I met Ugo Perret-gallix on Bro @BreadRevolutionorganization on Facebook, what inspired me was his bread, but also that he’s a chef de cuisine too. On top of being a fantastic baker he also is working in Japan in a top end Tokyo restaurant, Esquisse. I decided to try some of his formulas first. Then I invited him to share his story here on Stir the Pots. And he obliged.

How did you become a cook?

As a child, I always liked to eat. I was always greedy and I did not like school ….

Did you start baking bread before or during your current job?

I started baking at the age of 15 after apprenticeship with Chef Thierry Marx in Pauillac (Médoc).
First meeting with the bakery, the restaurant bread was prepared by a professional baker.

How did you become interested in working in Japan?

My wife is Japanese, we met in France in a restaurant, she is also a cook.

Do you think that French artists of the past were influenced by Japanese art? Likewise, as a chef like you, are you influenced by his food in the same way?

Japanese culture is a very deep and complex culture at the same time but there are a lot of similarities with the French culture we like the same things, drinking, eating, art ect.

Was it difficult to train or work in Japan?

Not particularly, but the Japanese have a rather particular relationship to work so it is not given to everyone to be able to work there.

What professional and cultural differences have you experienced?

The food here obviously have eat rice three times a day it was complicated at first.

What does “Bastard of his race” mean and is it also protected by copyright?

This is a name that I gave to my bastards in tribute to my mentor Thierry Delabre who liked to identify them in this way when he saw one. But a bastard of his race belongs to everyone who comes out of the oven.

How did the bakery at Esquisse come about?

In Japan for two months (April 2020 / May 2020), Esquisse was closed for  due to the Corona virus so I found myself doing nothing with my days which was impossible for me, so I started baking.

Can you describe the kind of cuisine Esquisse serves?

Cuisine between France and Japan a cuisine of intention and delicacy carried by an artist Lionel Beccat.

How did you meet Thierry Delabre?

Via the social network. A phone call is all it takes to start a teacher-student relationship.

Have you tried making more Asian or Japanese style breads like Shokupan or Anpan?

No because for me it is not bread as I understand it!

What types of dishes did you grow up eating in your region of France?

I come from the Drôme hills bordering with Isère and Vercors so Dauphinoise cuisine rocked my childhood.

How long is your stay in Japan?

I have been in Japan for six years.

Do you want to open a restaurant?

I don’t think so, but a bakery yes !!

How has the pandemic affected restaurants and hotel businesses?

We were rather spared here there was no real containment like in France or the United States.

What’s your favorite dish?

French cuisine: gratin dauphinois and my mom’s leg of lamb. So far as Japanese cuisine, my wife’s hometown Kurume (Kyushu) ramen.

What type of flour do you mainly use, wheat, or rye?

Wheat, rye, large spelled, kamut, chestnut.

How do you reconcile your responsibilities as a chef and a baker?

For me it’s the same thing I work in the kitchen from morning to night, baking extra bread.

What are the differences between the art of baking bread and the art of cooking?

The same demands and the same attention, each bread is different every day.
Like fish or meat.

THE END