I used to be a baker. Some of my friends who happen to chance upon me the rare day after I had a day with few responsibilities may suggest I still am. However, I hold to the belief that we are what we do. It’s okay that I no longer claim the title of baker in the present tense. It’s still a part of what made me who I am.
As the rain drizzled down on Tokyo this morning, I ventured out alone to one of the few establishments open by 8 am on a Monday. While Tokyo is up early, the people are either going to work or going to school and apparently this transit does not involve stopping by a coffee shop or bakery with few exceptions. I was after one of those exceptions — Boulangerie Noli et Nori. It was indeed just that — exceptional.
I’ve tasted a good number of pastries in my time. I’ve mixed and rolled out pastry dough, let it cool over night, folded the dough in layers, and rolled it out again. I felt I got pretty good at making croissants and pastry. I’ve experienced many pastries better than I could make.
I know that Japan has a reputation for excellent food and I have tasted many delicious dishes already. I know that Japan has demonstrated a proficiency in baking and French pastry in particular. I have never had the chance to taste a Japanese made pastry until today.
I cannot explain how good it was.
The pain au chocolate et almond. I wish I could allow you a taste right now.
Just to get this out of the way, the flakiness is beyond any pastry I have ever had. Of course this is a requirement for an excellent pastry. The layers were numerous but individuated by a crispiness I have just never seen before.
Not over baked and not dry, but crispy beyond belief. Again, I cannot convey the experience of eating this.
I wasn’t sure about the pairing of the chocolate and almond, always looking for a focus on doing one thing right, but they didn’t just stop there. Rolled into the pastry was the chocolate, the top featured the almonds, but inserted in the middle of the pastry were two piped out lines of custard that provided a creamy counterpoint to the perfectly subtle amount of chocolate below. The almonds of course added that fresh nuttiness. The sugar content of the pastry itself and the dusting of powdered sugar created just the right amount of sweetness allowing the rest of the ingredients to balance in perfect harmony.
We have over a week more to go and think that this morning has made it all worth it. The rest is a bonus.
Oh. And I got a cinnamon roll. To call it that is an insult to the object itself. I could explain it in detail, but you’ll need to taste it for yourself.
If I could recommend a trip to Japan, it would be to visit this pastry shop.
We packed up and made our way to ride the Shinkansen to Kyoto. The name means “new main line” and debuted at the 1964 Olympics. It’s a marvel of engineering, of course, that has been improving ever since.
Tokyo Station is one of the busiest transit centers in the world if not the busiest. One might consider going there just to dine or shop. It’s like a giant mall with people from all over the world making their transit connections.
We grabbed some bento boxes at the small (one way through) store on the platform and waited at our train car’s loading spot. The bento boxes on the Shinkansen are legendary, with good reason. Some have heating systems that will cook the food once you pull a string coming out of the box. Others (like the ones we had) are cold, but they are still tasty.
The boxes themselves can get pretty fancy and some feature delicacies from areas on the train line. I won’t show the contents as the images would not do the subjects justice.
The weather obscured Mount Fuji, but we enjoyed seeing the little farming towns and other cities along the way. The ride was so fast for the distance we traveled.
Kyoto Station was also crowded with humans of the world. We thought we could get around the station to a better taxi cab spot but ended up walking in the rain for a bit, but it was a warm rain. I was a little irritated, but I really try to look for solutions and let the irritant be the thing itself rather than attaching blame or shame to someone else or myself.
Traveling is a great way to see how a friend behaves under pressure, when feeling rushed, when irritated. Are we kind to each other? How do we make it okay to be irritated and even angry? How can we take responsibility for the impacts of our actions while maintaining connection? How can we rise to succeed and help each other be the best version of ourselves? These are the questions of love. I’m lucky to have a partner who shares the desire to explore these questions. Adversity brings opportunity for greater understanding and closeness.
Nearby our hotel in Kyoto is the cutest restaurant ever called Tu Casa. The place is small with a huge heart. A young couple own and run the business. They are proudly plant based and zero waste. He is Japanese and she is Korean and they have vegan fusion dishes like Korean BBQ with kimchi and Bibimbap bowls. One can vary the amount of rice in order to reduce food waste. Books about veganism and waste reduction sit within reach of diners. One can purchase plant based foods and buy several items in bulk. It’s amazing how much they’ve packed in this little space.
As you can see in the picture they have plants everywhere and that’s a little vermiculture composting scene in the front. These folks are amazing and kind. To top it all off, the food was delicious and healthy. Dessert was vegan, gluten free, and fantastic. It was just what we needed after a day of travel.
We really can make the lives we want in ways that support each other.
