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Le Cafe-Labo in Shizuoka City does not produce only Classic Cakes but graces its customers with quite a few traditional offerings including an extravagant Mont-Blanc!

As everyone knows Mont-Blance has been called so for the mountain that stands in French Savoie (Rowena, Silmadeff, did you know it was in Italy until the second half of the 18th Century?).
At first, the cake really looked like Mont-Blanc. I still remember eating it as a kid. It consisted then of a small “mountain” of Creme de Marrons/Chestnut Cream topped with a “snow-peak” o Chantilly Cream.

But now, instead of the simple dessert it once was, it has turned into a cake the other way round: the snow has been hidden by the mountain!
Maybe Memory Taste Girl could enlighten me?

In any case, Le Cafe-Labo make their own chestnuts cream and cake with natural ingredients of the freshest quality only (with consequent prices, but still very good value!) and I’m not one to complain about eating the mountain first especially when it’s decorated by a home-made marron glace!

LE CAFE-LABO
424-0886 Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Kusanagi, 46
Tel.: 054-3441661
Also available at Isetan Dept. Store, Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken-Cho

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Following the greedy (LOL) comments of Taste Memory Girl and Rubber Slippers in Italy among others, I’ve decided to run a couple of series of cakes created by Shizuoka Patissiers which deserve a special mention. There are many actually, for the simple reason that our Prefecture has a sizeable population (4 million) and a mild climate propitious for lighter cakes and a larger scope of tastes.

LE CAFE-LABO is the kind of Patisserie which rests on its (deserved) laurels and always endeavours to reveal another facet of its chef’s talents.
A typical example is its new creation, Art Nouveau:

I will explain from the top this time:
-Coconuts Blanc-Mange with a couple of berries.
-Between two layers of White Chocolate Biscuit, pineapple, banana, Blueberry in fruit sauce.
-Pistachio Brule (pudding)
More of a cake for adults than children, it is particularly deliciously light and gratifying with the first heats of the year!

LE CAFE-LABO
424-0886 Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Kusanagi, 46
Tel.: 054-3441661
Also available at Isetan Dept. Store, Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken-Cho

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Before I start I must make sure that “Taste Memory Girl” is notified as she has this insatiable sweet tooth!

Talking of traditional cakes, Gateau Chocolat was conceived as far back as the 18th Century. Contrary to its name, it is not of French origin but first adorned the plates of Austrian nobility.
It has since voyaged through the times and lands and been refined in many ways.
The variety created by Chocolat Fin in Shizuoka City is typical of its French evolution in Japan.

From bottom to top (I was going to say from top to bottom as it is eaten, but after all you make it the other way!)
Chocolate Sponge Cake and Chocolate Ganache, twice.
Chocolate Sponge Cake and Milk Chocolate Butter Cream, twice.
The whole coated with Chocolate Icing.

Chocolat Fin adds a hint of liqueur while refraining on the sugar.
Each layer and every confectioner will find plenty of scope there.
Otherwise finely chopped solid chocolate or raisin (soaked in rum) bits may be added to the chocolate ganache.
The possibilities are endless!

Chocolat Fin
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo Machi, 1-3-7 (2 minutes walk from Shin Shizuoka Center)
Tel. & fax: 054-2516321
Business hours: 10:00~20:00

Also: Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shin Shizuoka Center, Basement 1F
Tel.: 054-2215878

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Quatre Saisons is tiny (if not the smallest) cake shop fisrt established 4 years ago in Shizuoka City. It stands at the very corner of a narrow crossroads away from the bustling centre. The only reason why I know of it is because it is located along the way to the Cricket Ground I visit at least twice a week.

This Chocolat Fruit Terrine will probably tempt more the likes of Foodhoe, Gaijin Tonic and even Lojol than the ladies!
It is hearty, fulfilling and gratifying.
And ridiculously cheap (157 yen a cut!)!

It is traditional in the sense that it is very rural in concept. The fruits, cherries and blueberries, are first flambeed before being mixed more or less at random with soft chocolate and vanilla dough which is poured into a mould laid with a thin layer of sheet pastry.
One more layer of the latter will cover the terrine before being baked.

Snow sugar will be sprinkled on top as the terrine cools down.
The solid consistency will make it easy to cut into size portions although it tends to crumble down under the fork.
Lojol would probably appreciate it lukewarm with a good serving of hot English custard!

Quatre Saisons
420-0002 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Zaimoku Cho, 8-1
Tel. & fax: 054-221-0651
Closed on Tuesdays

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Chocolat Fin has the advantage to be located a few minutes away from my office, which in a sense is a bit unfair to other very good confectioneries in Shizuoka. I promise I will hunt away from my haunts from next month! My students will be the happier for it as I do have to visit cake shops at east three times a week!

Now, before I start I’d better alert all my lady friends with a sweet tooth!
I’m certain that Rowena, Memory Taste Girl, Jocelyn, Etsuko, Melinda, Deluscious Life and The Left Over Queen wil be interested to know that the present dessertis a very healthy one! Oh, I forgot that there is atleast one gentleman, Dominique, who will grace me with a professional curiosity!

Shizuoka Prefecture is the largest (about 70%) producer of green tea in Japan. Since we are in the middle of harvesting season, Chocolat Fin had the greaty idea to come up with a creation made with ma-cha tea, a superior class of tea used in tea ceremonies and restaurants. As it comes under the form of powder it is very easy to manipulate.

This Ma-cha pudding was underllined with a caramel sauce and topped with a fine layer of ma-cha jelly. The whole pudding is a perfection of balance, not too sweet, with a definite tea savour and firm enough for you to dig in with your spoon. Actually, I made a point of leaving it in the fridgefor a coupe of hours before devouring it. It almost ate like an ice-cream.

The recipe is not difficult, but the ingredients are simply first class!

Chocolat Fin
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo Machi, 1-3-7 (2 minutes walk from Shin Shizuoka Center)
Tel. & fax: 054-2516321
Business hours: 10:00~20:00

Also: Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shin Shizuoka Center, Basement 1F
Tel.: 054-2215878

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Chibouste or Chiboust, although a very venerable confectionery、 has been the source of much confusion as it was first a cream invented by a French Chef as defined in Wickipedia:
“Crème Chiboust, also called Crème Saint-Honoré, is a crème pâtissière (pastry cream) lightened with whipped cream or stiffly beaten egg whites, originally devised by the French pastry chef Chiboust in Paris around 1846 to fill his Gâteau Saint-Honoré”。
Now, it represents a cake itself. So far (I mean myself)、 the best and more “traditional” version I’ve ever eaten is prepared by Chocolat Fin in Shizuoka. Naturally, this is open to friendly discussion!

A shallow tartelette is first filled with baked/steamed apples and then topped a chiboust cream (as described above). Particularly bothersome as each cake has to be　made individually. I have little liking fおr the cut square versions, a sure sign of sloppy work.
Ｏnce the cake has settled inside its metal mold it will sprinkled with sugar and then “brule” as to form a crisp layer of caramel.
The apples can be soaked in liqueur or perfumed with cinnamon. The Chiboust cream, too, can be enhanced with liqueur and so forth.
Frankly speaking, I have a special admiration for chefs who are ready to spend time preparing such cakes!

Chocolat Fin
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo Machi, 1-3-7 (2 minutes walk from Shin Shizuoka Center)
Tel. & fax: 054-2516321
Business hours: 10:00~20:00

Also: Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shin Shizuoka Center, Basement 1F
Tel.: 054-2215878

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Traditional Cakes are the mainstay of confectionery/Patisserie while Classical Cakes are invented from time to time to stay before they become traditional ckaes themselves.
A typical example is “Pistache” (Pistacchio) as created by LE CAFE-LABO in Shimizu Ku.

After admiring the cake (it certainly deserves it!), you can either savour it layer by layer, one at a time, or cut through it to entertain yourself with the combination of the tastes.
And you certainly have quite a few to review:
from top to bottom:
19 Pistachio Mousse
2)Chocolate Cream
3) Chocolate Mousse
4) Raspberry Sauce
5) Chocolate Crunchy
6) Pistachio Syrup

Enjoy!

LE CAFE-LABO
424-0886 Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Kusanagi, 46
Tel.: 054-3441661
Also available at Isetan Dept. Store, Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken-Cho

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Japan has seen for quite some time confectioners trying to recreate classics for the sake of originality, and most of the time out of sheer conceit.
Therefore, it is reassuring that some still keep making cakes as they should be, regardless of of fashion and ephemerous fads.
One such place is Chocolat Fin in Shizuoka City:

Their chou a la creme or “chou cream” for the Japanese contains only creme patissiere/custard cream with the right touch of brandy. Not an undescript puff full of whipped cream and I don’t know what.

Their eclair mocha lokks like the real article. The pastry is covered with a delicious mocha icing.

And once again a bite will reveal custard added with the right amount of mocha and a touch of brandy.

Why do people have to demonstrate their skills with unnamable contraptions?

Chocolat Fin
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo Machi, 1-3-7 (2 minutes walk from Shin Shizuoka Center)
Tel. & fax: 054-2516321
Business hours: 10:00~20:00

Also: Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shin Shizuoka Center, Basement 1F
Tel.: 054-2215878