Hikifune is a neighborhood one or two train stops from Asakusa. There is a well-regarded cake shop there called Avignon, so I set aside a little time on the weekend and went over.
The front entrance
The sign is so small I almost walked right past it. Once inside, there was a wide range of cakes, plus breads like brioche. Way beyond the level of a neighborhood cake shop.
Cherry blossoms that always seem to be in bloom
It is a different variety, not Somei Yoshino, but it was on my way back so I took a photo. The actual cherry blossoms, meanwhile, had already bloomed..
Pain au chocolat
Crisp on the outside, with rich chocolate inside. An ideal pain au chocolat. Top-shop level.
Pure Caraïbe
The looks are a bit.. well. This is the chocolate cake the shop recommends most, but it was more ordinary than I expected. That is probably because I have eaten too many great chocolate cakes at places like Le Chocolat de H.
Saraban
This one exceeded expectations. A rum-soaked cake, soft yet moist. It has something in common with the Ali Baba at Au Bon Vieux Temps, but this shop gives it a character of its own. At this level it would hold its own against any famous shop in Tokyo. The longer I live here, the more the quality of the good places around Asakusa surprises me.