Jean-Paul Hévin, Longchamp Feuilleté

Sunday, I went out a couple more hours by bicycle and picked up photos a new missed places in otherwise finished maps and corrected an order for cake for Tuesday (I keep forgetting to check what I've had before). Then I went out and got Longchamp Feuilleté from Jean-Paul Hévin at Ginza Mitsukoshi. Also, I saw a new pastry a Dalloyau, Boule de Marron I think they were calling it, so I had to get that. On the way to my actual necessary errand for being in the Tokyo Station area, I swung by Toshi Yoroizuka and happily saw that they had a great cake from 2015 in the line-up (and claimed that it would stay in the line-up for the season, i.e., until December), so now I know what I want to do for a cake-off next weekend. I'll have four chances to find something else great, otherwise I'll be running to Ryoura on Saturday, take the train back, and run to maybe to Tokyo Midtown (which is closer than Kyoubashi, where I went today).

Today's cake was fill of good things that I like, dark chocolate mousse and both almond meringue and feuilleté, though the latter made it tend to break up into small chunks, which is a little awkward using a tiny cake fork. Maybe I should use a spoon. I still haven't found a sharp table knife for cutting cake (I assume sharp would be better than a serrated blade). It was excellent cake, though I've rating other of the similar cakes higher; it could be I'm spoiled now or just I liked the simpler versions (I think they were simpler).

The Boule de Marron seemed deflated in that there did not seem to be enough pastry for the amount of chestnut, at least for me, though I'm sure more people would complain if they were cheap with the chestnut. Still, it was good, but it reminds me that I want to get to Clair de Lune again, I hope Wednesday of this week, though for cake this time, not pastry, though a pastry from there on Sunday wouldn't go wrong.

Don't really need my camera in super-wide mode for cake, but I think I've already fixed that now.

Saturday afternoon: Jean-Paul Hévin

Went shopping and got a second pair of running shoes (since shoes need rest). These were ones like real runners use, people who can do marathons twice as fast as I do. That may or may not have been a good idea, but they seem okay. Also I got a sports watch that has a lap chronometer and a repeating double timer, which also may or may not have been a good idea; the band is semitransparent and you can set an LED to flash for night running. It's not that bright, but a little help is not a bad idea.

For cake, we went to Shinjuku Isetan and got the seasonal Mont-Blanc, which is apparently the most seasonal, for 674 yen. For technical reasons, I can't post the picture I took, so you'll have to visit the website. This is a meringue almond base, whipped cream middle, and fresh chestnut cream. I'm not that into mont-blanc in general, despite it being very popular in Japan, but this is a great cake and the best Mont-blanc I've ever had, unless the best is actually one of the flavored Jean-Paul Hévin Mont-blancs, which have not arrived yet. You can only buy this Friday thru Sunday and holidays. Not sure how long it will last, but in some form at least through December, I would imagine.

The other cake was the seasonal (but available every day) Fondant du Chocolat. This is ganache wrapped around pear inside chocolate cake with powered sugar on top (actually, the Mont-blanc, also has powered sugar) for 717 yen. This is also great cake, and also not my favorite because I don't like pears in my cake, or at least this cake. Still, this was better than last time I had it, when it was perhaps too hot and the cake needed some time in the refrigerator before eating. On the other hand, Chocolat Fondant that I've had from elsewhere recommended microwaving for 20 seconds, although I don't regret not doing that for this one, since I don't really want to bring out the pear more. But it, and the Mont-Blanc, did taste great, I'm not just saying it's great on its technical merits.

Someone who expected a different price also ordered two Maron Confit (that is, candied chestnuts) and I did not object. These were 460 yen a piece. They were very good.