We have roll cake fever in recent years with cakes in all forms and flavours. In Japan, two pastry shops are almost well known to everyone - Mon Cher from Osaka and B-speak in Yufuin, Oita.
綜合而言,我覺得B-speak取勝。
In my opinion, B-speak wins my vote overall!
Let's take a look at the packaging first! The rectangular box from Mon Cher is practical and strong enough to provide safe protection, without losing a sense of elegance and grace, while B-speak uses a cute, intricate and special roll-cake-shaped box. Please handle it with care as it might get pressed easily.
傳統蛋糕卷外觀都是同一個樣子吧!堂島卷的變化和大小選擇較多,有時加入水果,間中推出節日限定版,當時便推出了莓果奶茶復刻期間限定版,總店獨家出售。湯布院B-speak目前只有兩款蛋糕卷,原味和朱古力味,有整條和三分一條兩種選擇,不過有售其他甜品。
Flavours
All traditional roll cakes look the same! Dojima rolls provide a variety of choices with different sizes, some with fruits and sometimes seasonal versions. The one I've bought is a berry milk tea roll which was exclusively sold in the main store for a limited time. Yufuin has two kinds of roll cakes only at present, original and chocolate flavours, with 1 complete roll and 1/3 cut. It sells different kinds of desserts though.
Mon Cher略勝一籌,設有多家分店,還有網上商店,香港和上海等地亦有售~ B-speak只有湯布院一家小店,有些顧客特登遠道而來等開店選購,因為小型蛋糕卷可能較早售罄。
Location
Mon Cher has numerous stores in Japan as well as an online store. Its cakes are sold in Hong Kong and Shanghai as well. B-speak has 1 store in Yufuin only. Some customers even line up before the shop opens as 1/3 cut cakes are often sold out in the morning.
Mon Cher蛋糕和忌廉較為挺實,頗飽肚,但個人認為不夠香滑軟熟,或許原味會有不同~ B-speak蛋糕卷鬆軟濕潤,忌廉香滑輕盈,味道濃郁,吃一整條都不覺滯!幸好款式不多,否則只會想嚐盡所有味道!
Taste
Cakes and cream from Mon Cher are thick and stomach-filling, but not fluffy and smooth enough from my point of view. Original flavor may be better. Roll cakes from B-speak are wet and spongy with soft texture, making a perfect match with fluffy and smooth cream. Eating the whole roll won't make you feel surfeited at all! I'm glad that only two choices are available, or I must be tempted to try all the flavours!
No wonder B-speak has been acclaimed as probably the best roll cake maker in Japan ever!
我純粹喜歡甜吃,評論只屬個人觀感,歡迎大家持有不同意見和想法。
I'm just expressing my own opinions as a dessert lover and different views are welcome!