About Joys
A happy WAHW, based in Singapore. Trained in French Baking and Pastry Arts, a humble learner in lifelong knowledge and skills. Advocate & share home-made and home-baked goodness.Live well, Love Much, Laugh Often. To Your Tasty Moments.
Category Archives: Taste & Exploration
Sharing Nicholas Lodge Sugar Arts Collection ~ A New Perspective
I spent 2 weeks in Atlanta recently. Other than a short 2 hour visit to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and meeting up with 2 ex-colleagues and their spouses for dinners and of course the hotel where I spent my nights, … Continue reading
Journey of A Fondant Dummy Cake: An Immediate Familiar Connection
You may want to buckle it… The It refers to the carton containing my dummy fondant cake I was carrying home to Singapore on a 27 hour journey from Atlanta. I was on a United Express from Atlanta to Chicago … Continue reading
Mont Blanc Tart @ Bunmeido Ginza, Tokyo
Last day in Tokyo on 22 July 2010 was amazing… I was amazed at myself to be able to taste 3 different places within 4 hours and yet enjoy each experience to the fullest.
I always enjoy sitting in a cafe to relax, more often to dream, at times to write my journal notes. It must have started as a habit during my business travel years when I traveled places alone, ate alone, read alone, and did so comfortably alone. (It is no wonder I am quite a loner who spent the last year comfortably alone at home “revising” when my hub is at work.) Then again when I decided to break free from corporate life, I spent a lot of time reading, planning and dreaming in cafes. Then again in Houston to do my 20 week course in Baking and Pastry Arts, I spent my weekends tasting cafes, reading and at times meeting new friends. Even now, my hub and I love spending time together tasting, enjoying our books and at times discussing ideas in cafes. The cafe energy moves ideas. Continue reading
Échiré Butter @ Marunouchi Brick Square, Tokyo
Pardon my ignorance, I only knew about Échiré Butter recently, then I learnt that Échiré is on western France. So said learning is lifelong.
While planning for my trip to Tokyo, Japan, I googled “Tokyo Sweets” etc to search for cafes, pastry shops I can visit. While reading recommendations from blogs and websites, I found a reference to Échiré Butter. It refers to the Échiré Maison du Beurre, the Échiré Butter Company in Tokyo. I am a wanderer, I usually travel with a macro trip plan, and follow my feel as I go. For the short time I have for this Tokyo trip, I decided to be more conscientious. I put it on my must-visit list on my last day of a 2.5 day visit to Tokyo on 22 July 2010.
… This store inspired me in a distinct way ~ how the retail store smelled, and how a simple cake intensely moved me … a taste memory to treasure for a long time!
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Tasting Macarons in Ginza, Tokyo
I would do crazy things just to explore a new environment, just to taste. There is no reason, just simply do it.
To put things in perspective, the first crazy thing I did was book a flight for the following week and I flew into Tokyo for 2.5 days. I will write more about the trip in separate posts. In & out of Laduree Cafe in 15min? On my last day in Tokyo, I had half a day and planned to visit 2 pastry outlets (pastries, of course!) for my tasting exploration before I catch a NEX (Narita Express) to the airport at 3.30. At a quarter to 3, feeling full from 3 hours of tasting(?) ~ comprising a breakfast treat, and immediately followed by pastry & ice coffee at another cafe, I was about to head to the underground subway station at Ginza. Standing at a road junction along Chuo-dori taking in the surrounding energy and sound, and grateful I could be in Tokyo even for a few days, I looked up and there it was – Laduree Cafe! No minute to waste, no second thought, I had to be there. Continue reading
