"Gateau Basque". The baked confectionery that represents the Basque Country is too simple and unobtrusive when placed side by side with the gorgeous Western confectionery. However, it has the charm of making you want to eat it again and again. "MAISON D'AHNI Shirokane", which has a selection of sweets from the Basque region, including Gâteau Basque, opened in June in Shirokane Takanawa, Tokyo.

"Gateau Basque" that makes you want to eat again because of its simple taste
"Gateau Basque" that makes you want to eat again because of its simple taste

Gâteau Basque is baked with custard cream and jam sandwiched between cookie dough. In Basque, "Biskotcha" is said to have been born in the 17th century.

Maison Dani's Gâteau Basque has plenty of black cherry jam inside, and it is attractive to be able to eat freshly baked. The sweetness of sugar and the scent of jam spread slowly when you bite into the warm freshly baked.

The steam rises softly
The steam rises softly

In recent years, the Basque Country, which has been attracting attention as a city of gastronomy and art, straddles southwestern France and northeastern Spain. The chef, Naohiro Totani, trained at the famous long-established Basque confectionery store "Miremont" in North Basque on the French side. He received the recipe and got the approval from the top chef, and when the Maison Dani opened, he brought something made in Japan and asked him to check the taste. Oh yeah, the store name "Dani" is the nickname of Mr. Totani, who was called locally.

Mr. Totani was impressed by the freshly baked taste of Miremont. At Maison Dani, high-quality Spanish almonds are kneaded into the dough, and French Threes Noir (black cherry, a specialty of the Basque Country) is made into jam by itself and sandwiched. We bake about 10 times a day and serve freshly baked. It's about once an hour, so if you can meet it, please try it.

Freshly baked items that have just been taken out of the oven are lined up
Freshly baked items that have just been taken out of the oven are lined up

As I trained at a Basque confectionery store, I can find sweets from the Basque region, including not only the northern Basque country but also the southern Basque country on the Spanish side.

"Belle Basque" is a hemispherical finish made by coating a rich chocolate mousse and dough with shiny chocolate. This is the shape of a beret. The Basque Country is said to be the birthplace of berets, and there are many sweets of this type in the area. In addition, there are colorful "berets" such as "Beret Rouge" that shines in red and "Beret Exotic" that has cute yellow and orange colors.

"Beret" series at the bottom of the showcase where namagashi are lined up
"Beret" series at the bottom of the showcase where namagashi are lined up

"Goshore", which means "delicious" in Basque, is a classic South Basque confectionery. It is finished with a combination of rich custard cream and fresh cream with white chocolate. That is why you can fully enjoy the taste of cream.

The plate on which it is placed is "Basque Cross" Lau Buru. It ’s a symbol of peace.
The plate on which it is placed is "Basque Cross" Lau Buru. It ’s a symbol of peace.

There are a lot of baked goods on the left side of the showcase. Croissants, which are sold only after being baked in the morning, are a very popular item that is inevitably sold out. In addition, the financier, where you can enjoy the unique texture of freshly made financiers, is a must-try item. The edges are crispy and the inside is slightly elastic and has an exquisite texture. As with Gateau Basque, you can wrap it in paper and hand it over.

Croissant that I missed eating because it was sold out after shooting
Croissant that I missed eating because it was sold out after shooting

Freshly baked financiers are a must!
Freshly baked financiers are a must!

Actually, there is also an eat-in space in the back of the store. Enjoy your favorite sweets and espresso while watching the sweets that are finished in a blissful time. Morning with croissants and coffee looks good.

Take a break while looking at the store
Take a break while looking at the store

The store is located at 1-11-15 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Business hours are from 7:00 to 19:00 (closed on Tuesdays). French local sweets, which are rarely seen in Japan, convey the taste of the ingredients to us.

The store was designed by a designer living in Paris.
The store was designed by a designer living in Paris.