Cake-off: Ryoura's Soyeux over Paris S'éveille's Gateau Vanille

In anticipation of being too busy for a cake-off this coming weekend (or maybe a make-up for the previous one---I'll have to check before the next one), I did another cake-off on Sunday. Actually, one cake I got the day before, from Paris S'éveille, Gateau Vanille. Though I had a backup plans, I was successful Sunday of getting Ryoura's Soyeux at Tokyo Midtown via Dean & Deluca. There was 1 minute on 1 minute off running at least that far, but I walked thereafter. Still, I dropped the bag as some point which is why it's a little worse for wear. Fortunately, it's a pretty solid cake. Actually, it's much like pistachio cake I had the day before and declared excellent, but I did like this one better. In fact, in the spirit of comparison, I liked both these cake-off cakes better than the previous day's ones, even though all are 3-wins-1-loss cakes. Also like the day before, though, I couldn't decide until the end and it could have gone either way. As great as the vanilla cake is, and I should really match it up against the other great vanilla cake to see which one is the top, I'm going with thick pistachio paste and some fruit. I should have checked whether Ryoura had a new cake at Dean & Deluca but I'm never that organized. 

Cake-off: Ryoura's Soyeux over Pierre Gagnaire's Mousse au Chocolat et Yuzu

Trying to catch up through May cakes, I did a fourth round with the recent Mousse au Chocolat et Yuzu, which is two for three rounds. Next in line to match it (chronologically by month then year), was Ryoura's Soyeux. I ran for the mousse cake and then walked it carefully back. Since I wasn't sure what the situation would be with Soyeux (so I might have to search for a replacement), I went by bicycle, even though I knew transporting it home safely would be a challenge that way. No problem with Soyeux, except Yoga's shopping street is crowded and customers in the shop weren't into the whole social distancing thing, nor was staff limiting people coming in. After a month of "stay at home", adherence seems to be dropping, as is the usage of masks (though that might be related to the heat). Anyway, I escape as soon as I could and carefully got my cake home.

The mousse was as always, so no complaints there, but I'm more interested in pistachio these days, plus the Soyeux offered more variation in texture, between the pistachio mousse and the crumble and fruit inside, so it's not hard to give the win to Soyeux, even though it isn't the strongest cake (it's only lost once, but to a cake that's only two and two).

Afternoon, I tried to do the Nogizaka--Roppongi Sta. clump, but failed trying to do the new Akasaka west loop counterclockwise where I had to cut through basically the driveway of apartment building, which there is more than one. Hopefully I recognize it next time, maybe tomorrow. Abandoning that project, I spent time in south Roppongi taking photos (or not) to confirm (or not) sites for that future part revised part of the neighborhood course.

Cake-off: Ryoura's Soyeux over Il Pleut sur la Seine's Le Saint Marc

As a third-round cake-off between two one-and-one cakes, I went by bicycle to Ryoura first to get their Soyeux, though I stopped a few places along the way to add pictures for sites on current or planned neighborhood running course. The Soyeux didn't care for the vibration I found later, though mainly some of the base crumbled off. As the second cake, I choose Le Saint Marc from the just returned Il Pleut sur la Seine, though I'll note that they've only returned in a small way. They are down to 4.5 hours a day, 3 days a week, and I think they had all of 4 types of fresh cake, including roll cake.

I went out again after lunch and did the Daikanyama-chou--Ebisunishi--Hachiyama-chou--Nanpeidai-chou--Sakuragaoka-chou--Sarugaku-chou--Shibuya--Uguisudani-chou loop sufficiently well counterclockwise by bicycle, so I have a basic grasp of the new course and its sites. I still have three other dead-end connecting loops in that clump of routes to do, though I might visit Akasaka first, and I also need to do the revised Shibuya east loop, which are both small. I might try out my feet walking to one, either before or after going for cake by bicycle.

Returning again, exhausted, I finally did the cake-off. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling the greatness of Le Saint Marc today, though it passed through the first two rounds fine and I can't say that there was anything wrong with how it was made this time, just the chocolate and whipped cream wasn't impressing me and I definitely liked the Soyeux better.

Cake-off: Ryoura's Soyeux over Jean-Paul Hévin's Macaron Chocolat a l'Ancienne

Friday, I did a run down to Bread, Espresso & and got a sweet bread/tradition cake, a Chocolat et Marron Kouglof. It was good as sweet breads go, though I would have been happen with a more tradition bread. Why is there also a chocolate chunk and pecan cookie in the photo? It was also someone's last day at work, and departing treats have been the custom the last several years, though not when I started. The cookie was definitely better than the cake, but then it came from shop that's apparently at Isetan, Flavor. I should look for them, since they have at least cheesecake online, which could count as fresh cake.

Saturday: Been having trouble with being behind on Jean-Paul Hévin so that one cake even slipped completely between my fingers (an Isetan exclusive that I saw for the first time this week and apparently ended Wednesday) and another I only managed to get in a first-round cake-off (the chocolate mille-feuille from the extra cake-off), though I would have wanted a second, so (misrepresenting cause and effect) I was determined to find something to match Jean-Paul Hévin's Macaron Chocolat a l'Ancienne. However, I was busy most of the morning and late afternoon and evening, so I had to be in a hurry (as much as I can running these days). Still, I made time for taking some photos of some new places and even discovered a whole new class of landmarks, the "churches" of Tenrikyou, a Japanese new religion. I'm suspicious when Wikipedia says there are 1.75 million followers, since that's 1% of the population, which makes it sound like a pretty made up number. Anyway, there is an old church/temple in the Aoyama/Jinguumae area and I've found several others in other neighborhoods covered by my neighbor course.

For cake, first I tried Paris S'éveille, where I was not completely shocked to find that the season for Un Dimanche a Paris had ended. Next I went to Ryoura (another 25 minutes of running, perhaps) and was successful at finding Soyeux.

I like the idea of Macaron Chocolat a l'Ancienne, but I'm still having trouble finding the greatness, so I'm putting in probation. I definitely like pistachio and fruit in a mousse cake better, so Soyeux gets its first win, in the the second round of cake-offs.

Cake-off: En Vedette's En Vedette over Ryoura's Soyeux

Had less time than I originally thought, but still was able to squeese in a cake-off early Saturday of a busy weekend. Since B-E's was not available, as I discovered Friday night, I had to change plans but I stuck with first-round cakes, including Ryoura's Soyeux, though I sourced it from the Tokyo Midtown Dean & Deluca rather than going all the way out to Yoga. First, though. I had to get En Vedette's En Vedette, but they open at 10 am and it was somewhat closer, even missing some of the intended turns. This cake, especially, is delicate for a bicycle ride, but it was mostly intact to make it home. For the photo, I flipped it to the back. Not sure why I put the V upside down when I moved it.

These two cakes are rather similar, being mousse inside a solid coating with fruit inside of that. The pistachio and red fruit of Soyeux was still definitely great and not clearly inferior to the chocolate and rum raisin of En Vedette, but the later was a rarer beast, so I chose it. Both are recent cakes and I'm not worried about them disappearing, so I probably won't get around to a second round for either of them first a few months.

Ryoura: Soyeux

As planned, I got a fifth Ryoura cake via Dean & Deluca at Tokyo Midtown. Of course, there was not much selection and I'm not sure home much it varies from week to week. Basically, they had three desserts from this shop, one cake that I've had before, one in a glass, and the one I got, Soyeux. On the one hand, it was pistachio. On the other hand, after pistachio mousseline (though fairly solid), it listed cherry gelatin, two things I don't want in my cake. But further on, actually there is some chocolate inside which smooths out the cherry and harmonizes with the pistachio. Also, the bottom is meringue, but a very powdery almond meringue that crumbles fairly easily; I haven't seen this kind of meringue before. Mostly reflecting my appreciation for good pistachio (though I've had plenty of bad pistachio cakes, especially with cherries), this was great.

I've been avoiding promoting shops recently, but two great cakes out of five puts this one at the top of the next higher category by one measure (but I apply a two-measure system, so not necessarily the actual top), so I'm designating it Quite Excellent. There was an opening even without demoting any suspended shops in that category, so no general shake up. That's a second great cake this week and the second shop (beside Yanagi) to get promoted. I've had good luck recently.