocolate and nuts well, along with the texture and it was an excellent cake, as I would expect.  

 

Cake-off: Jean-Paul Hévin's Mont-Blanc over Frédéric Cassel's Tan Gram

Did a weekend fourth-round cake-off between two from the undefeated bracket. The chocolate cake is Tan Gram from Frédéric Cassel, and this is quite decadent. The Mont-Blanc is the one from Jean-Paul Hévin; it is only available fall and winter, which might not sound like much of a restriction, but this is maybe the best Mont-Blanc out there, in my opinion, though that's totally about what a great almond meringue base it has, which is maybe not what true mont-blanc devotees focus on. Against my usual trend, I'm not giving the win to the chocolate cake, though this agrees with the recent trend of not being as excited about the more intense cake. In Tan Gram's defense, I should have worked out longer or at least waited longer so I was sufficiently hungry for these after a full lunch. However, JPH's Mont-Blanc would be hard to beat under any circumstances. Hoping to get to it earlier in the year for the fifth round. 

 

Cake-off: Jean-Paul Hévin's Longchamp Feuilleté over Au Bon Vieux Temps' Pourriture

I followed one cake-off by another for two reasons. The original reason for the plan was because I'll be busy next weekend and I like to keep to one a week. A new reason appears when Jean-Paul Hévin's Longchamp Feuilleté won the previous cake-off, because I don't have any new cakes, or even excellent cakes for a retry, from Jean-Paul Hévin. Also, I'm not sure how long Pourriture will stick around at Au Bon Vieux Temps and I've been waiting for a year for it to appear. I think the fruit is fig, which seems to be in season now, at least as far as cakes goes. 

It was rainy Saturday, which feels fairly redundant for the last few months. At least Sunday was better. I decided that it was rainy less hard than the last time I went out that way, so I didn't bring the big umbrella and ran about two thirds before I decided that I was wet enough and the rain was heavy enough that I wanted to pull out the portable. No problem getting the Pourriture. I came back by train as far as Isetan to get the Longchamp Feuilleté from JPH. I'm afraid the Paris-Brest isn't going to manage a first-round cake-off before it's gone again, but I'll survive that.

I must of been pretty jaded with JPH cakes when I first rated Longchamp Feuilleté as just excellent, because it didn't have any trouble eclipsing the pour Pourriture, which which has cheese and fig to impress me. This was only a second-round cake-off, so it might get a chance for a third round, if it can hang on until the beginning of November. 

Cake-off Jean-Paul Hévin's Longchamp Feuilleté over Pierre Hermé's Tarte Infiniment Praliné Noisette

Thursday, I took the afternoon off. It was raining, so I got a haircut rather than immediately run, but I did got to Isetan afterward and of course had no trouble scoring Tuesday's cake, Tarte Infiniment Praliné Noisette from Pierre Hermé, and one of the recently promoted Jean-Paul Hévin cakes, Longchamp Feuilleté. I cake the cake first, after lunch, but did do a 2 hour run in the evening, when the rain had stopped. In terms of quantity, the tart has the obvious advantage and both are great, but Longchamp Feuilleté has that crunch going, and maybe a higher sugar density, along with chocolate, so in the end I have to give it the win, but I'm still happy with the hazelnut tart and hope to get to the pistachio version (only at the mother store) before it ends its run, which is not until December. 

Cake-off: Éclat des Jours' Tartelette Mûre over Jean-Paul Hévin's Matcha Marron

I got all my weekend cakes in on Saturday, despite the typhoon-induced rain, or maybe because of it. I started off by walking to Éclat des Jours out in Koutou-ku to get Tartelette Mûre for a third-round cake-off and came back by train, stopping at Ginza Mitsukoshi to get Jean-Paul Hévin's Matcha Marron, both one-and-one great cakes.

These are both niche cakes, so hard to compare. In the end, I went with the more distinct, Tartelette Mûre. Matcha Marron is nice and has a distinct combinations of flavors (chestnut, powered green tea, chocolate, and rum) and the great construction of a JPH cake mousse cake, though there are several cakes like that, which I'm thankful full.

Cake-off: Frédéric Cassel's Addiction over Jean-Paul Hévin's Matcha Marron

I'll be busy next weekend and so these are both seasonal, so I wanted to get in another round before either disappears. This is a second-round cake-off (occurring today!) requiring only a short run to Ginza Mitsukoshi. One cake is yesterday's winner, Matcha Marron from Jean-Paul Hévin. The last time, I ate it with green tea, whereas this time was Indian tea (grown in China). That might be a little too strong for it, as it's pretty subtle (unusual for chocolate cake, but the amount of chocolate is pretty minimal), whereas fruity cake definitely suits a tropical fruit cake, so Addiction is two for two, taking advantage of its more extreme taste. 

Cake-off: Jean-Paul Hévin's Matcha Marron over Viron's Baba

Only yesterday, I did a first-round cake-off with two cakes new this month. As I mentioned previously, this took a half marathon amount of running. This is because I first went to Éclat des Jours to give them some verrine glasses and get Croissant, which is fluffier than my ideal but still excellent. I ended up going to Shibuya, since that's the only place to get Viron's Baba. On the way there, at about the three hour mark (I'm slow and this was a long slow run), I stopped at the Caffe Pascucci and got a Bombolone Pistatcchio, which was a poor choice, as bombolone are apparently bread rather than pastry, relatively hardy bread. They only had two Baba's at Viron, which was a little ominous, but okay. As a match, I went to Jean-Paul Hévin and got the Matcha Marron. The Baba is great as a classic and the Matcha Marron is great as a JPH-type cake with a new combination of tastes. The previous sample, the matcha stood out, but this time my attention was drawn more to the chestnut and chocolate. In the end, I decided that the more complex taste of the JPH cake suited me better, but I'm not done with the Baba.  

As an addendum, I'll note that the cake for the take-off win was pre-bought (though not intentionally) as a second try on an excellent JPH cake that appeared again in the line-up, Longchamp Feuilleté, which I've decided might be great, so I'm belatedly adding it to the greats list, though I won't be surprised if they change the line-up before it get's a chance to be tested again.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Matcha Marron

New month, so the verrines are gone (almost: their were still some coffee ones at the side on the 2nd), which I'm not sorry about. Lots a great cakes in the line-up, and an exceptional one that I wouldn't mind having again. Importantly, there is a completely new cake, Matcha Marron, so the second day I got that. Recalling that I've fallen off with the regular Matcha, I wasn't sure how this one was going to be for me. Don't think I've had a matcha-maron pairing before from anywhere, but it totally works. Probably the bitter chocolate mousse and biscuit at the bottom helps. As even my photography shows, the matcha part is extremely light, like chiboust. Nothing else to say about it except that it was a great cake, which I hope stays around for awhile. If I'm lucky, I'll find another great cake to have a cake-off with it (or another cake that's eluded me for years will reappear, but I've been touring their shops, and no such luck this month yet).

Jean-Paul Hévin, Verrine Rhubarbe Mangue

 Way back on Tuesday, after working late, I stopped in at the Isetan Jean-Paul Hévin and was able to get the last of the new item: Verrine Rhubarbe Mangue, which has the obvious ingredients. The top is probably mango gelatin, then white chocolate mousse, and finally rhubarb sauce cut with lime. It was the usual high quality of JPH, so I can say that it was excellent. 

I'll note at this point, I'm far enough ahead on FC that JPH deserves a second sample of an excellent cake, but I've already done that with those in the current line-up, so I'll have to wait. That leaves at least a couple non-cake items to try, maybe next weekend. I haven't tried any of their sauces.

Jean-Paul Hévin, Verrine Lavande & Verrine Banane Griotte

Sunday afternoon, as brunch dessert, we got cake for two from Jean-Paul Hévin: Verrine Lavande & Verrine Banane Griotte, the new new items. The first is white chocolate, lavender, and grapefruit, and the second is Dominican chocolate, banana sauce, and cherry. Neither are really my ideal flavors. The verrine Lavande was good, but pretty mind, though you wouldn't really want intense grapefruit or lavender, I would think, so this was as designed and offered a variation over the other cake, which is sweet, and the verrine not ordered, which is coffee and presumably bitter. Despite continued reservations about banana, this was excellent. I have to acknowledge that it's not the fruit, but how it's used that's important. This at least catches me up with JPH's last cake-off wins. 

Jean-Paul Hévin, Verrine Framboise Litchi

As with other cakes last Sunday, the evaluation is based on half, in this case of something that is pretty small to begin with. This is Jean-Paul Hévin, again from Ginza Mitsukoshi (I was busy, and bought everything in one go) chocolate mousse with raspberry and lychee: Verrine Framboise Litchi. I can that it was excellent, keeping in mind that it's a verrine, so only marginally cake. Nevertheless, it holds of the standard of JPH.

I'll insert here, that there was running, probably in the neighborhood. I'm mostly abandoned my old neighborhood maps for the time, or at least the routes, as I try to great more reasonal paths, plus I worked late most days, so I had less than am hour run. Mostly I ran in the Yotsuya San-choume Sta. south areas, either along a path connecting up the 4 cake shops or the top site course, that includes whatever I judge the most worth visiting in each neighborhood, down to the choume level, which includes some but not all the cake shops. I'm still refining the course, and have it down to the part north of and immediately north of Sendagaya wrapping around to the extreme southeast of Shinjuku Sta., and I've identified the sites down through Jinguumae, but not completely gotten the course yet.

Cake-off: Jean-Paul Hévin's Guayaquil over Frédéric Cassel's Fraisier

Ginza Mitsukoshi with a line before the start.

Did a shared cake-off last Sunday, so I was basing on half a cake, which probably matters, but is not so important. This top it was cakes from the top two cake shops, both a Ginza Mitsukoshi, and both newly available again, though they were still on short hours that weekend.

Frédéric Cassel's Fraisier was the seasonal priority, whereas Jean-Paul Hévin's Guayaquil is their main chocolate cake, and always available. As far as cake-offs go, this is a fourth round, with both of these having lost one of three. Great cakes, but I really like the strong chocolate taste of Guayaquil. Wish I had a little more, because there was something about the texture that I was noticing---I might get this again this year just to do some temperature experiments, since I'm due for another cake from them, and they don't even have excellent cakes that I haven't had twice yet.

Cake-off: Jean-Paul Hévin's Violette over En Vedette's Rocher

Last Sunday, having caught up the previous week one week late on Saturday (where the week runs Saturday to Friday), I started the next week with a third-round cake-off between two undefeated cakes, the recent Rocher by En Vedette, and Violette by Jean-Paul Hévin, which had been sleeping in my freezer since a week ago, waiting for a competitor. I assume all the Jean-Paul Hévin shops are closed by now, and that at least the Tokyo one's were closed by last weekend, so the latter cake is somewhat a miracle. It also tastes like a miracle: the perfect mousse layer cake, accented with fruit. The Rocher really has more going on, as far as textures, and I'll be giving it a fourth round soon, but this JPH cake remains undefeated. Too made I'll probably have to wait until next year before a fourth round (I'm hoping that I don't have to wait until next year for all other cakes, or I hope they expand their capacity to make cakes for delivery, since their Marco Polo was sold out last I looked).