Before heading out to Tokyo to visit all the delicious patisserie shops, my kind friend MJ Kim gave me this book. Sweet sweets selection, it is a Japanese guide book for the best patisseries in Tokyo. MJ used it when she visited a couple of years back and gave it to me this summer just before she headed back to Korea for good. This little book has been amazing... Just looking at the photos gets me excited.. The strange thing I found before heading out here was that this book at 3 times as many shops featured than that of my Paris guide, could this be true that there is a new capital of Pastry!? After 2 weeks I definately think so!
While working at Le Pommier one of the chefs suggested that I visit Isetan department store's food hall on my way home as it was also in Shinjuku where I am staying. When I navigated my way through the streets and down to the basement area a maze of divine goodies in glass display cabinets awaited me!
The area for cakes, breads, pastries and chocolates took up nearly as mich space as for the savory foods. (This is the case with all the department stores I have visited here now) In Isetan alone there is Pierre Herme, Jean Paul Hevin, Sadaharu Aoki etc and these are the brands I know from Paris on top of over 20 Tokyo based companies, one in particular that was is my cake guide book was Henri Carpentier, and how could I resist this tempting hall of goodness, so I indulged in a Chestnut tart.
It had crisp puff pastry topped with a chocolate frangipane and then a baked chestnut cream, studded with cooked and confir chestnuts, it was delicious if not a bit heavier than I was hoping... Later on in the week we headed over to the ginza store where we could sit in the salon du tea and eat the pastries. This time we had a sesame tart and a red fruit entremet.
The red fruit entremet had a base of jaconde sponge, topped with raspberry confiture, with a red fruit mousse and a vanilla mousse. The plate was really lovely presented with the sauce when you eat in!
This was my favorite, tart noire it was called and as i do not speak japanese I assumed a chocolate tart noire. Indeed not.. it was a beautiful black sesame tart. Chocolate sweet pastry with frangipane and caramelise banana topped with a black sesame cremeux.
Thats it for now but this is just the beginning....
Sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment