Very few women head up a professional kitchen in Japan. And less so if they are also the owners. Natsuko Shoji, 32 years old, and running her own business since the age of 24, has broken moulds and successfully brought about a fusion between gastronomy and fashion. A new female air for imperial Japan.

Perfection. Perfectionism. Continuing to perfect. One way or another, perfection is repeated a number of times in Natsuko Shoji's discourse. You can put it down to her Japanese culture, so methodical and precise, or her passion for ideal, unblemished beauty; but the truth of the matter is that this young chef works towards this perfection in all of her creations. Creations that are almost designer material, works of art, more to be admired than tasted, although this does not make them any less astonishing in diners' mouths. Not for nothing was Shoji declared Asia's Best Female Chef in The 50 Best Restaurants last year.

“Mi perfectionism, my obsession with detail and my creative vision are reflected in my work”. This is the way Natsuko herself describes it, and she has turned her restaurant Été (Tokyo) into a genuine pilgrimage destination for lovers of pampered finesse. Located in the popular Shibuya district of her native city, Tokyo, Été is a tranquil backwater amid a sea of strident neon and traffic. In one of the Japanese capital's most fashionable neighbourhoods - with apologies to Harajuku - Été is the perfect location if we consider the fact that one of its hallmarks is the fusion of gastronomy and fashion. Haute couture. Haute cuisine. 

“Fashion mirrors people's feelings and social trends, just like in the culinary world. There is no difference between these two worlds - in both cases it means the creation of something that matches people's feelings", Natsuko tells us, as her reaction to those who may see the fashion-gastronomy symbiosis as a frivolous whim. Shoji saw this niche from the outset, producing unique creations presented on the basis of templates inspired by the most emblematic haute couture designs of all time. This young chef also feels that the combination can be beneficial for gastronomy, because "consumers in the fashion industry and the catering industry are different. And so, combining the two genres, the culinary world can reach a wider customer base and even draw in the younger generations". Natsuko Shoji has clearly focused on this option, and her links to fashion are not limited to her own creations; the restaurant's decor is also heaving with Haute Couture in details such as a golden Cartier poster, or a candleholder designed by Franck Muller; and she herself is a faithful example of stylishness in her public appearances. “My mother was always a fashion enthusiast, and that had an effect on me. In fact, I like fashion too”. Fashion which Natsuko has no doubts is an artistic activity, "a way of telling people about the artist's view of the world, be it the designer's world or the chef's world. What is so fascinating about fashion is that the shows put on by the big names have a world impact on a huge scale. I would like to pass this emotion on to diners with my offer of gastronomy”.

And she is certainly succeeding in this, albeit on a small scale, with the exclusivity of only six places for diners at Été, making it more of a private table than a restaurant. “Customised haute cuisine for each diner”, explains Shoji. Absolutely splendid cuisine with links to the art of Japanese cookery and its ancestral techniques "to show the world the artisan value of each Japanese ingredients", but cuisine which has also reaped much influence from French techniques - which this chef learned during her training - because "traditional Japanese cuisine has a large number of restrictions, and by using a technique which differs from conventional Japanese formats, I can adopt a more creative approach with the ingredients", concludes Natsuko Shoji. 

It all began with the dessert

France and Japan embracing in Shoji's cooking, as we have already seen in the fusion of fashion and gastronomy. Été, a French name which has Japanese links too. “Été means summer in French. And my name, Natsuko, means ‘summer girl’ “. A name that is "easy to remember", and evokes the warmth of her creations. 

Été, in fact, started out as a small cake boutique (another very French concept), and went on to become a dessert restaurant with a cake lab producing icons such as the strawberry cake created along the lines of Louis Vuitton's "Damier" design, the peach cake inspired by the sewing work on Chanel's Matrasse bag, or the famous mango tart. A creation which earned her Asia's Best Pastry Chef Award in 2020, and made Été the exclusive restaurant it has now become, where bookings can only be made after buying a cake at Fleurs d’Été, Shoji's new business, created in 2021 and specialising in luxuriant cakes with seasonal fruit. 

And Asia's Best Pastry Chef Award was soon followed by Asia's Best Female Chef, awarded to Natsuko in 2022 by World’s 50Best. The latter prize enabled this young chef to contact "other female chefs all over the world, get advice and exchange ideas through the FAB (Female Advisory Board, a group of female chefs discussing better working environments and gender equality, created by World's 50 Best). An opportunity I'm extremely grateful for, making me feel that it's now my turn to help young talent striving to achieve their objectives, regardless of their sex", explained Natsuko as she remembered the difficulties she encountered at the beginning of her career. “When I opened Été I had no credibility. I was young, and I was a woman. I couldn't get a loan to open the restaurant, nobody wanted to work for me, and that's why I started out with a small cake shop", recalls Asia's Best Chef, "and despite all the challenges, I've shown that you can still achieve your objectives even if you're young and female". This is why Shoji feels the need to lend her support to the new generations: “I would like to serve as inspiration, especially because there are very few owner chefs around. A small restaurant like mine is not so difficult to open. This will give hope to the new generations", she hopes.

Chef and owner, creative and a dreamer, but no plans for expansion (for the moment). “I like to provide the best experience, and I can only achieve that attention to detail by working there for a small number of people. Even if I get other offers, I won't accept them. Also, despite the size of the restaurant, I would like to demonstrate that, if you go on working hard, you can achieve world recognition", adds Shoji. Recognition that has already been achieved by Natsuko Shoji, but she continues to pursue the mantra she often repeats to herself: working towards perfection. Like the perfection of a small delicate summer flower.