I had been to almost every cake shop in Tokyo that has any kind of reputation, and the last one on the list was Patisserie Ryoco in Takanawadai. I suspect many people have no idea where that is; roughly speaking, it is near Shinagawa. The shop was originally in Osaka, and it has kept up a good reputation since moving to Tokyo. Good cake shops tend to sit in upscale residential areas with poor transport links, and this neighbourhood is quite wealthy too, so my expectations were high.
The display case
There are not many kinds, and they are not selling anything unusual. Millefeuille, mont blanc, fraisier, cheesecake and so on, mostly the standard cakes that lots of other shops make too. Prices are not exactly cheap, but the cakes are big. Delicate cakes like the ones at Mont St. Clair taste great even when small, but everyday-style cakes like the ones here seem to taste better when they come in a slightly larger size.
Fraise and Merveille
The moment when you really agonise over what to pick. You cannot eat them all at once, so the only way is to split them over several visits.
Millefeuille and tarte fromage
Everything on the menu looked delicious, so choosing was really hard.
The front entrance
Very classy. It is close to Shirokanedai, and it seemed to fit the mood of the street all the more for it.
Cherry blossoms at the Koyasan Tokyo Betsuin temple
With the cakes in hand, I was wondering where to eat them when I noticed a rather impressive temple right in front of the shop, so I went in. The cherry trees were beautifully tended and in full bloom. It was a cold day, but the atmosphere was wonderful. Watching the petals fall one by one reminded me of Kyoto.
Opening the cake box
I chose the chocolate mont blanc and the fraisier. The chocolate mont blanc was seriously rich in chocolate. From the meringue to the chocolate mousse mixed with chestnut, there was nothing to fault. Rather than a typical mont blanc, it felt more like a chocolate cake with a touch of chestnut in it. In the fraisier, the strawberries soaked in kirsch went beautifully with the soft, melting buttercream. You could call it a cake made for spring. This shop is also famous for its cream puffs, but they had sold out that day, so I could not get any. I will have to go earlier next time.
Cherry blossoms
Spring is here.
I took a walk towards Shirokanedai, and there was an unusual university building.
It seems to be a prestigious university with 150 years of history. Near Shirokanedai station there is also the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Medical Science, so this neighbourhood is surprisingly academic.
A Cote Patisserie
Walking along the street, I came across a tiny patisserie with the words “delicious things are brown” written on it. For some reason there was a queue, so I joined it too. It turned out to be so small that only one group can go in at a time. A quick search told me it is known for its baked goods, so I bought a few. With such short opening hours and so few customers, I did wonder how they keep the business running.
Ken’s Cafe in Shinjuku
Something came up suddenly, so I stopped by Shinjuku. I bought a gateau chocolat at Ken’s Cafe, and this time I took a photo of the front.
The front
They are closed on weekends, but apparently they sometimes open for reservations. It is nominally Shinjuku, but the place is almost a full train stop away, so I walked a huge distance.
Cookies, financiers and madeleines from A Cote
The first time I ever thought baked goods could be this good was at Echire, and this shop is just as skilled.
Citron
It is a cookie with a citron flavour and chocolate chips pressed into it, and it was really delicious. It is pricey, but I was hugely satisfied. Who would have thought a shop I wandered into by chance would be this good. Next time I have a reason to go to Ryoco, I will definitely make it a set and stop here too. (Or the other way round, coming here first would be fine as well.)