Cake-off: L'Abricotier's Sicile over Ryoura's Mont-blanc

Saturday, did a run out to Jiyuugaoka, since my first choice as a pairing in a cake-off was a Paris S. cake, but I was not willing to wait around for two hours. Didn't see this the next time I went either, so it might be out of the line-up. On the way, I stopped at Sunandwitch and got Choco Rusk (might not be the correct name), which was actually labeled as from Bread Espresso &, part of the same group, so I didn't really need the second sample. Still, the rusk was good and useful as a snack to carry on from Jiyuugaoka (though I had rations)

Also on the way, I checked out a café, which was closed, so not the useful, a non-existing shrine, and an unexpected church (forcing me to adjust a neighborhood running course loop). So not the most direct run to Jiyuugaoka to begin with. I continued on to Ryoura and got their Mon-blanc.

After taking my Ryoura cake home, I ran out to L'Abricotier and got the second-to-last Sicile. There seems to be a pretty narrow window of availability during the day for the cake, or they just don't like to make many. It's featured on their website, so it might just be really popular.

L'Abricotier's Sicile was as I remembered it. The Mont-blanc from Ryoura was also excellent, but I wasn't feeling the greatness this time, so I'm putting it on notice and giving the win to Sicile. L'Abricotier needs the help anyway, since they are slipping in ranking. Of course, the additional new cake could just confirm that while they are excellent, they aren't really at the quite excellent level. Report on that soon, I expect.

Cake-off: L'Abricotier's Sicile over Pierre Hermé's Fraisier Pistache,

I've been busy, so I'm four days behind blogging. Friday was a pastry day. I got a Croissant from La Baguette, which is a Shinjuku neighborhood bakery. It was simple and appropriately priced, but good. The run was back to the Hirakawachou-Kioichou Loop and then the Koujimachi-Kioichou Link on the neighborhood map, which went fine this time, so I don't have to worry about that area, I think.

For Saturday, I couldn't start early but early enough to run to L'Abricotier and get the Sicile (need to correct the spelling on the previous post, based on the current card). I didn't expect or have any problem getting the Fraisier Pistache from Pierre Hermé. They are both great (my tastes haven't changed so much in a few months) and use similar ingredients, but I have to go with the richer more intense Sicile (with mousse and sauce) over the subtler classic of the Fraisier Pistache (with dacquoise and fresh strawberries), so the child in me won over the snob, maybe, but that's okay. I know what I like (well, both, actually, quite a lot).

L'Abricotier: Sisile

Since I was free Sunday, I wanted to go somewhere I could not get elsewhere, even if it is a little out of order, so I went to L'Abricotier in Nakano-ku and got the Sisile (Sicile?), which I saw last time I was there and wanted to try. This time, I was tempted to get their Mont-Blanc, just because they make it for you special (from 11:00) and you're suppose to eat it without an hour, which makes it sound more like a café desert than take-out cake. Anyway, I got the Sisile, and I'm glad that I did. The green is pistachio, obviously from the name, and inside are both raspberry mousse and lychee mousse. I like this structure of cake and the tastes all went together. Not sure how it would stand up against great like such as I had yesterday, but I think it deserves the chance to try, so I'll say that it's great.

The afternoon was more pictures for the seventh neighborhood course, which I've already changed significantly: I'm going to have to relearn the last four courses. Lots of walking yesterday and today (some running today, just where convenient; the cake was actually by bicycle and I ate in), so some muscles are unexpectedly sore.