Pierre Hermé at Isetan Shinjuku (Tokyo, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

I love Shinjuku. When I first started my exploration of Tokyo more than two decades ago, this was where it all started for me. A place known for its shopping, nightlife and more, it never seems to stop buzzing.



In recent years, I decided to stay away from the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku mainly bcuz we have little nugget now. But we are making an exception this afternoon. We are bringing our parents and little nugget here for a few attractions (i.e. Godzilla, Namco etc.). While everybody was kept busy, I was fortunate enough to sneak away for 15 minutes for my favorite pastries. 

Our battle with COVID-19 has halted our annual trips to Europe since 2020, and Japan is really the only place in Asia where we could get our hands on my favorite pastries from Pierre Hermé, the Picasso of pastry. So, this trip to The Pierre Hermé boutique at Isetan Shinjuku was in fact long overdue.

There weren't much new creations around, not that I would take them over my favorite Tarte Infiniment Vanille.

Tarte Infiniment Vanille (1,080 yen) – Under the nasty heat, even the packs of dry ice weren't going to keep this from melting. So, I had to consume it before getting back to our hotel.

The crunchy shortbread crust worked really well with the rich, dense filling of white chocolate ganache and vanilla mascarpone cream. I noticed there was a subtle change of taste from the vanilla cream, perhaps due to the fact that they have updated their recipe by using a combined vanilla from several different provenances (Mexico, Tahiti and Madagascar). The vanilla flavors were a little more complex now.

Food Rating: 7/10
Price: ￥￥￥￥
Address: Isetan Shinjuku B1F, 3-14-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan
Closest Metro Station: Shinjuku / Shinjuku Sanchome
Tel: +81 3-3352-1111
Website: www.pierreherme.co.jp
Opening Hours: 10:00am - 8:00pm daily