Gateau Pistachio by Pista & Tokyo, Japan

I got a chance to check out some newish patisseries in Tokyo that branded themselves as premium. Pista & Tokyo came up as a patisserie specialising in pistachio flavoured bakes. They had quite a wide range of products such as chocolates and "sand" biscuits. But I like cakes so decided to try this one. 

Gateau Pistachio by Pista & Tokyo, Japan

The official name is "Gateau Pistachio" which just means pistachio cake in French, but looking at the ingredients list (image at the bottom), it seems closer to a financier due to the almond powder and also the texture after reheating.

This is what the packaging looked like - very presentable, individually packed and good for gift giving as a souvenir.

Gateau Pistachio by Pista & Tokyo - packaging

As for the actual experience of eating it, overall, it was a good experience and I liked it, but there was a downside.

First, the good parts.

I did like the overall taste itself. There was a very strong sweet pistachio vanilla-like flavour that resembled pandan. It was also very fragrant, so it hits both senses at once. 

Gateau Pistachio by Pista & Tokyo - closeup texture

There was a good amount of salt that created a nice balance with the sweet notes, so it wasn't cloying at all.

Finally, the texture was perfect upon reheating - crisp on the outermost layer, a slight crunch just below that, and very moist and soft on the inside. The pistachio bits on top also added to the nice texture and provided extra crunch. Overall, the outer layer had a texture similar to a fine and crisp cookie crunch.

As for what I didn't like, I think it felt like there wasn't enough butter flavour, so it lacked that dimension there. The wheat flour flavour also wasn't that strong, so the taste was a little bit 2-dimensional between the nutty flavours and the salt, held together by oil. I think if you ONLY love the nutty flavour, it is very intense on that front, so you will like this. But if you like the flavour of buttery pastry, this cake would lack that.

Another minor point is that while the middle was moist, it was bordering on greasy.

Looking at the ingredients list below (click to enlarge), the reason becomes clear. First, they do not even list pure butter as an ingredient, but some processed butter that contains dairy components. Next, they don't use pure eggs, but some liquid egg white (it states that the liquid egg "contains eggs" in the brackets). Third, there's a lot of vegetable oil in between - both in the main ingredients list and as a part of the pistachio paste.

So the lack of fresh eggs with the yolk and pure butter, plus the filler vegetable oil were probably responsible for the 2-dimensional intense nutty flavour as well as the slight greasiness. 

Nonetheless, for nut lovers, they seem to have used quite a bit of nuts, not just pistachio paste, but also pistachio powder, crushed pistachios and also almond powder. There was also some maltose used, which might have added a bit more breadth to the nuttiness. 

Gateau Pistachio by Pista & Tokyo - ingredients list

Overall, the intense nuttiness is in line with the branding of this patisserie, even if it lacks certain qualities in a top tier gourmet cake or financier. If you have nut lover friends who only care for the pistachio flavour, this would be a great gift. But for gourmet financier and pastry lovers, this might not be up to par.

For top tier gourmet Japanese financiers and French bakes, check out Noix de Beurre and Chihiro Sweets Shop instead, which have cultured butter products.

Discover other unique Japanese pastries

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