The basement food hall at Isetan regularly runs collaborations with dessert shops from around the country. This time they were selling cakes from a place called Chant d’Oiseau in Kawaguchi, Saitama. I had never heard of it, but it stood out even in the Isetan basement, where star pâtisseries line up one after another, so I bought some to take home.

Sauternes and Belle et Rouge

Both were delicious, but the Sauternes was a real surprise. The honey-like sweetness of Sauternes wine was beautifully concentrated in it.

Tarte Amande Passion

A cake packed with passion fruit mousse and almonds. Lots of character, and delicious.

Pineapple and passion fruit baked tarte tatin style

It looks ordinary, but one bite and I was surprised. There was this concentrated tropical fruit flavor. Pulling off this level of polish with such unexpected ingredients says a lot about how much skill they have.

Misérable

It is a butter cake, but it was full of vanilla. Again, just so good.

The main shop in Kawaguchi is really far away, the kind of trip that eats up a whole day. Thanks to Isetan, I got to discover some truly wonderful cakes.

Expensive blueberries

I bought them for the sake of experience. They were good, but for the price, just so-so. Will the day ever come when I too shop at department stores?

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