Montmartre and Saint-Germain-des-Prés are the typically Parisian districts which house the boutiques of Arnaud Larher, Meilleur Ouvrier de France pastry chef and chocolatier of Breton origin.
A lover of travel, discovery and the sometimes surprising mixture of flavors, he has conquered the taste buds all over the world, from Marrakech to Tokyo via Athens.
It was in 1997 that his first boutique was opened in Paris, in Montmartre. Ten years later, in 2007, Arnaud Larher obtained the title of Best Pastry Chef in France. Professional recognition which gives it visibility to the general public and marks a new impetus, that of development at the international, in Tokyo, Athens, and Marrakech.
A true ambassador of French know-how, Arnaud Larher agreed to look back on his journey and answer some of our questions.
How did your passion for baking begin?
It already started with me being greedy. When my grandmother and my mother made cakes I was always glued to them. I asked to do an internship for a few days in a bakery in Brest, and the smells, the manufacturing, the transformation were like a revelation. I knew this is what I wanted to do.
What were the main stages of your journey?
I found an apprenticeship in Brest with Mr. Guillerm who was fantastic. Finding the right people to share their passion with you is essential. It was a small, artisanal house but he gave me a taste for doing things well. We even became the best apprentice in France with him.
We then visited the Parisian Houses. And my adventure began at Monsieur Peletier, who was at the time in the top 3 of the best pastry chefs in Paris. I then went to Dalloyau, then Fauchon where I stayed for five years.
With my wife, we found a small shop in Montmartre, where the adventure began.
What are the challenges of having stores in the four corners of the world? (Marrakech, Tokyo and Athens)
I find it interesting because there are always requests. It also allows me to always stay alert and not rest on what I have learned. I am a very creative person, always with this energy to seek and find solutions.
What is special about your creations?
I think my pastries have a lot of elegance. I attach a lot of importance to it. There is a finesse in the decoration. I always work from the inside out and as I create the cake, I find the decor.
I would also say the taste and texture. In a soft, crunchy, tasty biscuit, there is taste but it is the texture that really gives us happiness in the mouth. I like to mix it all together like an orchestra conductor.
The secret is that the production is complicated but the tasting is simple.
Do you adapt your creations according to the country?
Yes and I think it's great. In some countries, like Japan, it is sesame paste, it is yuzu, it is matcha green tea. There are things I wouldn't do in France because they wouldn't work.
A signature creation that particularly attracts customers?
There's one that you can't take away. We tried a few times but we didn't succeed, it's the praline millefeuille. I think the prowess of a pastry chef lies in adapting the classics to bring them up to date.
As you will have understood, entering an Arnaud Larher boutique means entering a world of flavors, delicacies and discoveries, always with great generosity.
The pastry chef has some very nice surprises in store for us this end of the year.
Arnaud Lahder – 96 Rue de Seine, 75006 Paris 57 Rue Damrémont, 75018 Paris 53 Rue Caulaincourt, 75018 Paris
By Julie Yapo
