From Tokyo to Paris: Miaki Kaneko and his dessert philosophy

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📝 Miaki Kaneko

Born in 1964 in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, he started working at Lenotre (now defunct) in 1980, then moved to Patisserie Pont Des Arts, where he was interested in the design industry, and worked as a graphic designer at Shin Matsunaga Design Office for seven years.
In 1994, he returned to the world of desserts. He then worked at Restaurant Pachon.
In 1998, he became the chef de dessert at Le Petit Bedon (now defunct), one of Pachon's restaurants.
In 1999, he traveled to France and worked at Sucré Cacao, Ladurée, Le Daniele, Arnaud Larher, Alain Ducasse, Hotel Plaza Athénée and Patrick Roger.
Returned to France in 2003 to open Paris S'eveille dessert store.
Opened Au Chant du Coq dessert store in Versailles, France in 2013.

🤗 Paris S’éveille

Behind every confectioner's story lies a small spark that touches the heart. For Miaki Kaneko, it was a bookstore he followed his father into as a child. That day, he happened to open a book about European desserts, and the colors, shapes and descriptions in the book were like opening a door to a new world. Although he had never tasted the desserts in the book and could not even fully understand the words, a seed was planted in his heart - a desire for desserts.

This flutter made him grow up with a special passion for desserts. Later, he walked into a famous French dessert brand store, Renault, and began his apprenticeship. at the age of 16, he started as a simple delivery boy, secretly learning the skills of the masters after his busy day. The first time he tasted a French cream meringue, the sweetness both shocked and excited him, and the rich aroma made him realize that the world of desserts was much richer than he had ever imagined.

Every day, he lingered in the kitchen, curious about everything like a child. The boy who once imagined the world of desserts in a book is now making it a reality, little by little, with his own hands.

If dessert is Miaki Kaneko's love, then Paris is his inspiration. He once said, “The Paris I love is not the gilded look in magazines, but the gray streets, the flowing Seine River, and the cool, beautiful winters.” When he first arrived in Paris, he was not attracted by the bustling city atmosphere, but immersed in the daily life of the city, and discovered the original tenderness of life.

He traveled to Paris in 1999 to study baking at a time of change in the French dessert scene. Young pastry chefs, represented by Pierre Hermé, were redefining French desserts with innovative approaches. While preserving tradition, they are introducing fashionable elements and new taste experiences, transforming desserts from delicate crafts to artistic gastronomic expressions.

This mingling of tradition and innovation has deeply influenced Miaki Kaneko's creative philosophy. He learned that desserts require not only skillful craftsmanship, but also thoughtful design and innovation. His work has since taken on this quality - respecting the core flavors of classic French desserts while giving them a new sensory experience through creative design.

In Paris, people are accustomed to buying a freshly baked croissant or bread from the corner dessert store every morning, simple and happy. Miaki Kaneko was deeply touched, and he began to believe that the significance of desserts lies in whether they can become part of people's daily lives, adding a little bit of extraordinary flavor to ordinary days.

After returning to Japan in 2023, he founded his own sweet store, Paris S'éveille. He didn't want a luxurious setting, but wanted the store to be part of people's lives, like a small café on a Parisian street corner. Whether it's in the morning, in the afternoon, or during a festive gathering, his desserts can be integrated into people's lives, adding a little bit of happiness to each day.

In 2013, he traveled to Versailles, France, to open Au Chant du Coq, a dessert store inspired by the serenity and elegance of Versailles' idyllic life, with a name that means “the song of the rooster” and symbolizes the first rays of sunshine in the morning. The daily life of Versailles made him feel the essence of the dessert.

💡

He firmly believes that dessert is not only a presentation of skills, but also a bridge of emotions. Whether it is adding the first sweetness in the morning or bringing joyful moments to holiday gatherings, each of his desserts conveys a kind of love and warmth for life. This original intention makes his works go beyond the enjoyment of taste and become the softest beauty in people's memories.

📝 Miaki Kaneko

🤗 Paris S’éveille

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