After a full breakfast and morning of shopping at Tsukiji Market, then visiting the Meiji-jingu Shrine in Tokyo's Shibuya district, we headed to nearby Omotesando for an indulgent spot of afternoon tea. On the cards was Pierre Hermé along Aoyama-dori. The name of course needs no further introduction for lovers of French patisserie; I had previously written about his St. Germain flagship when I was in Paris, and it had been love at first bite for me. I would continue to buy his macarons occasionally in London, where I was studying (no pastries there unfortunately, as they have to be made fresh in Paris and will probably not survive long distances). Since returning to Singapore, I have truly missed this master's creations.
Amongst all of his overseas branches, only selected ones in Japan and South Korea stock the full range of pastries, macarons and chocolates. Yes, pastries too! I'm not sure if the pastries are made in these two countries, or shipped over all the way from France, but the latter seems highly unlikely. A more plausible situation might be importing all necessary ingredients from France, and then making the pastries locally according to specifications from the parent organisation. Macarons and chocolates survive long distances much better and would have no problems being imported fresh from France.
In any case, since I was in Tokyo, I certainly wasn't going to miss out on the opportunity to relive those wonderful memories of Hermé's creations. Three branches offer the full range of products, of which one - precisely where we headed - even has a full-service café Bar Chocolat on the second floor, offering an extended menu with seasonal/Tokyo-only desserts. This is an even better arrangement than the shops in his native Paris, which only offer standard take-outs and might prove inconvenient for many. Even the St. Germain flagship doesn't have a salon de thé - a real shame if you ask me, as the pastries in particular need to be savoured as quickly and freshly as possible, and finding a decent spot in central Paris to settle down and do so may not be that easy - we're not talking about baguettes-to-go after all.
I could hardly contain my excitement as we approached the doors painted in the brand's signature light green.
Inside, the ambience is posh yet cosy, with extensive use of marble and wood panelling. The ground floor is the take-out boutique area. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take pictures. I'm not sure why PH has this culture of secrecy in its boutiques; it is also the same in Paris and London as far as I have experienced. Most high-end patisseries I've been to have no problems with that as long as you do eventually buy something from them (who doesn't want a spot of free publicity?). Anyway, I wasn't going to kick up a fuss about that, so we headed straight up to the salon area, where photography was allowed.
The space was smaller than I had imagined it to be - it's definitely not a place for big groups and families due to limited seating. The plush sofa area was fully occupied, so we had to sit at the bartop-like area by the window. No complaints as we had a nice view down onto the main street, even if the afternoon sun was a tad too warm for my liking.
Menus here are in Japanese with titles and occasional descriptions also in French. Thankfully I was able to read both languages and knew what we were getting, but I did have to help a Taiwanese couple sitting beside us to translate the menu, as (unsurprisingly) the staff spoke no Mandarin and very little English. This could become a real problem for foreign visitors - surely an international brand like this has no problems coming up with an English menu at least, even if the two main cultures involved here are non-English speaking.
We started with my favourite 2000 Feuilles, the more-than-doubly indulgent take on a classic French millefeuille. I have already written about this signature pastry from PH, and I can assure you it was every bit as good in Tokyo as it had been in Paris - the flaky puff pastry, the chunky hazelnut praline, the rich mousse, the multitude of textures, everything. Writing about this now still makes me salivate.
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| Alternating layers of caramelised puff pastry, feuilleté praliné and mousseline praliné. |
The rest were items completely new to me - seasonal and/or exclusive to Bar Chocolat. The first of these was Tarte croustifondante au chocolat et aux framboises (chocolate and raspberry crousti-fondante tart) with a base of sablé Breton, above which sat a chocolate biscuit enrobed in dark chocolate and raspberry ganache, garnished with pieces of cocoa bean nougatine, fresh raspberries, and a ring of raspberry coulis. The tartness of the raspberries balanced the richness of the ganache very effectively, and the latter was luxurious beyond words. The pieces of nougatine as well as the biscuit layers provided a delightful crispness within the surrounding velvety smoothness. This dessert really did pack a punch despite its petite dainty appearance.
A seasonal platter of treats entitled Fetish Montebello followed. Limited to January only and a Bar Chocolat exclusive, this dessert centred on pistachios, strawberries and raspberries consisted of:
1) Mille-feuille Montebello (caramelised puff pastry, strawberry compote, pistachio mascarpone cream with freeze-dried raspberries, strawberry topping);
2) Montebello tart (pistachio frangipane with raspberries, pistachio mascarpone cream, pistachio ganache);
3) Montebello ice cream (a mixture of pistachio ice cream and strawberry sorbet);
4) Montebello macaron (with a filling of pistachio ganache and raspberry jelly);
5) Dark chocolate truffle (because, you know, Bar Chocolat).
The best of PH pastries concentrated on one plate! Also it was amazing what a variety of textures and designs could achieved by using only very few basic ingredients. The ice-cream and sorbet mix, a perfect balance of rich nutty smoothness and light tangy crispness; the combination of velvety creaminess and crunchy chunkiness in the tart; the crisp feather-light macaron biscuits contrasted with the indulgent ganache within; the millefeuille's crisp puff pastry and rich cream with a lovely chewy bite in between due to bits of freeze-dried raspberries and a thick layer of strawberry compote - all these, coupled with incredibly vibrant and tantalising colours, resulted in a real feast for all the senses.
We were not done yet though! Finally the pièce de résistance - Chocolat et Émotions Gourmandes, another bar Chocolat exclusive, which came in the form of a large chocolate dome concealing various goodies. The idea of this dessert is not new; I've had it in various restaurants before, and it always feels like too much of a good thing - irresistible yet so very cloying and sinful that you regret it almost immediately after. This was no different; hot chocolate sauce was poured over the dark chocolate shell, which melted away to reveal fillings of vanilla mascarpone cream, pieces of soft Venezuelan chocolate sponge, grilled and caramelised hazelnuts, and salted butter caramel ice cream. This intense and heady mix will give you a massive caffeine and sugar rush - you have been warned! It was extremely enjoyable at the moment but I did really feel quite woozy after finishing it, and I was so sated I felt like I was ready to skip dinner. No regrets in hindsight though; you've got to do this once in a while, especially when you're in one of the best patisseries of the world.
I was so glad to be able to taste these wonderful confectioneries again after nearly 1.5 years of having relocated to Asia. This Tokyo flagship is a little far out from the true city centre, but well worth the travelling. We were not in Paris, but we came close enough; and I dare say eating here is way more comfortable than having to do takeouts in Paris. Plus you've got more options on the menu than in Paris! Do not miss it especially if you're sightseeing in the nearby Meiji-jingu Shrine, or going to take pictures with that famous Hachiko statue in front of Shibuya Station.
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