Isetan's 12th annual Salon du Chocolat is gaining attention after chefs Hironobu Tsujiguchi (Le Chocolat de H), Sadaharu Aoki (Pâtisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris), and Susumu Koyama (Pâtissier S. Koyama) received top marks at the event held in Paris in October. The event will be held in Japan at seven stores, starting with Isetan Shinjuku on January 22, 2014. The theme is "La Magie: The Magic of Chocolat." World-class chocolatiers will unveil a number of new creations that evoke the magic of chocolate. Three chocolatiers will be making their Japanese debut this year. The first is Thierry Bamas, who received the most recent M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) award in 2011. Active in the Basque region of France, said to be the birthplace of chocolate in Europe, he is one of the most popular pastry chefs right now, with famous French people purchasing his products as souvenirs. His chocolate creations feature local flavors, such as chocolates made with Basque chili peppers, honey, and salt, as well as traditional macarons, all made with Basque ingredients. Our second chef is David Capy, who has his own shop in Bordeaux. He graduated from the École du Grand Chocolat, a chocolatier training school run by the renowned couverture company Valrhona, and won the Master of Fine Arts in 2007. His classic, authentic chocolate creations are his forte. Our third chef is Japanese chef Morihide Yoshida, who just opened his boutique, Mori Yoshida, in Paris's 7th arrondissement in April 2013. After working at the popular patisserie Nature Nature in Shizuoka Prefecture, he traveled to France alone to try his hand at it. The boutique, which is currently garnering attention as the latest Japanese chef boutique in Paris, will be making its triumphant return to Japan for the event. Also making an appearance will be Vincent Guerlais, who is immensely popular in France and has received the highest rating of 5 stars for six consecutive years from C.C.C. (Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat), known as the chocolate equivalent of Michelin. His chocolates, which are the hottest topic as a candidate to become the next M.O.F. chocolatier, will be making their long-awaited debut.
