To create flavors and shape from a shapeless form
This is the concept/motto of Chef Masaaki Hayashi whose shop named "Materiel" is located in Ooyama 大山. One can say that Chef Masaaki is a sugar master because his sugar works have won several international awards and one of his publication is a book on sugar techniques. Since it is unlikely that I will ever step foot in Ooyama, I decided to give it a try when it took stage at Isetan Shinjuku's weekly rotating pop up area.
Honestly, none of the cakes were as aesthetically attractive as those from Asterisque or Mont St Clair. They are very simple, generally just a glaze with a simple chocolate decor or macaron. Yet the texture and flavor were deeply impressive. The Matenique was my favourite of the 3 I've tried as the chocolate was very, very dark, multiplied in depth by the use of rum. The sponge at the base was an atypical fluffy Japanese sponge--rich, moist, dense but the layer was thin so it wasn't overwhelming at all. Meanwhile, the smooth tropical banana creameux ensured that the cake would not be a chocolate overload.
Another stunning masterpiece was the Cafe Dolce (¥651) which had the best texture of all. It's a creamy coffee-chocolate mousse cake with a fine, aromatic walnut crisp accented beautifully by salt. The Primviere (¥561), a red berries-pistachio cake, was too sweet for me but it didn't spoil my mood as I have managed to pick the right cakes, not one but two.
Hats off to this sugar master.
10am-7pm (closed on Wed)
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