This is a serial interview series that delves into the secrets behind the radiance of women active in a variety of fields. In the 11th installment, we feature Miki Kobayashi, who was appointed chocolatier at the Palace Hotel Tokyo at the tender age of 30.
On the day of the interview, she created a piece of art specially for this occasion. The inside of the chocolate box was covered in pearl-shaped chocolates, and on top of that were bonbons arranged like jewelry.
--Is the piece you created for this occasion made entirely of chocolate?
Yes. The walls and lid of the box are all made of chocolate and are edible. The pearls are made from puffs coated in chocolate and sprinkled with glitter powder. We've lined up some popular bonbons, including "Coco Praline" with coconut and almonds, "Citron Vert" with lemon and lime liqueur, "Pistachio" with pistachio paste, "Caramel Sale" with salted caramel, and "Hibiki" made with 17-year-old Hibiki whiskey.
--Is this piece available for sale?
--The bonbons are sold as a "Chocolate Assortment" at the "Sweets & Deli" in the Palace Hotel Tokyo. While we don't normally sell them in boxes, we do make them specially for customers who order them.
--Is this piece that resembles chiyogami also chocolate?
This is a plate-shaped chocolate called "Chiyochoco." Inspired by traditional Japanese beauty, each piece is carefully printed with traditional patterns used in Edo chiyogami, kimonos, and yukatas. Each one has a different flavor. The red chocolate printed with a kabuki motif is 70% cacao, giving it a deep bitterness and aroma. The pink chocolate printed with a cherry blossom pattern is 36% cacao, enhancing the sweetness of the milk jam flavor. Other flavors include chocolate with a roasted nut aroma and a subdued white chocolate, all in a box of six. It makes a great gift for foreign visitors.
--This chocolate is delicious to look at and eat! It's wonderful. They say chocolate, containing polyphenols, is good for your health. Have you experienced any side effects?
Everyone smiles when they eat chocolate, so I think chocolate must contain ingredients that bring happiness. Since they even have chocolate packs, it must have beauty benefits too.
--Christmas is just around the corner. It seems like Christmas cakes are popular every year at the Palace Hotel Tokyo.
Christmas cakes will be on sale from December 20th to 25th, and reservations are currently being accepted. My personal recommendations are the "Emotion" and "Bonnet de Père Noël" cakes. Shaped like a bright red Santa hat, Bonnet de Père Noël is a cheesecake that reveals a chocolate Santa sculpture when you remove Santa's red hat. Emotion comes in a white chocolate gift box, and when you open it, a Christmas tree made of chocolate cream puffs appears. Even the ribbon wrapping the box is made of chocolate.
These eye-catching cakes will surprise you when you open them, bring a smile to your face when you eat them, and are enjoyable for everyone, from children to adults. I'm sure they'll be a hit at home parties too. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas this year.
--By the way, how are you spending Christmas this year?
Christmas is a busy season, so I'm always working. My job is to create gorgeous things and create wonderful moments, so I'd like to do my best again this year.
[Profile of Miki Kobayashi] Born in Tochigi Prefecture in 1983. Graduated from the International Confectionery School. Joined Edelweiss Wittamer in 2003. Moved to France in 2006 and trained in chocolate at François Jimenez in Lyon. After returning to Japan, worked as chef chocolatier for the opening of Lotte's Charlotte Chocolate in 2009. Joined Noguchi in 2011. Joined Palace Hotel in 2012. As chocolatier, he oversees all chocolates served at Palace Hotel Tokyo. His creations can be purchased year-round at the Sweets & Deli inside the Palace Hotel Tokyo.
