Unlike pretty much every other place from Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman, Esse Due Akasaka is a full-out restaurant, not just a dessert shop. It’s an Italian joint that specializes in pizza and pasta, and based on what I saw from my table, everything looks quite good.
The pizza, in particular, looked legit. Sadly, I had already eaten lunch, otherwise I definitely would have ordered one. Coming here on an empty stomach might be a good idea.
Kantaro calls the dessert he orders here a “rich caramel pudding,” though the menu just calls it creme caramel. I’m assuming that’s a quirk of Kantaro’s translation, because it’s definitely creme caramel.
It is, however, a bit untraditional — it’s served as a slice of pie, complete with a bottom layer of crust. The crust (which is some kind of soft, shortbready thing) is completely superfluous, but it really doesn’t matter. This is a stellar dessert.
It might be one of the best versions of creme caramel that I’ve ever had. The texture is amazing — it’s smooth, super creamy, and incredibly rich. And it has a really satisfying sweet custardy flavour that’s balanced out perfectly by the almost bitter intensity of the dark caramel. It’s so good.
Location: 〒107-0052 Tōkyō-to, Minato-ku, Akasaka, 6 Chome−11−１３ ファブリックビル
How to find it: The sign says “Esse Due” quite clearly, so it’s easy to find.
Featured in: Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman, Season 1, Episode 10