Saturday: Frédéric Cassel: Tarte Ruby Roman and Mille Feuille Vanillle

Walked to Ginza, 1 km at 5.5 km/h and 4 km at 5 km/h. Went to Frédéric Cassel and could get both the Tarte Ruby Roman (there just thru Monday for a Ginza Mitsukoshi fair) for 1080 yen and their frequent sell-out Mille Feuille Vanillle (I certainly have not seen it recently at night, if ever before) for the usual 777 yen.

Ruby Roman is, or at least was, the most expensive grape in the world. Certainly, the tart was excellent and interesting for a fruit tart. I didn't realize that it was grape when I bought it, thinking this was some strange kind of chestnut.

The mille feuille was also excellent, and really big, for example, compared to their special "inspiration" Mexican vanilla finger mille feuille. Like that one, though, this is vanilla cream but not a custard. Since I'm tired of custard at the moment, I was fine with that.

Walking to Frédéric Cassel, macarons

Walked to Frédéric Cassel, again in on again off again typhoon rain (tail end, or maybe the next typhoon). My goal was their vanilla mille feuille just mentioned on the website (not the seasonal "inspiration" finger version), or macarons if not. I was so focused on that, that I missed that they actually had another cake I could have gotten until after ordering one each of Macaron Vanille and Macaron Chocolat for 260 yen each. Now, I'm too used to my chewy homemade ones (probably I should bake them less, but I'm still working on other problems to spend time experimenting with that), so while these soft ones were good, I'd rather get chocolates there next, if I don't get cake.

On the walking side, I did 10 km, with the first at 6 km/h and then the rest at my target 5 km/h (distance over speed).

The cake I didn't get was over 1000 yen though, for a single-serving-sized "ruby" chestnut tartlet, which requires mental preparation. I think I'm there now, but I wouldn't have wanted to carry it home walking in the rain, and I'd rather share it.

Walking to Limevert: Mer

Had a half day off today, so walked to Limevert patisserie café, which took about 13 km at I guess 5 km/h (had trouble with starting and stopping chronometer correctly), sometimes in heavy rain (tｙphoon pasｓing through tonight). Happy keeping it slow, as I want to work on my distance before trying again to regain some speed. Managed to follow the correct route in the middle for once going to this area.

The end is easy, because I'm following the elevated train line for several stations. Never can remember the station name (Soshigaya-ohkura), but recognize Ultraman (not sure what the connection is, and there's at least one more in Yokohama).

Shop does not really stand out and is narrow, but they have the usual stuff and pastries. Already ordered the canelé (230 yen) for the road before noticing the bostock (which would have been hard to eat neatly walking down the street), but it was good (it was a well-baked one, which I like over soft ones).

The Mer (550 yen) is various things: earl grey flavo(u)red milk chocolate, apricot gelatin, and caramel walnuts. It was definitely excellent and I'm going to call it great because I haven't had one this before and I'd like to have it again. For good or bad, the flavor makes me think of pie. For one thing, it's not very firm, but it took a while to bring it back. Not sure what the connection to the "Sea" is.

Almost forgot, tried a couple more caramels from Henri le Roux yesterday: Citron Vert (lime) and Diable Rose (banana, raspberry, and passion fruit). Very good candy and it's interesting to taste very good candy, but I prefer the chocolates.

Paris S'éveille: Éclair Printanier and Bombe Amande au Citron

Some recent leg pain seems to be from a new stretch, which I  been doing morning and night. When I did it at noon, I realized it's effect. So (i) I can stretch the part that hurts, which is good (the stretching, not the hurting); (ii) I should do it less strongly.

Today did about 13 km at 5.5 km/h to Paris S'éveille and got an Éclair Printanier (spring eclair) for 630 yen and a Bombe Amande au Citron (lemon almond bomb) for 450 yen. (I also got a Bostock from fraoula on the way, still the best I know, because they caramelize the bottom.)

The éclair is chocolate custard with liquor-soaked cherries under pistachio cream. I'm still not into cherries but the liquor flavor balanced them out as far as meeting the general excellentness of this cake. Also, I'll say it was interesting because I haven't had that many éclairs.

The pastry is in a crust but is mainly non-sponge almond cake, flavored with lemon and also a little raspberry on the bottom. Sugar-glazed. Definitely bomb-like in being heavy, but excellent.

Miss-framed the photo of the shop again. Have to try again next week.

Dalloyau: Douceur des Is

Leg not happy, so went to Mitsukoshi by train and bought some stuff at Cuoca and found one fresh cake at the Dalloyau counter that I haven't had, the Douceur des Is for 540 yen. It's tropical fruits: coconut, banana, mango, and passion fruit. It was good, but definitely not my thing. I'm near the end of their selection, but also down to the least appealing cakes. Not sure whether they'll stay in my Great list to the end. I guess it's the chocolatiers that can consistently satisfy me the most.

I was thinking I might take the train to visit Paris S'eveille tomorrow, but now I'm thinking that if I can't walk at least one way, I'm wait another week and get more when I go. Tuesday afternoon is also an option.

Ryoura: Image

Still obvious that I overshot my walking limit last week, but stubbornly walked 12+ km at about 5 km/h just to prove it. I rested relatively yesterday (just some unnecessary window shopping food) and plan to do so tomorrow and keep scaling back until I find a safe level I can build up from at a reasonable rate.

Today was Ryoura, which is among the newer and less visited (by me so far) apparently excellent shops. I got the Image for 520 yen (and brought it home by train). It is many kinds of chocolate: biscuit, bar, dark and milk chocolate cream, nibs in ganache,.... Stopped looking as soon as I saw this. And it was definitely excellent. I'm tempted to call it great, but this time that feels overly biased toward the ingredients. Still, I'd like to have it again.

Frédéric Cassel: Mille-feuille Vanille Mexico

No surprise, that last weekend was probably too much and I was sorer than I wanted to be, so rested yesterday and tried to keep it slower: 5.5 km/h for 5 km out (then walking underground), and 5 km/h for 3.8 km coming back (didn't count after the supermarket).

The cake was, as planned, I got the Mille-feuille Vanille Mexico from Frédéric Cassel at Ginza Mitsukoshi for 777 yen. It's vanilla mascarpone cream in their standard mille-feuille form, and though I always want a stronger vanilla taste, this was creamy and delicious mille feille, and ultimately great: I want it again.

Yesterday, I had another chocolate from Henri le Roux, the Noisetine Noir, which was excellent.