Category Archives: 14:大塚・茗荷谷

Patisserie Mariage (パティスリー マリアージュ)

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Mont Blanc. Marron crepe.
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Chocolate mousse cake. Camenbert cheese cake.
I liked the cheese cake, which was soft souffle with melted cheese in the middle. The rest were pretty normal though. I had problem finishing the chocolate mousse one cos it was too sweet and not chocolatey enough. The cake shop is located on a beautiful tree-lined avenue, and when I went on another sunny day on the weekends, the ceiling-to-floor windows were all opened up and people were sitting outside. I loved the interior and couldn’t help snapping lots of pictures but I was told off by the staff….later I realised that no-photo signs were all over the shop…^^;;;; So the second time I bought take-away instead, but they didn’t pack the cakes properly and they ended up a bit of a mess(the photos show the unsquashed sides). There was a sign next to the cashier telling customers not to carry cakes with bicycles….err….
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キャラメル オレンジ。蜂蜜とイチジク。オレンジピールのパンケーキ。
Caramel and orange: Orange and caramel chiboust. There are caramel sauce and almonds in the middle layer. Tastes okay. I have tried a couple of cakes from this place but none of them is really impressive. However, they do have a large collection of cookies and baked finger cakes so I tried a couple of those. Honey and semi-dried fig Madeleine. Pound cake with orange peels.
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フィナンシェ。マロンとカシス。ガレット。
Financier in Teddy bear shape. Madeleine with marron and cassis. Galette. All of them are actually quite good, a bit on the light-tasting side. Particularly like the pound cake which is the only one rich with butter, and the sour-sweet madeleine with marron and cassis.
Patisserie Mariage

Copain (コパン)

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060926 001.jpg茄子入りのアッラビアータ、１０５０円。パンナコッタ、＋２１０円。
Arrabbiata with aubergine. Hmm normal homecooked pasta, not spicy at all and the spaghetti overcooked. Lunch dessert Panna Cotta, so-so too. Lunch set ought to be 200 yen cheaper…
Copain

一幸庵 (IKKO-AN)

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わらびもち、３３０円。栗蒸し羊羹、３３０円。
Warabi-mochi and steamed chestnut youkan(sweet bean jelly cake). Seems like a popular Japanese sweet shop. First impression – very expensive. But I was soon blown away by the elegant taste. Warabi-mochi is unlike any I have tried before – soft and light and wobbly jelly texture with strong black sugar flavour, inside is very smooth bean paste. This thing practically melts in your mouth. Not being a big fan of youkan, I find the steamed chestnut youkan absolutely delicious! Not too sweet – that is very important – with big pieces of chestnuts. The bean cake is smooth and soft. But what really impresses me is the matsukaze(松風), which is slightly sticky steamed cake with black sugar and…soy sauce!! The combination of the sweet bean cake and salty sponge…is just perfect!
一幸庵

Bistro Juillet (ビストロ・ジュイエー)

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３１００円のランチコースにて。渡り蟹のキッシュ。フォワグラのソテー、リゾット添え　モリ－ユ茸のソース（＋６００円）。
Crab quiche – the crab and egg were on a piece of bread instead of the a pie…can it still be called quiche? (^^;;) Foie gras saute, with risotto and Morille mushroom sauce. The foie gras was watery and half-melted inside, probably wasn’t defrosted probably? The sauce was too sweet and too salty, and the risotto was soaked in that sauce…
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060712 027.jpgジャガイモの冷たいスープ。黒豚バラのポートワイン煮、カリッとスパイス焼き。グレープフルーツのハーブゼリーあえ、カシスのソルべ、フロマージュブラン添え。
Cold potato soup, with consomme jelly. Very creamy and very thick, good though. Simmered pork belly in Port wine. Supposed to be crisply grilled with spice, but was neither crispy nor spicy, just very sweet very salty, because the sauce again was too sweet and too salty. Fromage Blanc with Cassis sorbet, grape fruit and herb jelly. Normally I would find it too sour, but after an overdose of the heavy sauces, I found it very refreshing. (^^;;)
Bistro Juillet