Pâtisserie La Vie Un Rêve

Pastry chef prodigy Daisuke Kitanishi earned his stripes at the Mandarin Oriental, winning plenty of awards and praise in the process, but his next career move was something of a surprise: instead of aiming for the lights of Paris like so many of his sweet-crafting countrymen, Kitanishi decided to open his own neighbourhood shop in the decidedly unfashionable surrounds of Adachi-ku's Umejima. Although making the trip up north may seem like a chore, it's more than worth it for sugar addicts. Pâtisserie La Vie Un Rêve's cakes deserve the moniker 'edible art', with Kitanishi's signature Chocolat Spécialité especially mouthwatering: covered by jelly-like, slightly gelatinous chocolate, it's filled with chocolate and orange mousse on top of a crepe-like base. Another highlight is the Umejima Matcha Roll, flavoured with anko bean paste and yuzu.