The best cake shop

laugh.....

Kei Kurusu is a famous young food writer, but I've read she started to try out the food at various restaurants and shops since she was 15 years old. She has many fans because people think she has certain taste and tongue. She has published the books, "the king of gourmet", "the king of sweet" and "the kind of bread". Then she wrote her favorites in the book. We can check the detail of sweet and bread rankings on the web. In those type of rankings, the famous cake shop Mont St. Clair in Jiyugaoka, or Maison Kayser which was the best bakery in 2005 are ranked in usually. But she did not pick them at all. Her ranking was very unique, she doesn't care of name recognition or trend. Interesting, I want to try her picks.

The best Patisserie is Sourire. She picked the small patisserie which doesn't even have it's own website. As long as I checked some blogs, it looks very nice. Especially I want to try this thin fig cake. No.2 is Blue Ribbon. I must say the shop looks a little bit old fashioned and cakes are very reasonable. Then No.3 is patisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris. He is Japanese pastry chef. but his shops are only in Paris. So we can buy a few types of cakes.

The best chocolate that she choose is Jean-Paul Hevin. In Tokyo, there are shops in Isetan and Omote Sando Hills.　But in the world ranking. The best chocolate is Arnaud　Larher that has no shop in Tokyo. Okay maybe when I go to Paris in the future.

Talking to Wagashi, we think mecca of Wagashi would be Kyoto. But her best shop is Ikkoan in Myogadani Tokyo. Then No.2 is Hosen in Kyoto. The best wagashi is chestnut Yokan of Ikkoan. No.2 is Tsubaki mochi of Ikkoan again. Actually every wagashi in this page looks so delicious. I won't get bored to watch them.

As a bread fan, I am sad for the bread ranking, my favorite shop Levein was not ranked. No.1 is recette, recette is the on-line bakery shop and they won't sell us without any letter of introduction!! ha?? Then one loaf of bread cost 3500yen! Crazy shop...I don't need it maybe just a one bite. Then No.2, No.3, No.4 are all in Osaka area. No.5 is finally Pointage in Azabu Jyuban Tokyo.

She made Very interesting ranking, only watching each photos of ranking makes me happy. Please check them out!*

Comments

[alex Oh]

Hi..

I am called Alex, just because i am staying in OZ. but i am korean who is very interested in cakes and patisserie.

when i googled it, your webiste popped up and i had a look at this, and i am now impressed by what you have done.

i assume you are good at english, so i thinki can contact in English.

simply, i love baking and learning english. and that is why i studied patisserie here in here.
however, i love japanese cake style and their idea is creative, i think.

unfortunately, i don't speak japanese at all, but i don't mind learning that language.

my point is.. do you know any bakery which can hire any international pasty cook over the world?

i have a skill of that, but i also wanna get hands on experience in japan.
i can't study this again in japan for some reason, but i would be happy to expereience and share my knowledge from australia and even north america with someone who is interested in.

you just seem like a person who can help me. i don't know why.
even though you would ignore me, that is ok.

it's just spontaneouls to do this.

anyway, thx for taking ur time for this.

cioa

[Gen Kanai]

Mari- great post!

Levain and Pointage are pretty different- both good though. Levain is much more French country bread- the owner studied at the famous French bakery Poilane. Pointage is more trendy and better for the Azabu customers.

[Alberto]

Thank You for the great collection of links about desserts! I will come to Japan next week, and I hope to try all of them!Mari-san, do You know if I can order the bread from Recette while I stay in Japan? Thank You!

[RisingSunOfNihon]

thats interesting about her... she must be good and all. japanese wagashis are great. very...how should I put this...traditional but still very enjoyable. not just wagashi Japanese desert stores are great. shyuu cream and what not. mmmm

[bshock]

Thank you for all the pastry images. Some of the bread pictures in particular made me very hungry. It's difficult to find so much well-made bread where I live, in Phoenix, Arizona.

On the topic of pastry, a few weeks ago the "World Pastry Forum" was held in Phoenix. My wife (who is currently in training to be a pastry chef) attended this event, and was especially impressed by the Japanese chefs. She was also able to take home a number of Japanese desserts, which especially me as well.

Unfortunately, the Japanese chefs only came in second at the World Pastry Forum's two-day pastry competition, perhaps because they had some misfortune with their sugar showpiece. My wife cheered them on anyway, and even made a sign in Japanese (with my help) supporting them. I think she got some very strange looks because of this.

[picochu]

All this talk about wagashi reminds me of my favourite. Ichigo daifuku :)