The New Bakery on the Block

I flipped through the stack of mail that accumulated while we were on holiday: bill, bill, ad, bill, Christmas card, bill... pastries??  There, on a postcard-sized flyer in front of me, appeared a vision of a juicy raspberry sitting atop a square of ganache-covered chocolate mousse.  I turned over the card, expecting perhaps an ad for a catering company, but no: a new bakery less than a 5-minute walk from my house, the latest tenants in a row of stores that has seen quite a lot of turnover in the last few years. And not just a new bakery - a new Japanese bakery!  I tried hard to think of any particularly Japanese treats I knew of other than mochi.  Unable to come up with much,  I hot-tailed it over there to have a look (and a taste!).



Hiro Takahashi was the longtime chef de pâtisserie at the posh Savoy Hotel in Zurich and has now fulfilled his dream of opening his own shop, just 100 meters from the Sood-Oberleimbach train station.  It's klein aber fein, as you would say in German - small but good, with the gleam of brand-new equipment everywhere and the colors of the beautiful confections in the glass display case serving as the centerpiece of the store.






No mochi here. Mr. Takahashi has created a fusion bakery where his classic European pastry training is clearly evident - on the sweet side, you'll find french apple tarts, jelly rolls, and chocolate cake next to Asian-inspired squares of vanilla sponge topped with green tea mousse and red bean paste (below). All the pastries are crafted with elegant care, adorned with gleaming fruit, and prettily packaged.  In addition to the selection in the store, he is happy to create birthday cakes and other items to order.



On the savory side, besides traditional fresh Swiss breads and baguettes, there are also filled buns (okazu pan) which my Japanese friends were particularly excited about: red bean, curry, corn, black sesame, and sweet potato.  I have fond memories these flavors in moon cakes from when I lived in China, so I happily added a few to my order to try later at home (curry and corn, below). Though the plastic wrapping initially gives different impression, everything is made fresh on the premises by Mr. Takahashi.  The buns have a tasty layer of filling and a soft texture that contrasts with the crispy panko breadcrumbs sprinkled on top.





Rounding out the savory assortment are sushi and fresh sandwiches that you can enjoy at one of the bakery's five cafe tables for lunch. Chances are, Mr. Takahashi will appear from the kitchen to chat with you in person and answer your questions about his creations.  It's refreshing to see a bakery that has a more unusual selection than just the ubiquitous croissants and hazelnut-filled items that you find on any corner.  Everything in the store is of very high quality, and I would happily return here to buy a special cake if I didn't have time to make one myself.  Despite the out-of-the-way location, I sincerely hope that the patronage from the Japanese community in Zurich and the locals in Adliswil will be enough to keep this little place afloat.



Confiserie Bäckerei Hiro Takahashi
Im Sihlhof 10
8134 Adliswil
044 709 2244

www.hirotakahashi.com
Tues-Fri 8-18 | Sa 8-16 | Sun and Mon Closed