Desserts made with chestnuts are my favorite. They are not common in the US. I hoped to find some in Harrogate, England but haven't seen any so far. Before we came to London, I searched a place that provides a Mont Blanc, a classic French dessert of puréed, sweetened chestnuts topped with a dab of whipped cream, which is very popular in Japan. Maison Bertaux, the oldest patisserie in London (established in 1871) seemed to make mont blanc, so I placed the French bakery on my "must-go" list.
The place looked outdated. Well, it's over 140 years old. Their pastries looked nice, which was important for me. I ordered, of course, a mont blanc and tea. J did an éclair and tea. Our table was on the first floor (meaning the second in the US). The room was tiny and looked, yes, very outdated. Customers were frequently coming and going. So, the place seemed popular. Perhaps, as London's oldest patisseries, they were kinda a tourist spot. I usually appreciate historic architecture and antique items, but honestly the "seasoned" tea stains on the teapot and tea strainer served for us were not welcome.
Talking about their mont blanc, the chestnut cream didn't taste like chestnut, though. Meringue part wasn't too bad actually while I prefer a tart or sponge cake for the base of mont blanc. Maybe this was an authentic one that you exactly get in France. I guess mont blanc that I love is a
Japanese-style mont blanc, which I probably won't get outside of Japan. Or, did I choose a wrong place to try mont blanc in London?
