Cake-off: Frédéric Cassel's Choux Vanille over Bien-être's Pistachio and American Cherry Chiboust

Sunday, I collected cakes for a cake-off. I've something going in my throat that's probably from a sinus drip, so took it slow by bicycle to collect cakes and will skip running. Not that I have a fever or anything (I'm not that crazy about cake), but I'm being cautious. I went to Frédéric Cassel first to get their Choux Vanille, but I went out late enough that I could have revered the order of the visits. By the time I could visit Bien-être for their limit-time Pistachio and American Cherry Chiboust, it was 12:30 pm and their were only two pieces left. But they were in the back of the case, so it looked more like they were selling off the tail-end of this season's run. I was lucky to get it, though my backup cake was nearby. Both these cakes are one and one going into a third-round cake-off. Actually, I couldn't choose between these based on taste, so I'm going by simplicity, my overall shop evaluation, and distinctiveness of the type with my greats list to give the win to Frédéric Cassel's Choux Vanille.

Cake-off: Michalak's Paris-Brest over Bien-être's Pistachio and American Cherry Chiboust

Monday, I did prep work for today's cake-off by going to Bien-être and reserving a Pistachio and American Cherry Chiboust (to use the first name I recorded this under, though I think the name has been permuted since). This was by running, which I did in intervals of 3 min walking/1 min slow running/ 3 min running/ 1 min fast running. Next running watch will have more than time intervals, now that I know why I would want more. After Bien-être, I ran to Jinguumae to try the new Jinguumae 5&6 loop, though I messed up the end, which is not surprising since I had never even walked it before. Also, I'm not sure that I took the planned path to climb east from Cat Street, but I've decided that it's worth lengthening the route a little to avoid cutting between buildings like that. I stopped at a couple shops before I found one open and with something sub-cake as a snack (at the 1 hour point). I got Cheese Cake from the Roastery by Nozy Coffee Cafe, which you can see is a stick, sort of a half-size cake. It was definitely good, in an enough sugar kind of way. I ended up doing 9 intervals of running, which is the longest I've gone recently and enough fast running to leave me a little sore the next day, so I hope I'm building up some running muscles now.

For the other cake in the cake-off, I went with a recent one that also won its first round, Michalak's Paris-Brest. The chiboust is the new style again, but I think I'm over worrying about the change. Until there are more pistachio chiboust, or any kind of chiboust, from the good shops, I'd like to keep this on the great's list, but I can't resist the super sugar bomb that is Michalak's Paris-Brest. And it has seriously dark praline with a strong caramel taste, in a good way, so it gets it's second win. However, the chiboust will be gone soon, so if I can get it in a third-round cake-off over the weekend, I'll do that.

Cake-off: Bien-être's Pistachio and American Cherry Chiboust over Libertable's Charm

Got a virus and went a week without cake.

Felt well enough to go out and get cake. I prepared to go by bicycle and got as far as the exit and decided leaning on the bars was too painful and instead half ran and half walk (because it's maximum-warning hot right now) to Libertable at Shibuya ShinQ to get their mont-blanc, Charm, for a cake-off. I had gotten to four untested great cakes, so I decided to do a first round. Also, I didn't trust Bien-être to keep their Pistachio and American Cherry Chiboust around, though they've had it for a few weeks. These cakes are similar in that they are perfect realizations of in some ways simple types of cakes. Since I have limited access to dependable chiboust, the chiboust is the more important on my great list, so I'll give the nod to it. At some point, I'll want to compare mont-blanc to each other to see which ones are redundant.

Bien-être, Pistachio and American Cherry Chiboust

Friday, I went back to Bien-être, jogging a little over 2 km of the roundtrip. At the shop, I tried the current pistachio chiboust, Pistachio and American Cherry Chiboust, in their eating space (there were 4 other customers eating). Not sure that American cherry is as good as grapefruit, but it's fine and provides a different texture from other components that grapefruit can't. Anyway, this thick tart under a thick layer of chiboust is still unlike other cakes that I have regularly, so I can say that this is great, like the previous version that seems to have a very short line-up life. Now I really did to do a first-round cake-off, but I'm busy this weekend and some of next.

Thursday, I got back to Libertable, also running just 2 km of the roundtrip and walking the rest. That time I got the regular Feuilletée. It looks more like a croissant than the chocolate one does and was more bread-like inside than I expected. However, the texture is less like a typical croissant than the chocolate version was. It has a kind of chewiness that actually made it more interesting, which made it excellent to me. I hope they make some other pastries, though these two might be the only two I've seen; if they don't have one next time I go, I'd also like another new cake, but I should make sure to ask them about their pastry schedule.