Feminine.
That is how I would characterize the overall style of the cakes here.
Plasir is a highly popular patisserie that has gained a steady crowd of fans since it was helmed under Chef Sasage Yuusuke. But if you have been reading my posts about Tokyo Sweets, you would have learnt that Chef Sasage has left Plasir last year and opened his new shop.
Fortunately, a smooth baton was passed over to then Sous Chef Akama Yuta and Plasir continues to sustain a high average score of 3.9 on tabelog. His cakes might not have the diamond shine as his Sempai's cakes over atPatisserie Yu Sasage, but it is not short of complexity.
Plasir's mousse cakes are superbly soft and I believed that is their niche. This light green mousse is not green tea but mulberry leaves powder from Fukushima. Within it lies the tarty raspberry mousse-sponge-compote, a thin delectable crispy chocolate layer and finally ending with a moist chocolate sponge. 7 components, inclusive of the most outer brush of transparent gelee. Chef Akama's take was texturally spot on-tender but not too soft.
Likewise, the Sakura (441 yen) was very fragile but reflected the chef's ambitious attempt to install as many components as possible. It was more like a strawberry cake as the Sakura whispered demurely within the white chocolate mousse. The centre contains strawberry compote, pistachio cream, pistachio sponge and a crunchy sable biscuit.
Savarin Printanier
Printanier means "Spring" in French and this is a seasonal take on the basic savarin (a baba sponge cake soaked in liquor). Arranged in a parfait style, here we have the juicy baba sponge overlayed with matcha custard, strawberry fleshes and a cassis compote whose existence was not foretold due to the top cover of Sakura cream. Chiboust Meyer Lemon (430 yen)
I like the chef's approach to chiboust, as the conventional sweetness from the caramel is counterbalanced by the use of sour cream in the custard and the locally-produced Meyer Lemons which had some pleasant acidic tones. The solid pie shell is filled with lemon appareil, which tasted like some grainy cake-like almond goo for this.
Nevaeh (430 yen)
Coffee white chocolate mousse filled with chestnut mousse, chestnut sponge, glaced chestnuts. It claimed to be accented with wild rose sauce but I could not detect it. This seemed like a failed matchmaking session between coffee and chestnuts and it did not match up to other cakes in terms of texture either.
Overall, Plasir offers several notable creations with a spirit of adventure in developing the potential of less conventional ingredients. Though the main shop in Daizawa is not so accessible, one will be rewarded as it also houses a proper cafe serving beautiful desserts and cakes.
Patisserie et Cafe Plasir プレジール
4-7-3 Daizawa Setagaya-ku Tokyo 155-0032 Japan
Open Tues-Sun 10am-8pm
Close on Mondays.
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