A cafe advertising on Ginza - Mont Blanc is calling!
When I lived in Japan, I fell in love with Mont Blanc. Not of the French Alps variety, but a dish that was adapted from (still French) Mont-Blanc aux marrons, a dessert of puréed, sweetened chestnuts topped with whipped cream. A mound of pureed chestnuts covered with a blanket of cream does remind a snow-capped peak, but the Japanese made the dessert their own by inverting the structure. Typically, a Mont Blanc (monburan) has a sponge base with layers of cream, chestnut cream and finally, a luxurious mound of sweet chestnut ‘spaghetti’ on top. It is pure indulgence and my favourite dessert in the world.
To me, it looks as good as it tastes, so I could not resist snapping a couple of forbidden photos of Mont Blanc cakes in the Mitsukoshi’s food hall…
Finally, the time came to make my choice and take one home. I settled on this towering concoction from Giotto patisserie and was rewarded with layers of melting, eggy sponge, plain and chestnut-flavoured cream and a blanket of nutty, earthy chestnut puree. Heaven!
(Note the meticulous packing into a shopping bag, cake box, including a mini packet of ice, tiny cutlery, napkin etc. Normally, such elaborate packaging would elicit cries of ecological protest on my part, but watching a Japanese salesperson pack your goods is just mesmerising. I felt I would be committing a faux pas by interfering with that ritual!)
Finally, dear readers, I found a wonderful recipe online for those who would like to attempt to recreate this concoction at home.
I also found a somewhat close imitation of Mont Blanc in a Japanese patisserie in Sydney, and would be writing about it soon.
Hungry yet?
Mitsukoshi Department Store
4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku
Tel: 03(3562)1111
Opening Hours: 10:00am-8:00pm, year-round except 1 January
PLAN JAPAN 
Wow! Those Mont Blanc looks fantastic! I always buy Mont Blanc when I visit Japan. My husband always go for the strawberry short cake. Thank you for your comment on my blog.
Looks like I know where I will be stopping at when I go to Ginza this weekend. I’ve never heard of this dessert, so I am glad you wrote about it.
I never realized how much Japanese people love sweets until I moved here. Do you know that they have buffet restaurants that are desserts only? If they built that in the states, they’d have to build a hospital next door.
@Nipponnin – I always buy that cake too! So dear to my heart:) I have to say that strawberry short cake on your site looked fantastic and I want to attempt to cook it:)
@Fidel – I am glad to help, that’s the point of the whole blog!
If you are still around, you MUST check out depachika (underground food hall) of the Mitsukoshi on Ginza, and not just because of cakes – you can taste a lot of stuff for free, and they do have the best delicacies…
@Fidel – P.S. I’ve been to those buffets in my youth!!!!!! I could not do it to myself now:) So, you are you still based in Okinawa or on Honshu now?
Have you ever gone to Isetan dept. store? In their basement levels they have perhaps the best selection of desserts and ready to eat foods I’ve seen.
Long time ago, not on recent visits. However, a couple of years back I used to visit Singapore quite often and each time I went to Isetan just because of the Japanese-themed food hall there! The best in Singapore!:))
Yes, the Mont Blanc is one of the most popular cakes in Japan. I’ve never been a big fan of it myself as I’m not in to chestnuts, but it is a mighty impressive cake and the packaging is first rate.
Japan Australia
Pingback: Where to find Mont Blanc cake in Sydney – all revealed! | PLAN JAPAN
Pingback: Mont Blanc cake in Sydney, Azuma patisserie
Ahhhh…….Mont Blanc….
Of Course I love it.
I’m originally from Nagoya and there are so many different look of Mont Blanc cakes…
I’m panning to eat as much as different Mont Blanc cakes next time I go back to Japan!!!