PR83377

TOKYO, Mar. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

Japanese chef Natsuko Shoji of Ete in Tokyo is the 2020 winner of the Asia's

Best Pastry Chef Award, sponsored by Valrhona. Shoji will be honoured as part

of the eighth annual Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards. As a result of current

travel restrictions in Asia, this year's event takes the form of a virtual

awards ceremony, streaming on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Facebook page

[https://www.facebook.com/Asias50BestRestaurants/ ] and YouTube channel

[https://www.youtube.com/user/worlds50best ], starting at 4pm (HK/SG; 5pm JPN)

on Tuesday, 24th March.

Shoji began her culinary career at Florilege, currently ranked No.5 on the

Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2019 list. Under the tutelage of Florilege's chef

and owner Hiroyasu Kawate, Shoji was promoted to sous chef. In 2014 Shoji

opened Ete (meaning 'summer' in French), an exclusive, invitation-only,

four-seat omakase restaurant in Tokyo's Shibuya neighbourhood.

Drawing inspiration from fashion houses and designer handbags, Chef Shoji

developed a line of signature cakes, including her strawberry cake that takes

its cues from Louis Vuitton's Damier print, or the peach cake that evokes the

distinctive stitching on Chanel's Matelasse bags. Indulgent and luxurious, each

cake contains Japan's prized fruit and is presented in a black box designed to

resemble a jewellery box.

In December, Ete expanded to larger premises and Shoji opened the restaurant to

the public, allowing more diners to experience her hand-crafted creations. The new space

also includes a 'cake lab' where customers can watch the pastry chef craft her creations.

William Drew, Director of Content for Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, said:

"Natsuko Shoji's fashion-inspired creations reveal her perfectionism, attention

to detail and creative vision. With her appreciation for seasonality and

uncompromising quality, the chef's sculpted, fruit-topped cakes embody the

artistry of Japanese cuisine."

Clementine Alzial, General Manager of Valrhona, said: "As an entrepreneur who

constantly challenges the status quo, who is driven by seasonality and shares

our values of quality and perfectionism, Natsuko Shoji is a visionary whom we

are very proud to honour with this award, raising pastry to an outstanding level."

Shoji follows in the footsteps of celebrated pastry chefs who have previously

earned the accolade, including Fabrizio Fiorani (2019), Nicolas Lambert (2018),

Kazutoshi Narita (2017), Cheryl Koh (2016), Hidemi Sugino (2015) and Janice

Wong (2014 and 2013).

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1136033/Best_Pastry_Chef_Portrait.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1085423/50_Best_Asia_Restaurants_Logo.jpg

SOURCE: Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2020