| オーボンヴュータン（世田谷区） Au Bon Vieux Temps (Setagaya-ku) Oyamadai / Cakes, side dishes  This is the shop of Katsuhiko Kawata, who laid the foundations of French confectionery culture in Japan. lunch:¥1,000～¥1,999 dinner:¥1,000～¥1,999 Official website |
Setagaya Ward is known as a battleground for sweets shops, and there are many delicious sweets shops in the area, but among them is a Western-style confectionery shop with a legendary chef who is said to be “known by everyone in the Japanese sweets world”.
For this reason, we would like to introduce “Au Bon Vieux Temps” in Todoroki, Setagaya Ward.
Please check the official website and Google Map below for opening hours, days closed, reviews, etc.
Finally visiting a restaurant I’ve always wanted to go to
On the way home from an outing by car, I had the opportunity to get off at the Yoga Interchange at around 10 o’clock, so I decided to drop in at the “Au Bon Vieux Temps” in Todoroki, a place I’d always wanted to visit.
It was a Sunday, and I arrived at the restaurant just after it opened at 10 o’clock, but there were already about 10 customers waiting in line.
I think I waited for about 15 minutes, and the moment I stepped inside I felt like I had entered another world.
In addition to cakes, there were also many other items on display in the spacious store, including baked goods, jellies and chocolates, and it almost felt like a showcase for luxury sweets.
It may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it felt like looking at the glittering jewels in a department store showcase (all prices as of July 2022).
There were also charcuterie (processed meat products) such as sausages and terrines in the back, and I was so excited that when I paid the bill, the total was over 5,000 yen. 😅
A delicious cake that’s both sweet and firm
I bought quite a lot of it in a good mood, so I ate the cake on the day I bought it, and then I ate the baked sweets on the second and third days.
The first cake I ate was all firm and sweet.
I can’t describe it well, but it was a sweetness that made me feel happy when I ate it.
As you can see, they’re all wonderfully delicious.
It was said that the baked sweets would last for 2-3 days, but when I tried them, I understood what they meant.
Many of the baked sweets had a texture like fresh sweets, and it was as if I was eating cake.
The amazing “Au Bon Vieux Temps”! This was the first time for me to visit a shop as amazing as this.
About “Au Bon Vieux Temps”
Au Bon Vieux Temps was founded in 1981 by Katsuhiko Kawata, who is considered to be the leading expert on French confectionery in Japan.
In the 1960s, when it was still unusual to study cooking overseas, he went to France on his own to learn how to make cakes in their homeland.
He is such a person that it is said, “If it weren’t for Mr. Kawata, the French confectionary culture in Japan might not have developed to this extent”, and he was introduced as “a truly amazing artisan chosen by patissiers” in a TV program called “True Professional Succession – Truly Amazing Artisans Chosen by Their Peers” that was broadcast on TV Tokyo in the past.
Mr. Kawata is still active at the age of 80, but his eldest son Kaoru has taken over the Western confectionery side of the business, and his second son Rikiya has taken over the charcuterie side, so the knowledge, skills and passion of the artisans will continue to be passed on.
Access, reviews
You can check the access to Au Bon Vieux Temps, opening hours, regular holidays, reviews, etc. using the Google Map (click to enlarge) below.
