Alongside the tracks of the Oimachi Line in Setagaya Ward is an unlikely luxury experience. Patisserie Asako Iwayanagi has a slate gray exterior — minimal, modern and almost brutally cold. But even on a winter night, the gleam of fruit-topped desserts inside are bright and warm. Inside, neatly arranged in a display case are raspberries and pears on shortcake and figs on fruit tarts. But the piece de resistance at this patisserie is no doubt the parfait.
Tokyo has some very, very fancy parfaits. There’s the impressive terrarium-like parfaits at Typica in Suginami Ward, which run about ¥2,500, and the ones that look like an entire cake in a glass at L'atelier a ma facon in Setagaya Ward, which sell for about ¥3,200. There’s even Remake Easy, a members-only parfait speakeasy in Shibuya. But Asako Iwayanagi, which opened in 2015 in Todoroki, stands apart. In December, the shop is selling its Parfait Bijou de Noel, a berry-based Christmas parfait for ¥6,600, as well as a Parfait Bijou Poire made with pears for a humble ¥4,950. (The menu changes seasonally — from Dec. 14, Asako Iwayanagi has offered a new mango and strawberry parfait for an astounding ¥8,800.)
At those prices, that’s a lot of pressure for one parfait. No doubt — eating this dessert is a delicious, immaculate experience; it’s also surprisingly stressful.