Gateaux

I had just received the new gateau magazine and it has pictures of the recent Yogashi pastry skills competition which involves decorating a cake in less than two and a half hours utilizing, rolled fondant, sugar pulling and blowing, marzipan work, royal icing work, and chocolate work. There were 77 entries with top 5 winners.

L'Automne

One of the publications of Super Patissier Book that features the desserts of the patisserie L'Automne.

No it's not a purse. It took me two hours to get home from the cake shop so they packed my cakes in an insulated case. I like the way they pay attention to details here in Japan.

L'Automne, located in Shin Akitsu right behind the station. 1 1/2 hour from Yokohama. One of the farther cake shops that I've visited.

Food for thought....

If you have ever noticed that every world competition in pastry, whether it is the World Pastry Team Championship, or the Coupe du Monde in Lyon, France, Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, or the World Chocolate Championship, Japan is always in the top three. There is a reason why Japan is always in the top three.
While the pastry culinary programs are similar in Japan in terms of length wise, in Japan after you graduate from a culinary school, this does not automatically give them any position in terms of being a pastry chef or a pastry sous chef, for that matter. They start at the bottom and after 7-10 years perhaps a pastry chef de partie position.
In Japan, people here get paid salary with a paycheck once a month. The only hourly positions are part timers. Salary position entails 12 hour days minimum with 6 days off a month(consider yourself lucky if you get 8). And in the hotel system, it is customary for everyone in the bake shop to clock out and return to work for another 3-4 hours. This makes it a total of 15-16 hours a day in the pursuit of perfecting their technique and honing their skill in pastry. They are picky in every aspect that envelops towards the making of a confection. Even something as simple as a tart shell envokes full concentration. Nothing is guessed, everything is weighed and measured. Ever wonder why the Japanese, when they come to America to compete, they go looking for the nearest japanese store to buy items like eggs, sugar, and flour? Simply put, their products are far more superior than America's. Quality eggs in Japan can go as much as .60 each with a great difference in yolk color and richness to the strong protein qualities of the albumen. I've seen eggs where they cracked it open on a plate and stuck toothpicks in the yolk and the yolk did not break, holding up the toothpicks.
Most of the Japanese that are sent to compete in these world competitions are not even know in their own country unlike Vincent Pilon, Stanton Ho, and Stephane Treand whom we all know in America. At any time, Japan has a line of people whom are competition ready. Competition level in Japan, itself, is extremely high with as many as 75 entries in one district. Pieces are judged by A,B,C category.

Coupe du Monde 2007, Japan 1st place

Naomi Mizuno, Word Chocolate Masters winner

ずっと友達

Konno-chan, "peace"

Marie-chan "Let's speak English!"

Sugamono-san, "Good Guy!"

Miwa-chan, Bingo!

Kentaro-san, ～乗り行くよ！

Akito-san, patisserie がんばれ!

Yuusuke-san, 飲みに行くよ！

My time here in Japan is almost up. Along the way I have made many friends most of whom are at work. Many thanks for the experience and the memories. まことにありがとうございました!

Cacahouete Paris

Cacahouete Paris in Naka-Meguro. The Pastry chef is Jerome Quesnel from France. If you notice some of his cakes look like Pierre Herme's cakes. That's because he worked at Pierre Herme's shop in France. Also competed in the Coupe de Monde, Lyon, France, 2005. Nice small cake shop with an open kitchen. I actually saw him working when I went there to try his some of his pastries.

Pierre Herme

Sarah

Tarte au Cafe'

Plasir Sucre'


This is the famous french pastry chef Pierre Herme's pastry shop in Omotesando, Tokyo. The other one is in Paris, of course. I have been to many pastry shops throughout Japan and this shop has undoubtly some of the best cakes and coffee, for that matter, in Japan. My favorite, as well as my son, is the plasir sucre'. It's layers of hazelnut dacquoise with hazelnut halves, nuttella paste, milk chocolate ganache, milk chocolate sheets, and milk chocolate mousse. The selection of cakes changes often. If you are ever in Omotesando check out his shop.

仕事だよ！

Amandan Hills Kitchen Staff and Chef Matsumura

Me and Chef Matsumura

Shingo-san, Yuusuke-san, and Akito-san somewhere back there.

Kentaro-san and Yuusuke-san

Amandan Hills, Hon Atsugi, Japan, a wedding hall facility that executes seasonal 5 course lunch menu for the weekdays and wedding events on the weekends. The wedding hall is located in the country part of Japan, away from the noise and crowd of Tokyo. Really nice since you can see the changing of the seasons from the mountains across the facility. Undoubtly, the cleanest kitchen that I have ever worked in along with the hardest staff members that I have ever seen. Working 13-15 hours a day is typical in Japan. The chef is Matsumaara, trained in France, and is a genius in his own right. The menu is French with Japanese influence, of course, utilizing the freshest seasonal products available. The area in which the restaurant is located is surrounded by many different farms and most of the ingredients that we get are from the farmers around the area ranging from fresh herbs, vegetables, soy milk, and fruits. Each dish is intricate with usually 10 components upon execution. Even a 40 reservation for lunch can be extremely hectic.

物凄く高いお弁当

Obento for the New Year. at the low, low, price of 36,750 yen($319.00). It's customary for families to prepare obento for the new year the day before in the belief that they will not work long hours for the rest of the year if they rest on New Years Day. Here's some of the more extravagant obento.

Boulangeries

Japanese are very French, in that, you have boulangeries and patisseries which are always separated. You rarely find a shop that sells both cakes and bread. This is Anderson's boulangerie in Ueno, one of the bigger shops. Being in Japan I eat bread just about every day and so do many Japanese. Most of the boulangeries are open kitchen, in that you can see the bakers in action. As the season changes so do the selection of specialty breads that are available. Being that its fall you see alot of breads that contain nuts, dried raisins, figs, and even pumpkin. And with winter on the way, Christmas breads like stollen is making an appearance.