I wasn’t entirely sure, but since one of his bakers started cooking them right there, I couldn’t take my eyes off the process.
First, the patissier broke out a batter squirter, and injected dollops of matcha-flavored batter into muffin divets on a stovetop oven.
Then out came the chocolate macarons.
Plunk, plunk, plunk…
After a little cooking time, the squirter came out again, and he started baking the tops.
Voila, he then deftly sandwiched the two…
…and let them cook a little while longer.
That was it. Sadaharu Aoki’s baked macaron.
Of course after having invested the time to watch the full process, I had to sample one for myself.
Warm, melty chocolate cake from a master patisserier? Bien sur…
It’s a wonderfully balanced decadence: not too rich or sweet. Unusual and special.
In fact, I didn’t know it at the time but M. Aoki won the “International Excellence” award at the Salon du Chocolat for the second year in a row.
Will his Tokyo Macaron Yakis be the next Parisian sensation? Time will tell...