Category Archives: Cafe

PIERRE MARCOLINI Chocolatier

by Bianca

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I could not wait to share my newfound haven of chocolate dwellings. Pierre Marcolini is a tiny chocolate shop in one of the back streets of Ginza. I have passed it many times and simply dismissed it as a glamorous little chocolatier you go to when in need of gifts. I had no idea they had a small cafe on the second floor where you could order an array of heavenly chocolate desserts and pastries. Thank God I went in the other day and found the tiny cafe on the second floor.

These are the desserts we tried :

The chocolate gateau

The chocolate gateau

Now this was good but somewhat heavy. I would recommend trying something else like the salty caramel eclair pictured below. This was exquisite.

The salty caramel eclair

The salty caramel eclair

The star of the show in my opinion was this Marcolini salty caramel waffle and caramel ice cream. This little waffle was absolutely heavenly, soft on the inside, slightly crunchy on the outside with the perfect amount of sweetness to it. And the sizing was just right. Not too big nor too small.

The Marcolini salt caramel waffle with caramel ice cream

The Marcolini salt caramel waffle with caramel ice cream

I can’t wait to go back and try the chocolate eclairs and chocolate fondue. Will update !

Price: $

PIERRE MARCOLINI GINZA. 5-5-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. Phone : 03-55370015.

HENRI CHARPENTIER : The best mille feuille in town

by Bianca

Ok, I have definitely found the winner for best mille feuille in town and the award goes to Henri Charpentier’s caramel mille feuille stack. Pierre Herme used to hold the prize for the best mille feuille in my book before I stumbled upon this lovely pastry shop in Ginza, but today I pass the award along.

The mille feuille

The mille feuille

Not to mix things up, it is not a mille feuille you buy at the pastry shop but one you have to order from the menu at their cafe in the basement of their Ginza shop. If you get confused, there are pictures in the menu. Just pick the one pictured above. It is so heavenly delicious I am having trouble picking out the words to describe it. I am speechless. The mille feuille combines the perfect amount of crunchiness of the puffs with some lovely hazelnut cream and a touch of caramel syrup. I was so afraid that this is only a seasonal menu, I didn’t even dare ask.

Enough raving about the mille feuille, now we may move on to some more dainty delights that Henri Charpentier has to offer. Although disputed by some, Henri Charpentier, a french chef, was known as the creator of the crepes suzette. Of course, I had to try some. Ordering the crepe suzette here brings a waitress with a trolley who cooks the crepes right in front of you.

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I have never been a fan of crepes suzette (or any dessert that has an orangey taste to it), so my review might be biased. Lets just say, it wasn’t bad.

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Another pastry I found absolutely delectable was their caramel bon-bon.

The caramel bon bon

The caramel bon-bon

I am sure all the other mouth-watering pastries on display are absolutely delicious as well.

The pastry display

The pastry display

Well, I’ll just have to go back and find out. The coffee is also good and it is better to pay them a visit in the late afternoon. There are always lines at lunch hour and a little bit after. Around 5 pm would be the perfect time to visit and I will be doing so again very soon. Before I leave, some pictures of their interior and exterior.

The interior

The interior

The exterior

The exterior

Prize : $$ (for pastries)

HENRI CHARPENTIER GINZA. Address : 2-8-20 Ginza Chuo-ku. Tel : 03-3562-2721.


			

	




	

		
MATSUMOTORO’s Golden View

				

			
				
			
						
			by Bianca			
					

			

		

		
IMG_2579The building that houses this cafe in Hibiya Park is so bland and unassuming, I would have walked straight by if I did not notice its lovely terrace. It was during the turning of the autumn leaves a few days ago and Matsumatoro’s terrace had amazing  unobstructed views of the magnificent old ginkgo trees that adorn Hibiya Park. The glittering afternoon sun that illuminated the golden leaves when I visited created such a magical view, I decided to brave the cold and sit outside.


I wasn’t expecting too much in terms of food quality but I was pleasantly surprised. Later on I heard that Matsumotoro is very well-known for their curry buffet lunches but in the afternoon, the serve a  mouth-watering cake set.


You are presented with a tray of dazzling pastries to choose from. It comes with regular coffee or tea but you need to pay extra if you want a latte or cafe au lait.


IMG_2583Picking out my pastry of choice from all the wonderful options presented wasn’t an easy task. I finally decided on the irresistible strawberry short-cake while my friend opted for the coffee jelly.


Heavenly delight
Heavenly delight


The strawberry short-cake was heavenly as the picture above clearly illustrates. Soft and moist with just the right amount of sugar, it simply melts away in your mouth.


IMG_2585If coffee jellies are your thing then this one is absolutely gratifying. Bittersweet in all the right ways.


Finally, I leave you with a lovely picture of the Hibiya pond just around the corner. Matsumotoro is definitely an oasis amidst Tokyo’s chaos. I’m so glad I stumbled upon it.


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MATSUMATORO Hibiya


Hibiya Park 1-2 Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo


03-3503-1451


 


Price : $

			

	




	

		
Sinfully delicious pancakes at Deux Anges

				

			
				
			
						
			by Bianca			
					

			

		

		


I’m always ecstatic when I find delicious food to share here on my blog. Yesterday, during a stroll through the back streets of Aoyama, I just happened to stumble upon Deux Anges, a cafe that served the most delicious pancakes I’ve ever tried. The cafe is pretty and nice in a girly kind of way with an outdoor terrace, perfect for the mild weather we are having right now. I was actually just looking for a place to have coffee, but couldn’t resist their pancake menu and ordered this :




The caramel pancake with banana I ordered was so sinfully delicious. The batter was so subtle, soft and moist it melts in your mouth in all the right ways.


They did not have an extensive coffee menu, only regular black coffee and cafe au lait. The coffee was just so-so if not on the rather stale side.


They also have a waffles menu and lunch and dinner menus composed of mostly french bistro style food. I’m not sure about the food, I will have to go back and try it, and maybe try some waffles..but oh, the pancakes. How can I resist the pancakes ???!!!.


Price : $


DEUX ANGES AOYAMA : 03-6427-7075

			

	




	

		
Going back in time at CAFE 1849

				

			
				
			
						
			by Bianca			
					

			

		

		
 




You don’t find places like this a lot in bustling, modern Tokyo. High ceilings, dark wood, intricate details and a wonderful waste of highly valued space. Walking into this cafe nestled in a corner of the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum is highly refreshing. You instantly walk back in time and feel like you are in an old cafe in Europe, probably in the year 1849.




There is a simple lunch menu but it is probably best to visit at tea time for a cup of coffee and dessert.




A cup of latte costs about 600 yen and we tried two desserts, the apple crumble and the crepes. The apple crumble was delicious with the perfect amount of sweetness embedded in its savory dough. The crepes were so-so, probably because I was too busy taking pictures and it was cold by the time I tasted it.






Loved this little cafe and will definitely be back for some more coffee and apple crumble.


Price : $


CAFE 1849. Marunouchi 2-6-2. Open 11am-10pm (LO; Sat, Sun -6pm) daily. Phone : 3212-7156


 

			

	




	

		
The new HANDS CAFE in Shibuya

				

			
				
			
						
			by Bianca			
					

			

		

		


It’s about time Tokyu Hands opened a cafe in their Shibuya store. The cafe is conveniently named Hands cafe. Now, I won’t have to stand idly in a corner for hours while my guests shop their massive store. Now, I can just head up to the 7th floor and enjoy a cup of coffee while waiting.




The interior of the cafe was a pleasant surprise. Unlike the rather sterile and supermarket-like interior of the store, the cafe was warm with lots of wood and accessories that created a rather cozy and homey feel. It somehow reminded me of the Muji cafe. There was a round table for share in the middle and some tables on the side.




Outside, a small terrace adorned with cactuses for sale added some intrigue to the interior.




The menu was simple, composed of some sandwiches and waffles, and the prices were  reasonable. I tried the tuna sandwich and banana waffle which was good, as was the coffee.






I actually really like the place. A perfect place to hangout in Shibuya.


Price : $






12-18 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo











			

	




	

		
Cafe Lindt, A chocolate lovers heaven

				

			
				
			
						
			by Bianca			
					

			

		

		
If you happen to be in Tokyo and love chocolate, it would be a very good idea to head over to Cafe Lindt in Ginza to feast on everything chocolate.




Located on the fashionable Namiki dori, Cafe Lindt serves a heavenly range of chocolate cakes and desert, hot and iced chocolates and ice creams. My favorite is their profiteroles which are to-die-for. The crispy cream puff filled with ice cream swims in a pool of delicious warm chocolate. The combination of warm and cold and the added crispness of the puffs in your mouth is absolutely heavenly.


Cafe Lindt Profiteroles


Cafe Lindt also serves a wide assortment of delicious chocolate cakes. The opera and st moritz are really good.


St moritz cake


If you are not in the mood for some cakes, then order their chocolate milkshakes (milk or dark), or if you are on a diet then order their mini chocolate mousse. Cafe Lindt has something for everybody.


Just to let you know, cafe Lindt has a branch in Aoyama but they do not serve the profiteroles or the waffles, only cakes. So I suggest you head to the Ginza branch to end up in chocolate heaven.


Lindt Chocolat Café :


#5 PoleStar Building 7-6-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Ph: 03 5537-3777