IN FOCUS // Natsuko Shoji
BAKING IS CONSIDERED an art form, and
the sentiment could not be more accurate for
Natsuko Shoji, who has been named Asia’s Best
Female Chef 2022 by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. In 2020, the pastry chef expanded her Tokyo-
based tart shop Été to include an exclusive sixseat dining experience. The concept is revered
for its innovation and as the birthplace of one of Tokyo’s most sought-after desserts.
Shoji talks to Hospitality about the beginnings
of her culinary journey, career-defining dishes
and inspiring the next generation of women in the industry.
Natsuko Shoji first stepped foot in the
professional kitchen at Florilège, a French
restaurant in Tokyo. She was promoted to sous
chef within three years, but it wasn’t long before she decided to go it alone. The chef opened Été, which means summer in French, in Shibuya.
“I was 24 when I first opened Été,” says Shoji. “I thought it would be really hard to [open] a
restaurant business because I was inexperienced,
I was not famous, I was young and I was a female cook. It meant it was going to be difficult hiring
staff and finding customers, so I started Été as a unique tart shop.”
Any concerns were soon quashed once Shoji
began making and selling a mango tart, a
dessert that has gone on to receive acclaim
from customers and industry peers. “I wanted to make something people would instantly
recognise as my creation,” says the chef. “I made a tart in [what] looked like a square
jewellery box. I truly believe my signature dish was the starting point of my success.”
The tart features three different layers
including crispy, butter-rich sabret topped with
diplomat cream and the dessert’s trademark rose
Master creations Natusko Shoji on being named Asia’s Best Female Chef 2022 and her tart shop Été. WORDS Aristine Dobson
made of mango slices glazed in syrup.
Like many of Shoji’s creations, the dessert was
inspired by her interest in fashion. Customer requests have also been a defining factor for some of Été’s other prized creations. “My
cooking style is inspired by fashion and art, and
I’ve designed my restaurant in an haute couture style,” says the chef. “I’m also inspired by the
diners who come to my restaurant; many of my signature dishes were requested by them.”
An example is Été’s strawberry cake, which
draws inspiration from Louis Vuitton’s Damier print. The cake features Yuki-Usagi white
strawberries from Saga and red Sakura Momo
strawberries from Tokushima. “There are many
beautiful, high-quality, seasonal fruits in Japan,” 8 | Hospitality
