An Innovative Newcomer to Tokyo's Dessert Scene - Kazuya Hatakeyama

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🤗 Feuquiage

The name “feuquiage” is a personal expression of Hatakeyama's feelings. His parents used to run a bed and breakfast called “Fukiage Sho” in his hometown of Miyagi Prefecture, so he chose this similar French word as the name of the store to commemorate the memories he and his family shared. So he chose this French word with a similar meaning as the name of his shop to commemorate the memories that he and his family share.

Hatakeyama once said in an interview, “Since I was a child, I have loved making sweets and cooking. I couldn't imagine doing anything else in the future, and becoming a confectioner was a natural choice. In my sophomore year of high school, I entered the world of desserts through an internship. Since my family ran a restaurant, I would use the kitchen at night to make baked treats. I always dreamed of owning my own store, so I learned all aspects of making desserts, publicity, and store operations.”

Every work experience is a big step for Hatakeyama to take towards his dream path. While working at the famous Ecole Criollo, he learned seamless and efficient production. Hatakeyama says, “At the store where I first interned, all the pastry was handmade, and it was important to make pastry by hand. But at Criollo I learned a completely different way of operating, with a systematic and efficient model that enables me to produce a large number of high-quality desserts quickly. This way of utilizing mechanical help, increasing efficiency and maintaining quality has inspired me.”

In Jakarta, he learned the proper way to manage his staff as a chef. Hatakeyama admits, “High-end restaurants in Jakarta are often patronized by government dignitaries, entertainers, and large corporations, and it is often necessary to make large, gorgeous cakes, which are quite a challenge. And with more than 20 employees in the store, I learned a lot of management skills as I was also in charge of sales management in addition to making desserts. I learned how to treat my staff properly as a chef and a leader. I learned to calmly explain the reasons for mistakes instead of blaming the employees. At Timbuktu's, I strive to create a comfortable work environment and provide enough equipment and personnel to keep my employees happy.”

Turning the sweat of every journey he has traveled into nutrients to nourish his dreams, Feuquiage, which condenses all of Hatakeyama's efforts, has become a “dessert store that makes people feel happy,” just as he had hoped.

Walking into the store, the first thing that strikes you are two large display cases showcasing room temperature confections and frozen desserts. Striking against the premium minimalist gray tones is a cozy space surrounded by plants and flowers. “My mother had a hobby of making wreaths, so we would make wreaths together, go out together to gather flowers such as hexagonal vines, pine cones, and mouton, and plant lavender and royal shells.” Hatakeyama said. And the store's use of garlands for decoration serves not only to create memories, but also to give visitors a special feeling. “We want our customers to have a special experience when they make a point of patronizing our store, combining our desserts with flowers and making memories. We'd love it if people would exclaim “wow” when they walk into the store and leave in a happy mood.”

One of the store's signature products is the canelé, the Dawn Canelé, which Hatakeyama created while working as a chef in Jakarta, featuring a generous amount of French-fermented butter and the thickest, finest Tahitian vanilla imported directly from Indonesia, which is hard to find elsewhere.

The secret of Fernand Snow lies in the ratio of almond flour to wheat flour. For each traditional pastry, Hatakeyama puts his own spin on it to create a unique texture and flavor. When working with Rosen, Hatakeyama developed “Aromatic Raspberry Jelly Cream Fernandesque”. The mousse is made by mixing Kashiwa cream and whipped butter, and is decorated with raspberry jelly to add splendor and sweetness to the Fernandesque.

“At feuquiage, we offer freshly baked Fernand's Snow, while the items with Rosen are sold frozen. We have adapted the type and ratio of fats and oils in order for customers to experience the characteristic texture of Fernand's Snow. We also offer an improved version of the recipe that can be made at home, using strawberries instead of raspberry jelly.” Hatakeyama said.

An array of brightly colored, seasonal, mouthwatering cakes can be found right in front of the cake display. “I wanted to include a pistachio mousse cake made with one thing I wanted to eat.” Hatakeyama said. This cake was created to create something that everyone will love, and its main ingredient is butter, unlike regular mousse cakes that use cream and pastry cream. The air content is different, and the way the flavor is perceived is different, so it tastes and feels like it has a stronger pistachio flavor. Pistachios are usually paired with raspberries, with semi-dried apricots and oil-sealed lemons to set off the pistachio aroma.

“In recent years, a variety of cheesecakes have appeared, but I wanted to create a flavor that reminded me of something I ate as a child.” Hatakeyama said. With this in mind, he created this original cheesecake that combines condensed milk with a creamy, yet fully enjoyable cheese flavor. “The Mont Blanc is a traditional Japanese pastry, and Hatakeyama chose western chestnuts from Spain, a tart base to support it, making it more satisfying to eat, and a special almond frosting to give it a richer, but not too heavy, flavor.

“In Jakarta, I worked with more than 20 employees from different cultures and learned not just to make desserts, but to get along with people and work as a team. “At feuquiage, Hatakeyama patiently accepts packaging ideas from the staff, arranges reasonable work shifts and is committed to creating a good working environment for the staff. With a pleasant working atmosphere, the staff is also more committed to working together to provide customers with first-class desserts and services. Through his desserts and store concept, Kazuya Hatakeyama makes people feel the happiness of desserts the moment they step into a feuquiage.

🤗 popular item

A popular brownie even before it opened a brick-and-mortar store, the “Brownie as Light as a Feather” is as light as its name suggests. Though light when first tasted, the carefully selected chocolate and cocoa powder add a rich cocoa flavor that makes it a deep and impressive delicacy.

The use of dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70% gives it a rich spice and woodiness, paired with a soft acidity similar to that of dried fruits, which have not been treated with alkali, and therefore have a slightly bitter and uniquely wild aroma. These ingredients, although used in small quantities, are enough to release a strong aroma in baked goods.

In order to improve the texture, he uses low gluten flour with fine particles from Odakyu Manufacturing and strictly controls the temperature of the dough. Mr. Hatakeyama emphasizes that it is crucial not to melt the butter because once melted, it will not be able to fully absorb the air, resulting in an overly tight dough structure and a poor texture. Therefore, he cools the chocolate mixed with the butter to about 35°C before using it. In addition, the whole egg and caster sugar are also whisked after cooling down to 40°C to avoid making the dough too firm when mixing with the chocolate and butter, with the final temperature adjusted to around 25°C.

Through precise temperature control and a focus on texture, his baked pastries reveal the ultimate taste experience. In addition to chocolate brownies, his pastry collection includes vanilla, rum, and almond flavors, each of which impresses customers by fully showcasing the natural aroma of the ingredients.

Material

Fermented butter (warmed up at room temperature) - 400 grams

Sugar - 200g

Salt - 3.5g

Whole egg - 480g

Caster sugar - 280g

Dark chocolate (70% cocoa) - 420 g (dissolved and cooled to about 35°C)

Gluten flour - 240g

Cocoa powder - 50g

Walnuts - 180g (toasted in a convection oven at approx 150°C for 7-8 minutes until lightly browned and roughly chopped)

Preparation Method

Place A in a mixing bowl and mix with a slow mixer until white.

In a separate bowl add B and place over the heat, heat to 40°C then whip with a mixer for 6-7 minutes until fluffy in volume. The temperature should be around 25°C when the whisking is complete.

Add the dissolved and cooled chocolate to 1 at about 35°C in 3 batches, stirring quickly with a whisk after each addition.

Add 1/3 of the quantity of 3 to 2 and mix thoroughly. Add remaining ½ amount of 2 until well blended. Add the sifted low gluten flour and cocoa powder and mix thoroughly until well combined overall, then add the remainder of 2 and mix.

in a flexible baking dish that has been sprayed with release agent (no measuring required), pour in 38 g of 4 at a time, then top evenly with the toasted walnuts and press down gently.

Bake in a convection oven at 175°C with the steam door closed for 10 minutes, then open the steam door and bake for about 6 minutes more. Remove the flexible baking sheet immediately after baking is complete and place in a cooler to cool to about 20°F.

🤗 Feuquiage

🤗 popular item

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