Tosca’s head of pastry shares the lessons he learned in Japan and how a new step in Hong Kong changes how he views his career
With 23 years of experience in pastry kitchens around the world, Rafael Charquero, Tosca’s head of pastry, is content at his post in Hong Kong. Working alongside the Italian restaurant’s executive chef Pino Lavarra, Charquero’s desserts are some of the most talked-about creations in town. With a new menu in place and creations to showcase, the Sevilla native shares a candid moment with us the lessons that help shape who he is today.
Rafael Charquero first started an apprenticeship in a local bakery in Spain. At the age of 17, he began learning all about breads and pastries, with particular fondness towards Italian baked goods. His passion in baking was particularly strong on breads, as Charquero lit up in a conversation about the rising and proofing of doughs. Having travelled extensively through Europe, baking his journey through Spain, England, and France, when Italian chef Luca Fantin approached him, Charquero was ready to make a leap of faith and moved to Tokyo for as Fantin’s helping hand in the pastry department at The Bulgari Restaurant in Japan’s capital.
Q: Why did you decide to move to Japan?
A: At first I only intended to stay for one year but it is only after one year you start to experience the true life in Japan. You must understand being a foreigner doesn’t make you an expat alone. It makes you part of a minority, which requires you to learn the language and understand the culture, despite how rigid it may seem. After the first year, I became more involved in adapting to the Japanese culture, I started to understand the extreme polarity of the culture, and how pure and simple beauty can be in Japanese culture.
Q: How does the rigid nature of chef discipline affect your creativity as a pastry chef?
A: When I was in Japan, I started to realize how strict some of these rules could be. The sense of order dictates a large part of the country’s culture, and disrupting such order will mean total chaos, which require more control to mend the situation. Having said that, I was lucky to have the discipline and freedom to create whatever I can imagine during my time in Japan. It is when you combine freedom and discipline that yields amazing results.
