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One always fondly remembers his/her desserts as the apotheose to a great meal. I thought I would run an anthology of the best desserts I personally savoured for the past and share it with friends before leaving onto new adventures this year!
Read Fruit salad topped with Vanilla Ice-cream and Raspberry Sorbet at Hana Hana Restaurant:
A favourite end-of-the-summer dessert back in France served in Shizuoka City. I wouldn’t mind eating it at any time of a hot day!
Chocolate Mousse, Mikan Orange Sherbet and Campari Jelly at Sugimoto:
I was served this simple and extremely elegant dessert by Tetsuya Sugimoto in his former restaurant in Shizuoka City!
Petit Mont-Blanc and cassis Sherbet at Gentil:
Refined and delicate, it didn’t last long with me!
A celebratedcreation by Gentil, in Shizuoka City, which specializes in small sophisticated desserts!
Creme Caramel Brulee and Caramel Ice-cream at Hana hana:
Hana Hana in Shizuoka City has become famous for this particular dessert combining two sublime ways to accomodate Caramel. Actually I should say three because the creme is Caramel, the “burnt” topping is Caramel and the Ice-cream is Caramel!
Italian and Japanese Dessert Ｍarriage at Aquavite:
A very original at one of the best Italian Restaurants in Shizuoka City:
a combination of panacotta, Shizuoka “Benihoppe/Red Cheek” strawberries, “Tama Konnyaku” (Devil’s Tongue Tuber Jelly) from Yamagata Prefecture and at least three kinds of fruit coulis.
Champagne Jelly by Le Cafe-Labo:
This particlar creation by one of the best confectiners in Shizuoka is a bit of misnomer as they used Cremant de Bourgogne from the Cote Chalonnaise in France. A bit extravagant when you know that Cremant, yen for yen (cent for cent), is better value than overpriced Champagne!
Ladies and vegans, rejoice! This is a very very healthy low-calorie dessert as the jelly is 100% natural “kanten” or Japanese agar/seaweed jelly!
They come with two different garnish: “kyoho Budo”, a very large expensive Japanese grape variety (usually seedless) as a shown in picture above and:
Lychee.
Both have a very light but solid consistency. It melts deliciously inside the mouth with an elegant Cremant wine taste. It has a “short tail”, meaning you cannot wait for the next spoonful!
Definitely for ladies or calories-minding couples!
Bourgogne Noir Dijon at Chez Lui:
Chez Lui is a large “chain company” based in Tokyo and represented at Parco in Shizuoka City, but their cakes have the merit to be made on site.
I could be accused of favoritism as I was born in Dijon!
But I must admit this is probably the best cassisbased cake I ever ate!
It is mainly made up of Cassis Mousse coated with Cassis Coulis and decorated outside with white chocolate. It is furthermore topped with blueberry, blackberry, mint and chocolate.
The inside is pretty complex with a double base of almond biscuit and chocolate short cake.
A small chocolate short cake disc about two thirds of the cake in diameter has been “inserted” inside the mousse with some Creme Chantilly.
Ma-cha Mousse by Chocolat Fin:
This particular might look simple, but not only it is more sophisiticated that one might first think but one has to understand this THE true Shizuoka dessert because Shizuoka Prefecture grows more than 55% of the national green tea crop!
Chocolat Fin, another great confectioner in Shzuoka City, 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 extremely fine 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 fridge for a couple of hours before devouring it. It almost ate like an ice-cream!
Pistache by Le Cafe-labo:
After admiring this other creation by Le Cafe-Labo (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:
1) Pistachio Mousse
2)Chocolate Cream
3) Chocolate Mousse
4) Raspberry Sauce
5) Chocolate Crunchy
6) Pistachio Syrup
Gateau Basque at Bouquet:
I’m an unconditional fan of Gateau Basque. Bouquet, another great confectioner in Shizuoka City is the only one I know in the whole Prefecture, and probably in the whole of Japan, who came out with the perfect and authentic cake!
(cut from whole cake in picture at the top)
It is not easy to prepare, and the owner, a very shy man, makes only two a day if he is in a good mood. It tends to disappear quickly, but it is possible to reserve.
It is a lot lighter than it looks. Ladies and Gentlemen alike will enjoy to its just value!
I did savour many more memorable desserts, but I will have to stop there, otherwise I will have to start a book!
SHIZUOKA GOURMET 