TOMO, a Delicious Franco-Japanese Union in Paris

Bakery, laboratory, tea salon by day and sake bar by night… Having first opened its doors in 2017, the Paris establishment with a black facade is run by two chefs, Romain Gaia and Takanori Murata. They met at Aida, a Japanese gourmet restaurant that specialises in teppanyaki (method of cooking on a griddle). 

This refined setting seeks to ‘offer a real artisanal product, respect the cycle of the seasons and make the most authentic Japanese pastries possible’. TOMO, which means ‘two moons’, celebrates the friendship between two different worlds by revisiting wagashi (traditional Japanese pastries). ‘Lots of chefs like taking French products and then making versions of them using products from other countries. But we wanted to do the opposite. We wanted to start with a Japanese product and make a French-style version’, Romain Gaia explained in an interview for Cocy. 

The house of dorayaki

Popularised thanks to the film Sweet Bean (2016) by Naomi Kawase, dorayaki is made up of two pancakes and is filled with anko, a sweet red bean paste. At TOMO, this traditional Japanese dessert is placed in the spotlight as the centrepiece on the menu. Made in the traditional way (matcha, fine sea salt, yuzu), the sweet treat also serves as a base to make French cakes like the Paris-Brest or rum baba. 

Other wagashi in unexpected flavours and shapes can also be found on the menu. Black sesame daifuku, warabi mochi, tessen with shiro-an bean cream… All these sweet delights, most of which are vegan and gluten free, evolve according to the ingredients available each season. The goal is to ‘put quality and craftsmanship at the heart of Asian pâtisserie again’, explains the founder Romain Gaia for Cocy.

With its minimalist decor and ceramic tableware, the Parisian establishment serves as a tea salon with a cosy atmosphere. Visitors can try different Franco-Japanese desserts, and also discover a selection of premium hot drinks from the boutique Jugetsudo.

More information about TOMO can be found on the bakery’s website.