A Taste of Summer
Asia’s Best Pastry Chef 2020 Natsuko Shoji talks of merging fashion and fruit
Besides being the name behind Tokyo’s most-sought-after cakes at Été, Natsuko Shoji is also Asia’s Best Pastry Chef 2020.
“My culinary philosophy is to use the best and highest quality ingredients in my cooking and to share my beautiful creations with people who appreciate what I do. There is nothing greater than seeing the reaction on people’s faces when they enjoy my food,” she says.
Her culinary journey began in home economics club with choux creams as she watched puff pastry rise in the oven.
However, “I have not made puff pastries since starting my own business”, she says laughingly.
Été’s cakes are delicate and represent the seasonal fruits of Japan. Her signature dessert is the mango rose cake created with sliced mango “petals”, diplomat cream and a sable cookie base.
“Fruits in Japan are of high quality. They have a beautiful aroma and juice. There are many types of fruits for each season. I want to show the world the significance and beauty of Japanese fruits,” Shoji says of her creations.
Summer is her favourite time of year and the different seasons are the inspiration behind most of her creations.
“I love summer. The name Été derives from my name and the word summer in French. Different seasons for different fruits. Each fruit has a different aroma, colour, texture and form. Just like how the fashion industry shows different collections for different seasons, I love to showcase my creations using seasonal fruits,” Shoji says.
Her love for fashion began as a little girl and many of her cakes are inspired by iconic brands and their accessories.
“My mother and I are very interested in the fashion world and it’s where I get my inspiration for the cakes. I look at fashion icons and trends and express them via fruit. For example, my peach cake is inspired by my mother’s love for Chanel. I took inspiration from Chanel’s Matelassé bags and their diamond-shaped stitching, and began cutting peaches and arranging them in a similar design. I hope to translate the world of haute couture to cakes.”
The process to create her signature cake began when she worked at Florilége in Japan, which is also where she tasted her first mango.
“I made anniversary plates for their guests. I used many kinds of fruits to decorate the plate and I thought that mango could take the form of a rose. It was at that time I realised people could recognise the mango rose cake as the icon of Été. So, it became my signature dessert,” she adds.
Despite her love for fashion, the mango rose cake is the one item which isn’t inspired by it.
“The mango cake concept was born before I began using fashion as an inspiration. It was also the first cake that I ever made,” she explains. The chef, who also likes to drink Champagne after midnight, “sometimes with caviar”, adds that her favourite mango variety is the Hokkaido. However, the fashion world hasn’t only inspired her cakes but also jewellery boxes to carry them in.
“Fruits are a very significant part of Japanese culture. I think of the special fruits of Japan as being the same as jewellery. They are often beautifully packaged in a box. This is where the idea comes from.”
The one Japanese ingredient you’ll never find in her cuisine is natto (fermented soybean).
Despite creating menus according to the seasons, climate change has also affected the way she makes her cakes.
“I need to control my recipes depending on the temperature and weather. The taste of the fruits changes every year, so I have to adjust accordingly.”
Despite her cakes being constantly in demand (Shoji limits the numbers of cakes to 200 per month), her focus is on quality.
“I want to focus on quality over quantity. I want to make sure that each and every cake tastes identical and amazing. Since high-quality fruits are becoming limited, I do not want to compromise on quality,” she emphasises.
At Été, Shoji’s pastry skills have merged with her savoury food items as she also serves a multi-course seasonal menu.
“My dream has always been to become a chef, not just a pastry chef. My cakes are a stepping stone for me. Just like fruits, other ingredients also have their seasons. After the success of my cakes, I was more than ready to cook and get closer and closer to my dream. The multi-course seasonal menu at Été was initially only for regular customers and close friends. I thought of it as a way to welcome them into my humble home. But now with so many requests from all over the world to dine in at Été, it has pushed me to focus a lot more on my cuisine,” she says.
Determined to become a role model for the next generation, Asia’s Best Pastry Chef 2020 is hoping that the award will give female chefs more prominence in the industry.
“Females in this industry are often frowned upon. The perception is that it takes a lot of physical energy, so only men can do the job. I hope that the privilege of being recognised as Asia’s Best Pastry Chef this year will open up doors for the younger generation to work hard and pursue their dreams, especially in the kitchen. I think it’s a start, but there is still quite a ways to go.
“Many people think that this kind of job is only fit for men because it’s not easy since it’s physically gruelling, so women are supposed to stay home and do the housework. This is the perception that I want to change.
“When I opened Été, I had to get a huge loan from the bank. It was a very big risk and my mother was very worried especially for me as a woman. Fast forward to today and I have been able to overcome and Été has just turned six,” Shoji says with pride.
Shoji believes that restaurants of the future will adopt a “haute couture” approach with more concentration on the individual diner, especially after the pandemic.
“The haute couture approach is becoming more popular.”
The Gastro Gospel is taking a break and will resume when international travel does. Stay tuned.
‘‘ Many people think that this kind of job is only fit for men. This is a perception that I want to change