Cake-off: Jean-Paul Hévin's Tonka over Sadaharu Aoki's Saint-marc Praliné

Got up early and went running for about 3 hours, includes stops for pictures. I started by going to Jinnan, so I was pre-committing to a long run, since the goal was Ginza Mitsukoshi, in the opposite direction. I verified a few things that aren't on my neighborhood running map really shouldn't be there (one site was vacant and a shop with "bread" in the title was a sandwich place), and add a few photographs of things that should, mostly non-essential (there's a Tully's in the lobby of a building). I missed a shrine, so I'll have to go back and try again (I needed to look up), but I did fill in the Aobadai loop sites and fix the route, so that's ready when I get adding to the course in that direction.

At Mitsukoshi, I saw Jean  Jean-Paul Hévin's Longchamp, so it really exists (they only had five out, compared to a dozen of most others), but I was there for Tonka. It was already past 11, so I didn't have to wait to go to Sadaharu Aoki's Saint-marc Praliné. These are both delicious cakes, but I wasn't feeling the greatness so much today (perhaps because I was tired). Still, I appreciate JPH's design and it was nice to have chocolate and tonka flavor again, so it's getting the win. I should have let the Saint-marc Praliné warm up more, as I don't think it was an optimal temperature. I'm marking this down as excellent this time, which is a way of putting it on notice as far as the great list, but since it's a one-year one-shop cake, I might not get another chance at it.

Other news is that they have the Tarte Fraise Citron for this and next month SA's main shop, but actually its the caramel salt tart that I'm on the look out this season, so that's actually a disappointment. There's still a chance that Isetan will get it.

Cake-off: Paris S'éveille's Gateau Vanille over Sadaharu Aoki's Saint-marc Praliné

Sunday, I had some appointments. Got up early and did a one-way neighborhood course run to add the Nishi-azabu--Minamiazabu loop, down next to Roppongi Hills. I thought I would have time to do some of the nearby little loops and take some pictures, but I only had two hours. On the way, and on the target loop, I visited Café 3206 and got a Pain au Chocolat, which is pretty good before 8 a.m. on the Sunday.

After my 10 a.m. appointment, I went out again to visit Paris S'éveille, which has two great cakes I want to do second rounds on. I went with the last Gateau Vanille, though they had the other target cake. I took that home and did my 14:30 appointment. For the second cake, I tried going to L'Abricotier, but they were sold out this time (it was pretty late, so I don't blame them too much). I asked about reserving it for Saturday (though I should have asked about Friday as well, since I could get there). I figured that I got do better where things start and end latter, in the Marunouchi/Ginza area. That worked: I got Sadaharu Aoki's Saint-marc Praliné, which runs to March. I'm happy to report that both these are great. I have to give the win to the Gateau Vanille, which might be the best vanilla cake that I know. Saint-marc Praliné is maybe not my favorite Saint-marc, but I appreciate the variation.

Le Pan: Saint-marc Praliné and Tanba Chestnut Mont-blanc

I ran first and got a pastry from Pane Ho Baretta, a d'Amonde Chocolat (?). Definitely good but heavy, as expected, and pretty messy, as there is chocolate on the outside. They had a lot kinds of d'Amonde, though just a few of each on display.







Just from Googling, I had found Le Pan as a cake source in Kobe. I've probably seen the sign pointing upslope on the lateral road between L'Avenue and Gregory Collet Patisserie, but assumed they just have cake. I got cake for later before putting the borrowed bicycle in working order and going around photoing shops for Kobe Patisseries map, being maybe less discriminating than I should be, since there are places that I seem unlikely to visit, though a note to that effect might be useful later.

The cakes were Saint-marc Praliné and Tanba Chestnut Mont-blanc. The saint-marc was good but did not stand out. The supposed mont-blanc was the third cake in that many days that was not much like the conventional form, or like any other. This one actually had very little paste, though there was a little more chestnut inside. The main body is rum cream. It had very nice flavor and texture, so I'll say it was excellent.

I seem to having a lot more luck in this second pass through Kobe cake shops, though that may because I've sticking closer to the central cluster rather than visiting every neighborhood shop that managed to get in a guidebook. I'm also willing to visit the old brands, like Juchheim, sometime, even though I consider them fairly low-level brands in Tokyo. Like Tooth Tooth, I'd like to at least give them a chance in their own shops (though, actually I don't think I've seen any Tooth Tooth cakes in Tokyo, just they have a French restaurant).

Cake-off: Sadaharu Aoki's Saint-marc Praliné over Jean-Paul Hévin's Bergamot

Sugar Crunch from Danish Bar

No posts for a while because of no cake. Tuesday, I ran out to Bien-être where they told me there were no new cakes in the line-up this week. I wanted to practice the Kita-Aoyama--Jinguumae--Shibuya loop of my neighborhood course map, so for a snack, I tried the Danish Bar under the Jinguubashi (?) intersection, in the underground corridors for the Metro subway Harajuku Station. I got the Sugar Crunch, and it was definitely good, better than a donut and a mini cupcake I've gotten in the same area for 4 times and 2 times the price. I succeeded this time of the part of the course that I tried, but I failed on the Shibuya--Minami-Aoyama loop due to turning too early.

Having missed cake Tuesday, by Wednesday I had decided that I was going to do a cake-off Thursday, since I would be too business during the weekend (I had planned on Monday). The nearest new non-cake place I could hit then was SunnyHills Minami Aoyama Store, which fit with my plan to practice the recently modified course it was on, the Minami-Aoyama--Nishi-Azabu loop. I was successful in getting there before they closed at 7 p.m. It was my first time to go in and I found that on the first floor, they only sold the gift sets advertised online, not individual pineapple bars/cakes (and they have bottles of juice), so this really doesn't qualify as someplace to get a snack while jogging. A couple people were taken up to the second floor cafe, which surprised me, given how late it was, but anyway it looked a little too upscale for my state of dress (jogging stuff). Still, I would be interested in visiting the cafe sometime for tea-time for two.

However, I failed the Minami-Aoyama--Nishi-Azabu loop too (thought the correct place to turn might be farther ahead, but it's a long block), and then it turned out that the course itself was a failure, because of a traffic signal I hadn't known about. I've redone the map to loop past it and in the process SunnyHills is no longer on the course (despite the building being a distinctive landmark). For a snack, I stopped at the underground eating area below Omotesandou intersection, where I got an Egg Tart from Eggcellent Egg Tart, which has a quiche-type shell. It was definitely good. I did, at least, finally get the little Shibuya--Minami-Aoyama loop correct. On the way home, I also got some 100% rye bread from Breadworks, which is not pastry and also not in a neighborhood accessible from my course (can't reach it without a traffic signal), so no picture, but it was fine. I had it with low-sugar homemade jam and separately with olive oil.

Thursday morning, I was free, so I ran from about 8:45. After picking up a picture of the Yotsuya 3-choume Station Antendo bakery/cafe for the Samonchou loop, which I scouted but still missed the Garage Coffee shop, which has baked goods, supposedly, I went down to the northwest corner of the Akasaka-Azabudai-Roppongi-Toranomon loop and practiced it clockwise as far as United Church of Christ in Japan Akasaka Church, so including all the most recent south end. Also on the south end, out of order, since it's the first 13-level loop, I did a lap around the new Shibakouen--Toranomon loop without needing to check my map (it's basically one big block, though there is a walkway through the middle when I need shortcut). I didn't practice any of the other little 13-level loops coming from the Akasaka-Azabudai-Roppongi-Toranomon loop or finish it, because I ran out of time (10:05). I ran next to Ginza Mitsukoshi to get Jean-Paul Hévin's Bergamot and then (looping north to check out Viron and futilely going by the Marunouchi Building, where the foodcourt was not yet open) to get Sadaharu Aoki's Saint-marc Praliné. And I saw that I was correct about being wrong, that they did have their baba, so I need to get back there next Tuesday: if they don't have any left, I'll try to reserve one for Wednesday.

Finally to the cake-off: This time, the gelatinous layer on the top of the Bergamot bothered me a little, but there are several textures in it, so I should learn to live with it. Still, the mild Saint-marc Praliné seemed more deserving, so it gets the win. I'll probably try to get to second-rounds for both of them fairly soon, but the saint-marc has until the end of March and the Bergamot seems to be a replacement for the Bergam, so maybe it will stick around for a while. It's labeled as "new", not as "limited", at Ginza Mitsukoshi.

Sadaharu Aoki, Saint-marc Praliné

Jogged to Sadaharu Aoki in Marunouchi for a new cake. Unfortunately, too late for the Baba (I hope I understood right, that they weren't just sold out, it had ended its run). Guess I was too slow. The next new thing is a variety pack of little pieces of other cakes, which doesn't interest me, unless someone visits and I want to give them a sample. However, the main shop in Marunouchi also has Saint-marc Praliné, which I had only had a little of before, not enough to give a fair evaluation.

I also went to Ginza Mitsukoshi to make sure JPH hadn't stuck something into their line-up (since I don't have another good source for information), which they hann't but I got the little Boulette au Marron from Dalloyau again because I thought I didn't give it a fair evaluation before. The problem before was that I put it on top of my cake box for the trip back. I didn't keep it there, but pastries need to be warm and I didn't do anything to heat it back up. I tried it again, eating it as I crossed back west underground to Hibiya Park (I continued walking the entire way home, as Sadaharu Aoki boxes are too unstable to run with, being basically just big enough and in the same shape as their cakes), and I'm willing to change the rating of it to excellent.

The Saint-marc Praliné is subtle, which saint-mark usually are, but they could have gone heavy with the praliné, but didn't. It pretty much took until the last bite to decide that was great (i.e., I definitely want to have it again). I wonder, though, whether there was maple in the top caramel layer or that was harmonization. In any case, happy to find another great cake, even if it's not one that I'll see much after it's gone (I'm not sure whether it will continue through December or March, but I think it started this year as the exclusive Marunouchi cake and will have a one-year run). I don't feel in a huge hurry to do a cake-off with it, so I'll stick with the Mont-Blanc from Ryoura for the next one, but I should get to it next month, if I can find another great cake to pair it against.