Delights of Kanto (4): Sweet nothings at Henri Charpentier (Ginza flagship), Tokyo

Dessert before dinner - why not! This evening, after a spot of shopping in the Ginza district, we visited one of our to-do patisseries in Tokyo, Henri Charpentier. The business takes its name from a 19th century French chef, though it is wholly Japanese-owned.  It is a well-known fact that the Japanese make the best French pastries outside France - and sometimes even better than in France if I may say so!

There are many stores nationwide as well as overseas, and we chose to come here in particular as it is one of two flagship stores in the country - the other being in Ashiya city in Hyogo Prefecture, which is where it all started in 1969. The Ginza flagship, draped in the brand's signature dark pink, was opened in 2003 and features a pastry boutique on the ground floor as well as a chic salon de thé in the basement where one can transport himself temporarily to the trendy cafés of Paris.

(There is also a branch in Singapore's posh Dempsey area which is ridiculously overpriced, but here in Japan it is a lot more reasonable, especially with the current exchange rate.)

Distinctive exterior in the style of a 19th-century European building

While the exterior oozes classic grandeur, the modern
interior features bold pink colours and sleek lines.

The menu is Japanese-only, which is somewhat surprising considering that they are selling foreign patisseries here, and a tad unfortunate as I reckon many tourists would probably just take a gamble with their choices and not really know what they are eating, being able to rely only on pictures.

Anyway, we went straight first for HC's signature Crêpe Suzette, prepared at the table. A thin crêpe is first cooked in a copper pan, before a mixture of melted butter and orange juice is added from a small pot. Finally, the whole thing is flambéed and finished flamboyantly with a touch of Grand Marnier.

To be honest, I felt that this had placed more emphasis on the spectacle of preparation than on the actual taste of the dessert. I found the crêpe extremely underwhelming (it was really just that, one single plain piece folded into a quadrant) though the surrounding pool of rich orange sauce packed a surprising punch with its deep bittersweet flavour. On the whole, I'm still not sure why this would be the signature item...

We did order another Crêpe Noisette, presented as two wraps with a filling of hazelnut chocolate spread, and a large pool of milk chocolate sauce in between. Garnished with gold flakes and roasted caramelised hazelnuts. If you love Nutella, this one's for you! I definitely enjoyed this one a lot more as it felt really substantial, and also it seemed like more effort had gone into making and presenting this.

Of course, having come all the way here, we could not just stop at the crêpes. We went on with HC's take on the famous French dessert Mont Blanc, pioneered by Angelina in Paris in 1903.

I am so glad we chose this, because it turned out to be our favourite item of the visit. Instead of the centre being filled with crushed meringue pieces beneath the noodle-like strands of chestnut cream, this had real roasted chestnuts mixed with pieces of soft sponge inside, and the base was sponge too. Served with a little chestnut sauce on the side.

This was at the same time less cloyingly sweet and lighter in texture, yet possessing a much more intense chestnut flavour - better than the French original if you ask me!

The last choice was a pear and vanilla mousse cake, with generous and juicy chunks of poached pear. The mousse was delicate and airy in texture, not too sweet, yet with a fresh deep taste - simply lovely. Perhaps unsurprisingly, all the butter and cream used in HC's pastries are made with raw milk from Hokkaido, a region of Japan particularly famed for the quality of its dairy products.

In general, I sensed that the pastry chefs at HC, perhaps in accordance with Japanese taste, have succeeded in making these French pastries lighter on the stomach and arteries, without compromising their flavour in the least. This was for me a major plus point, as traditional French pastries use a lot of butter and cream, which, though delicious, can feel like too much of a good thing very soon.

If only we had had more stomach space to try the other tantalising items on offer - I know I will be back whenever I'm in Tokyo!