October 2022. Sweets Operation in Setagaya. Around 3:30 pm, I made a sudden visit to "Monsacré" in Jiyugaoka. I also had to wait for about 30 minutes at "Patisserie Paris Seveille," but ended up waiting for the same amount of time. Jiyugaoka is quite inconvenient. (However, I have reached a point where waiting is not a problem anymore, haha) Since I was quite late, there were not many cakes left, but I still managed to get my favorite ones. - Chestnut Mont Blanc with Toshihei Chestnut: $8.20. A Mont Blanc made using Toshihei chestnuts, known for their rich sweetness. The coarse paste brings out the full flavor of the Toshihei chestnuts. - Season Gâteau: $7.00. Ultimate fluffiness achieved through repeated improvements in the selection and blending of wheat. The Genoise cake is filled with the most delicious seasonal fruits. - Morning-baked Cake Marron Glacé: $3.80. A moistly baked cake with a rich homemade chestnut cream and a touch of rum-scented glass arrow. I took the Chestnut Mont Blanc and Season Gâteau back to the hotel. The Chestnut Mont Blanc was delicious, allowing me to fully enjoy the rich sweetness of the chestnuts. The Season Gâteau had juicy fruits and cream, as well as delicious soft dough. I took the Marron Glacé back home, but in hindsight, it was probably best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. Thank you for the delicious treats! Next time, I will visit earlier!

Mont Saint Clair in Jiyugaoka is a super famous shop! Even before the current sweets boom, it was popular, and I think it is the most famous among Japanese patissiers. The cakes that are often featured in the media are all gorgeous and excellent! I've always wanted to try them someday...and today, I finally visited! It was a holiday afternoon. I was worried it might be crowded as I walked 10 minutes from Jiyugaoka Station...it's quite far (^^;) When I arrived, I was able to enter the shop right away as there was no line. The shop was bustling with customers. The eat-in area seemed full. There were about 10 types of petit gateaux in the showcase. They also had whole cakes, bread, and baked goods. The price of a petit gateau was around ¥800 each. Even though it's a famous shop, the size was small, and the price was a bit high (^^;) After much deliberation, I chose: *Seasoned Gateau ¥820 *Litchi ¥830 Seasoned Gateau...basically a shortcake. The fruit used varies depending on the season, and now it's Shine Muscat. The juicy Shine Muscat, creamy cream, and surprisingly flavorful sponge cake created a well-balanced deliciousness. Litchi...with its bright red appearance, it's a raspberry and chocolate mousse cake. The sweet and sour taste of the raspberry was strong and to my liking. Perhaps because I had built up my expectations for this long-awaited shop, I wasn't as amazed as I thought I would be, but it was delicious (^^)

The authentic patisserie offers cakes for eat-in without reservations, but you can reserve cakes for pick-up for up to one hour with a one-drink minimum. The recommended cakes are "Seravi" (meaning of life) and Mont Blanc, both with a gentle and delicious taste. On weekends and holidays, they also sell bread such as sandwich bread and baguettes.

I bought a whole cake for my mother's birthday celebration. The Shine Muscat decoration on the 5th size fruit-up cake looked big when cut, but it was delicious without being too heavy. The cream, sponge, and fruits were all tasty and well-balanced. I would like to try other products as well.

I visited around 3:30 pm on a weekday. There was no showcase available, but there were about 2 groups waiting in the salon area, with a wait time of about 30-40 minutes. Since the last order is at 4:00 pm, it seems like many people come in at the last minute. Despite being a popular and busy store, the salon is small, the turnover rate is low, and the operation is not efficient. - Mont Blanc with chestnut cream: $9 - Rich in chestnut flavor with a slightly rough texture, the chestnut cream is generously used. The chestnut compote is subtly sweet and hearty, and the meringue base is very crispy and delicious. Coated with white chocolate, it maintains a light texture, making it my favorite Mont Blanc. - Mille-feuille Cassis Marron: $9 - A favorite of mine that I have repeated many times since it went on sale from 9/9 this year. It consists of layers of Maron Ganache, mousse, and cassis jelly sandwiched in crispy mille-feuille and wrapped in Mont Blanc cream. The different textures of the three types of chestnut cream allow you to fully enjoy the chestnut flavor. The cassis jelly adds a nice touch of acidity to the sweet chestnut cream. The butter-coated surface gives off a buttery aroma, and the crispy mille-feuille is so thin that it's difficult to cut with a knife, making the texture enjoyable. - Chou a la creme: $4.50 x 2 - A must-eat favorite of mine every time. The cream puff here is unbeatable in terms of both the dough and the cream. However, there seems to be a slight decrease in quality or a simple reduction in size recently, but it remains my number one cream puff. - Gâteau Chocolat Amande: $8 - The Gâteau Chocolat has changed from rouge to almond. It looks luxurious, and the flowing texture when cut is enjoyable. It contains almond ganache and caramel cream. - Céravie: $8.20 - A cake that can be considered the origin of Tsujiguchi, consisting of Chocolat Blanc, framboise, and a base of financiers. The cross-section when cut is beautiful, and it is a popular item that never loses its appeal. - Rosemary Tea: $6.30 - I ordered this for the first time as it was recommended to go well with the mille-feuille. It has a strong rosemary scent and a refreshing taste. - Bamboo Charcoal Coffee: $5.60 All the cakes have a "rich flavor but not heavy and elegant sweetness" so you could eat as many as you want. Despite the significant price increase compared to a year ago, the quality remains the same. The operation of the salon is poor, which may affect the overall satisfaction in terms of value for money. I'm looking forward to enjoying the autumn and winter sweets, and I'm happy that I can also enjoy Mont Saint Clair's autumn offerings during the sales period. I want to eat a lot during the sales period. Total for 6 sweets and 2 drinks: $55.10

Mont Saint Clair is really delicious! Everything I eat there is truly delicious! My favorite is their Mont Blanc with Japanese chestnuts. I always make sure to get their luxurious Danish pastries too. This time, I tried the fig and pomegranate Danish, and I loved it! It's a bit pricey, so I can't buy it all the time, but I'll definitely go back to get some more soon!

I arrived at the salon around 1 pm on a regular day, but for some reason it was unusually crowded, and I had to wait as the second group in line. It took about 40 minutes from seating to when the cake arrived, even though there was almost no line in front of the showcase. The service was slow, with delays in bringing water and cutlery, and the overall operation seemed inefficient with a low turnover rate. I also noticed that many people were meeting inside the store, which made me think they should wait until their party is complete before seating them. Despite these issues, the cakes were delicious as always. I tried mostly new items this time, including the Fig Tart, Fuji Shine Verrine, Chou Croquant, and Mont Blanc with Chestnut. The Fig Tart had a delicious crust and custard with fresh figs, perfect for tart lovers. The Fuji Shine Verrine had a strong blackcurrant flavor with grape jelly and yogurt mousse. The Chou Croquant seemed a bit smaller than usual, but still tasty. The Mont Blanc with Chestnut, a fall seasonal item, had a white chocolate coating and a whole chestnut on top, highlighting the flavor of chestnut perfectly. Overall, I enjoyed trying the new autumn desserts and look forward to what they will offer next. The total cost for 4 desserts and 2 drinks was ¥4,130.

I went to a popular bakery and bought some pastries, including a cream puff that cost around 600 yen. The cream puff had a crispy shell and delicious cream filling. The shop was only a few minutes away from the nearest station. They also had a cozy cafe inside. The name "Mont Saint Clair" comes from a hill in France, and the shop is located in a place called "◯◯◯ Hill".

I had peach shaved ice. It came with three small slices of peach as fruit, but the syrup was not too sweet, more like fresh peach juice. The whipped cream also seemed to have peach juice in it, and there was also peach compote included. The taste was elegant and delicious. The restaurant had a limited number of seats, so I went on a weekday to avoid the long lines on weekends. Even then, there was a steady stream of customers coming in. I had to wait for about 20 minutes before being served, so be prepared for that.

I visited the shop in the early afternoon on a holiday. There was a cafe inside, but even just making a purchase required waiting in a fairly long line. The spacious interior was full of customers, showing that it is indeed a popular shop. I purchased several baked goods. The pistachio cake was a unique combination of pistachios and dried fruits, but the taste was outstanding. The texture of the dried fruits was excellent and it was delicious. The Florentine was a crispy caramelized almond cookie, similar to a Breton galette. The caramel was crunchy and it was very tasty. The Earl Grey cookie was a crispy thin cookie with a smooth texture. The aroma of Earl Grey was very pleasant. The lemon cake was made without any glaze, focusing on the flavor of the cake itself. It was moist with a gentle sweetness, and the chunks of lemon added a nice touch. The freshly baked lemon cake on display also caught my attention. I have a feeling it would be even more exceptional when fresh out of the oven. Overall, the cakes were very delicious. Thank you for the meal. I would love to visit again.

I chose three cakes after much deliberation from the beautiful cakes lined up in the showcase: Saison Gateau (peach shortcake), Mont Blanc, and Bronte (pistachio and chocolate). Each cake was rich yet had a light, melting texture that was truly impressive. Despite the long line before opening, the turnover was quick as the atmosphere was not conducive to lingering. I would love to visit again during strawberry season.

I was playing in Jiyugaoka and unexpectedly found a seat available, so I went in! I ordered the seasonal peach dish and it was huge and delicious. It was a great experience to be able to eat such a big peach. Overall, it was tasty, but I was surprised that it only had a 3.9 rating on Tabelog. Thank you for the meal!

I went to Chef Tsujiguchi's restaurant in Jiyugaoka before, but it was closed. I thought maybe it wasn't open in August because of Obon and summer vacation. Nevertheless, I stopped by while in the area. It opened at 2:30 pm on a Sunday, but there was a long line inside. They had both eat-in and take-out options. If there was no wait, I preferred to eat in, but if I couldn't make it in time for the next slot, I thought about getting take-out. I saw one empty seat in the eat-in area, but there was no guidance on what to do. I asked the person carrying shaved ice to the eat-in area how to proceed, and they told me to line up at the register. By the time I reached the register, I still didn't know if I could eat in or how long the wait would be. When I asked if there were seats available for eating in, they hesitated and then said to wait while they checked. They told me it would be a 1-hour wait, so I decided not to wait and asked if I could buy some baked goods to take home. I bought one financiers for 390 yen. They handed it to me with tape right in the middle of the package, which I removed before taking a picture. It was my first time trying Chef Tsujiguchi's pastries, and the taste was just average. The cakes in the showcase looked beautiful, and I hope to try them someday. It was about a 15-minute walk from Jiyugaoka Station.

■Shop Information When it comes to Jiyugaoka, it's all about sweets. Today, I visited Mont Saint Clair, the shop of the famous chef Tsujiguchi. It's about a 7-8 minute walk from Jiyugaoka Station, but it's definitely popular. You can also eat in, but there's about a 1-hour wait. Since I came all this way, I decided to wait. Below are the items I ordered. ■What I Ate - Tarte Bessh ¥1580 - Verine Mang ¥820 - Iced Tea (Jardin Rouge) ¥700 First up, the Tarte Bessh. It's a tart with a whole peach on top, a trend that many shops are doing these days. It's priced at ¥1580, but it's worth it because you get a good-sized peach. The compote peach is juicy and delicious! The cream inside is a good balance. The tart crust was a bit sweet though. The Verine Mang is basically a mango pudding. It's quite sweet and also delicious. Jiyugaoka has a variety of shops, but this place never disappoints. On the Instagram account of "Nonaru Danshi no Tokyo Lunch Meshi" with 70,000 followers, they introduce delicious food from Tokyo and all over Japan! Instagram→https://www.instagram.com/non.aldesuga.nanika/?hl=ja Twitter→https://twitter.com/nonaldesuga

I thought I wanted strawberry shortcake, but ended up craving white chocolate chip shaved ice, so I got the phone number and wandered around Jiyugaoka. The call-back system was convenient. I checked out journal standard furniture and bought craft cola at a miscellaneous goods store, so time flew by. This cake was amazing. I ordered peach and strawberry shaved ice, but the strawberry was the clear winner for me. It was interesting how they turned condensed milk into mousse, and the chocolate flavor made it a true dessert. The shaved ice on its own was a bit too icy, but the system of being able to explore the area while waiting for the cake and the convenient location made it a great choice.

Opened in 1998, this restaurant is owned by one of Japan's star chefs, Hiroshi Tsujiguchi. At the age of 23, he won the "National Confectionery Technology Competition" and has represented Japan in five world competitions, winning first place. In 1999, he became the first pastry chef to defeat an Iron Chef on the TV show "Iron Chef" on Fuji TV. He has also received the Chevalier award from France and is a member of the Italian Iron Chef Association. At Salon du Chocolat, he has won the highest gold award for six consecutive years from 2013 to 2018. The name "Mont St. Clair" comes from a real hill in southern France, which Tsujiguchi considers a turning point in his life. The brand has multiple branches including the flagship store "Mont St. Clair," bean confectionery "Fève," healthy sweets "Chocolat Universe," roll cake shop "Jiyugaoka Roll-ya," chocolate shop "Le Chocolat de Hache," traditional Japanese rusk shop "Warakumoya," Hokkaido milk castella shop at New Chitose Airport, comprehensive confectionery shop in Nagoya "Fortissimo de Hache," bread shop "Mariage de Farine" in Mie, jam shop "Confiture de Hache," and Tsujiguchi's hometown Kanazawa's shop "Le Musee de Hache." The proactive expansion to regional areas reflects Tsujiguchi's strong connection to these places. In addition to retail, they also offer eat-in options, but seats are limited, and there is usually a line for cake orders. It is recommended to go early as cakes tend to sell out by around 3 pm on holidays. The "Selavi" for 820 yen and "Jardin Rouge" (iced tea) for 700 yen are recommended items. "Selavi" is a masterpiece dessert named by Tsujiguchi, who won the 1996 Sopexa Competition. It features a white mousse with a balanced sweetness, tangy raspberries, crispy feuillantine bitterness, all melting in the mouth. "Jardin Rouge" is a vibrant red herbal tea blend with elderberry, hibiscus, licorice, rose hip, apple pieces, and peach, mango, champagne flavors. It has a fruity taste with a refreshing acidity that pairs well with sweets. The layering of flavors and the harmony in taste are a testament to Tsujiguchi's skill.

Tarte Pêche is priced at ¥1580. When I visited on a weekday after 1 pm, I was surprised to find only about 5 types of cakes left, with each having only 1 or 2 pieces, except for Tarte Pêche, which had over 10 pieces lined up (lol). I didn't expect Sezon Gâteau to be unavailable (along with other cakes). It seems like they put too much emphasis on Tarte Pêche (lol). It's delicious, but personally, I still think Mom is the best, as it's difficult to eat the big Tarte with the bottom crust. I prefer eating good peaches as they are. In fact, the peaches I received from my grandmother were quite delicious, and my satisfaction level didn't change. Verine Mango was honestly so-so. If it's mango pudding, Peninsula's version is much tastier, and I didn't find it particularly delicious as a glass dessert. Of course, it's not bad, but it's not so delicious that I would buy it.

The specialty of Monsan Claire is their classic shortcake! While their other cakes are also delicious, the balance between the fresh cream and sponge cake in their shortcake is outstanding. After trying cakes from various highly recommended shops, I found Monsan Claire to be the best. If you've had trouble finding a delicious shortcake with either disappointing sponge or mismatched cream, you should definitely give Monsan Claire a try. Once you take a bite of their shortcake, the sponge and cream melt in your mouth at the same time. Both the sponge and cream are light and not too sweet, making it easy to enjoy even for those who don't like overly sweet desserts. They use seasonal fruits for their cakes, so they are always delicious! Ordering a whole cake for birthdays and Christmas has been a tradition for 20 years. Although the shop is a bit far from the station and can be challenging on rainy days, the quality of their cakes makes it worth it. If you're purchasing a whole cake, make sure to clear out enough space in your fridge as their cakes are taller than those from other shops.

Mon Saint Clair is a famous patisserie that has won the Tabelog Sweets Top 100 award six times in the past! We had high expectations upon hearing that it is Chef Tsujiguchi's shop. My friend was instantly drawn to the "Tarte Pêche," which uses a whole peach, among the many patisseries, so we decided to visit the shop. Even though it was a Sunday, we arrived in the morning and were still able to get the Tarte Pêche we were looking for. We also reserved a cafe space and tried it during lunchtime. The Tarte Pêche, a super luxurious tart dessert made with a whole white peach, is a huge hit every summer due to its popularity. Inside the white peach is a cream made with fromage blanc, which perfectly matches the sweetness and acidity of the white peach. The crispy tart crust complements it perfectly, making it absolutely delicious. The "Dizan Vanille," an eclair made with Madagascar vanilla that has been aged for 10 years, caught my eye. Although I usually go for chocolate desserts, I was attracted by the high-quality vanilla and the beautiful appearance, so I decided to buy it. The rich yet not overpowering sweetness of the vanilla, combined with the acidity of the jelly, is delicious. The various textures, such as the crispy eclair pastry, fluffy mousse, and crunchy white chocolate, make it a delightful treat. I could probably eat as many as I want. If you ever feel like trying peach sweets or delicious cakes, be sure to visit Mon Saint Clair!

This is the restaurant of the famous chef Tsujiguchi, well-known in the media. Located in Jiyugaoka, the location is great and the interior exudes luxury. The recommended dish is the Ceravi, a mousse cake with just the right amount of sweetness that you can eat as much as you want. They also have an online shop, so people from other regions can enjoy it too.

I visited the salon without a break from the last time, around 3:30 pm on a weekday, and I had made a reservation in advance. The salon was full even though it was close to the last order time. This time, it was the last chance to enjoy the Verrine Complet & Dizan Vanille at Verrine Pêche (¥820). I have tried the mango and melon before, so this completes my seasonal Verrine collection. The composition includes a sweet lychee panna cotta, a tangy raspberry coulis, fresh peach jelly, elderflower jelly, and a crème brûlée with thyme. The use of thyme and elderflower gives it a rich aroma. Thyme, like shiso, was taken off the stem and eaten together, adding a nice accent to the sweetness of peach and lychee. The juicy peach was delicious, and the acidity of the raspberry complemented the sweetness of the peach well. The lychee panna cotta was refreshing, and the crispy texture of the crème brûlée was enjoyable. Despite being a glass dessert, it was surprisingly sweet and satisfying. The Dizan Vanille (¥900) was also a favorite of mine, so I was happy to have it as a final treat. The innovative idea of placing mousse on top of an éclair turned upside down, with a generous amount of vanilla without being overwhelming, was very enjoyable. The cassis did a great job. The white chocolate coating on the edge provided a different texture and flavor from the center, making it enjoyable from start to finish. The cakes at Mont St. Clair have a sophisticated taste, not too rich, and can be eaten easily. The Chou Croquant (¥450) x2 is a must-eat every time, even though the quality seemed a bit lacking this time, maybe it was smaller than before. The Premium Saison Miyazaki Mango (¥1,180) was also a repeat purchase, with a rich and juicy mango that was soft and delicious. The sweetness of black sugar and wasanbon was elegant, light as air, with no feeling of eating after all. The Seravi (¥820) is still delicious, the specialty cake from Mr. Tsujiguchi. The Opera (¥500) x2. 6 sweets, 2 drinks. Total ¥5,620.