Signifiant Signifié is probably the most famous bakery in Tokyo right now. The location is a bit awkward: you get off at Sangenjaya, two stops from Shibuya, and then walk about one more station’s worth to reach it. There are branches in central Tokyo too, but since I was making the trip anyway I figured I should see the main shop, so I made up my mind and went. It really is far, though.
The shop entrance
The neighborhood is just an ordinary residential area, but the bakery itself is really grand. On top of that, I got there around 6 and most of the bread was already sold out. I’d heard they open around noon, and it was all gone by then… that tells you how popular it is. By the way, signifiant and signifié are terms from linguistics and semiotics for the sound-image of a sign and the meaning inside it. Naming a bakery after Saussure’s theory is pretty unusual.
Not a single loaf left…
…well, not quite. I did manage to buy a few. A little worse luck and I would have been in tears.. But then, if it’s Tokyo’s number one bakery, it ought to be at least this popular.
The bread I barely managed to get..
The pain au vin is said to be the most famous bread here. It was packed with nuts inside. I’d heard they are incredibly particular about their ingredients, and it really was bread of a high standard. The price was pretty scary too, though. The one on the right has chestnuts in it and felt similar to the pain au vin. Below is a tarte Tatin. Apparently the day I went was the first day they put it out as a trial item. I felt it was somehow fate and snapped it up.
The tarte Tatin, half gone
I gave half to a friend and only then realized I hadn’t taken a picture with my camera, so I hurried to shoot it. That day I saw a whole new level of dessert. The apples, cooked until they were almost black, tasted as rich as yokan. The pastry underneath was crisp. It was a shocking flavor, I just couldn’t understand how a tarte Tatin like this is even possible. The world really is big and full of delicious food.
A photo I took near Shibuya on the way back..
Being in Tokyo somehow makes me feel at peace. I hope the day I can go back comes soon. If not, there’s nothing to be done..