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Eating the Olympic Torch Parfait in Tokyo

Oona McGee Nov 12, 2020
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Special dessert acts like a beacon of hope for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to go ahead next year.

There are a lot of skilled sweets specialists in Japan, and as they all attempt to grab our attention with different limited-edition offerings, we get to enjoy some of the best treats the world has to offer.

This week, everyone’s attention turned to Yatsudoki, a high-end store run by the popular Yamanashi-based Chateraise patisserie chain. After opening a Yatsudoki branch in Ginza in 2019, which has sadly now closed, the only Yatsudoki location left in Tokyo is located at Jiyugaoka, and that’s where we headed recently to try an unusual sweet that’s been causing a stir online.

Chateraise is known for using carefully sourced ingredients from reputable producers around Japan, and Yatsudoki follows suit with a variety of dishes made with only the freshest of ingredients. And while they have pastas, salads and smoothies on the menu, most of the diners here come for the desserts, which have a reputation for being not just delicious, but beautifully presented as well.

The star dessert on the menu at the moment, and the darling we’ve come to try, is a parfait called the Glorias Torch, which is priced at 1,650 yen (US$15.65).

The Glorias Torch has been created to look like the Olympic Torch, and while it would’ve been talked about as a sweet that celebrates the Olympics, had the Olympics not been postponed due to the global pandemic, looking at it gave us a twinge of sadness, thinking about what might have been.

Still, it was undeniably beautiful, and we could see the torch resemblance immediately, with bright red strawberries standing in to represent the Olympic flame.

These strawberries, sourced from farmers in Nagano Prefecture, were bursting with flavour, with a delectably tart sweetness. We ate a couple on their own and then enjoyed them together with the semi-circular Baumkuchen on which they sat, which added slightly caramelised notes and a wonderful crispness to the palate.

Beneath the flames was the body of the torch, which was a hidden treasure of delights, containing sliced strawberries, whipped cream, berry jelly, and lightly charred Baumkuchen pieces.

Digging into the parfait was like digging into a secret treasure, and the flavours here were divine — rich and sweet yet fruity and refreshing at the same time.

The Tokyo Olympics may have been postponed until next year, but we’re glad that Yatsudoki decided to keep this on the menu for us to enjoy this year. Like the Olympic Torch itself, this parfait is like a beacon of hope for better things to come in the future, and we sincerely hope it will continue to stay on the menu until the Olympics is held (fingers crossed!) next year.

Cafe Information
Yatsudoki Jiyugaoka / Yatsudoki 自由が丘店
Address: Tokyo-to, Meguro-ku, Jiyugaoka 2-12-13 J Glass Building 1F
東京都目黒区自由が丘2-12-13　Jグラスビル1F
Open: 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Website

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