firmersbay
I visited the place a little before 12 o'clock on a regular Friday. It is located right in front of the Shinagawa station exit 2 of the subway. The first store was opened by Eric Kaiser in the 5th district of Paris in 1996. Kimura Shuichiro, who trained as a bread baker at this first store, is now expanding the business domestically. Kimura Shuichiro comes from the founding family of Kimuraya Sohonten, famous for its anpan. The first domestic store was opened in 2001 as the Shinagawa main store, but due to the aging of the building, it closed in January 2022. It reopened near the original location at the end of 2022. Previously, it was located about halfway between Izumigakuen station and Shirokanetakanawa station, but now it is in front of Shirokanetakanawa station, improving access. Currently, they have a total of 30 stores in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Sendai, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Kumamoto. They also have 6 stores of a different brand, "Pan O Traditionnel," in Sapporo and the Kanto region. At one point, they also had franchise stores under the "Maison Kayser" brand, but it seems that they have all closed now. They aim to create a lineup of stores focused on French hard bread. This main store is small, so the selection is somewhat limited. They were selling about 40 types of bread, 7 types of baked sweets, 5 types of sandwiches, and 6 types of cakes. There were about 4-5 customers at the time, giving a lively impression. I bought a Baguette Monge for 350 yen and a croissant for 280 yen. The Baguette Monge uses a unique wheat flour called "Maison Kayser Traditional," developed in collaboration with Nisshin Flour Milling. They ferment it for about 17-18 hours using natural fermentation starter containing lactic acid bacteria and a small amount of yeast. The use of a small amount of yeast is to allow you to enjoy the original aroma of the wheat. The name Monge comes from the Monge Street in Paris where the first store is located. It has a firm browned surface. The crust is thin but firm, making it a bit difficult to cut. However, it is not too hard to bite into, offering a chewy texture. The crumb is soft, fluffy, and moist. The bread has a light taste overall, with a hint of wheat flavor and sweetness. But the taste and flavor tend to diminish quickly, especially when cut, so it's best to eat it sooner rather than later. The croissant, Maison Kayser's signature product, is made with French fermented butter. It has received the top rating in Paris from the Figaro newspaper. It is larger in size but surprisingly light when held. The crispy browned surface is very thin, and the inside is fluffy and moist. It has a rich buttery aroma. The taste is also light overall. I have been enjoying simple bread like this lately.