Ken’s Cafe Tokyo in Shinjuku is famous for its slightly pricey gateau chocolat. It started out as a cafe, but once the gateau chocolat became popular nationwide they stopped the cafe business and now sell only the cake. I took a liking to it and bought it a few times, and while it tastes good, the chocolate they use is a bit lacking in quality. They say they use Valrhona’s top grade, but for the price that is nowhere near enough. Compared with the level of the high-end chocolate shops in Tokyo, I have to say it is a notch below. So when I heard that Ken’s Cafe had recently switched its chocolate, I went in with high expectations.

It looks roughly like this.

It may be called Shinjuku, but it is a bit far to walk from Shinjuku Station, and it is much closer if you get off at Shinjuku-gyoemmae Station. This visit was in the middle of summer, and a ten-minute walk was so brutal that I took the subway even though it is only two stops. Normally I would just run that distance, but the summer heat in Japan is no joke.

The front entrance of Ken’s Cafe

The place is nicely done up with a classy atmosphere.

The newly switched chocolate

When I mentioned I had heard a rumor that the chocolate had changed, the owner himself showed me a bag of chocolate from Domori of Italy. Look closely and you can see the words KEN’S BLEND printed on it. It is a blend specially ordered from a world-famous chocolate maker, and the idea that a gateau chocolat that was already plenty delicious is getting a version-up is something I could not help getting excited about. I was so looking forward to tasting it that I phoned the day before my visit and pre-ordered three. So how the gateau chocolat I brought home actually tasted, I will leave for the next post.

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