Cornerco, a store specializing in crispy cornet in Kakuozan

A 10-minute walk from Kakuozan Station on the subway Higashiyama Line, the cornet specialty store "Cornerco" opened in 2016.

Owner-chef Teppei Yamashita says, "I wanted to choose a work style with a high degree of freedom." After graduating from a university in Aichi Prefecture, he entered a cooking and confectionery vocational school in Osaka. After gaining 10 years of experience as a pastry chef at restaurants and pastry shops, he opened "Cornerco".

At his parents' house, handmade sweets were a daily treat. As he grew up, he began to help make sweets, and gradually became interested in making sweets themselves, he said.

In this interview, we asked him how he came to open a shop specializing in cornet and what he is particular about his products.

What is Cornerco?

A shop renovated from an old private house. The white walls and calm brown wood pattern make up the shop's appearance. The specialty shop for cornet tucked away in Kakuozan.

It faces a busy street with cars and pedestrians, but perhaps because of the color of the store, some people call to ask for directions.

The frontage is narrow, and when you open the door of the shop, you will feel the excitement of entering a hideout.

There is a kitchen on the left side of the long hallway, and a four-seat eat-in corner in the back. The wall is decorated with art works related to sweets, which were given as gifts to commemorate the opening of the shop.

A slightly different way to enjoy cornet

A feature of “Cornerco" is the way to enjoy it. You can enjoy both prepared cornet and pastry cornet.
Back left: Curry ¥320 (tax included), Center: Chorizo ¥320 (tax included), Right: Custard ¥280 (tax included)

Speaking of cornet, many people probably associate it with a bakery shop.

There is also a cornet filled with chocolate filling in a cone-shaped fluffy bread dough, but the cornet sold here is a pie dough stuffed with filling.

At the confectionery stores in Gifu Prefecture where the owner-chef, Mr. Yamashita, was trained, cornet with filling in pie dough was sold, and it was common to find it in the showcase for cakes at other stores as well.

At "Cornerco," one can enjoy cornet in two ways: as a side dish or as a pastry.

The recommended way to eat it is to eat the side dish cornet first, and then eat the sweets cornet like a "course meal". At the time of my visit, I had curry and chorizo as side dishes, followed by custard and roasted green tea as sweets.

The side dish cornets are topped with burnt powdered cheese and the pastry cornet is sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Scenery manufacturing half size. All menu items are available in half sizes (each price is half price).Bite-sized portions are perfect for tea time and parties.

At "Cornerco", the filling is stuffed after the order is placed. This is one of the points that the owner chef, Mr. Yamashita, is particular about, and it is filled with the desire to serve it as delicious as possible.

Pie dough loses its crispiness with time. The dough with fresh filling is crispy and light. However, it does not fall apart. While you are enjoying the texture, you will finish one in no time.

In addition, the butter used for the pie crust is also one of their commitments. By using butter from France, it creates a crispy feeling and flavor when baked.

Today's Seasonal Menu Sweets Cornet Hojicha ¥350 (tax included)

For takeout, wrap it in a bag that is easy to eat with one hand and give it to you.

The price range of Cornerco's cornet, which can be enjoyed even by elementary school students alone or with friends, has a wide variety of flavors and a light taste, making it widely accepted by people of all ages.

Mr. Yamashita's cornets are loved by both men and women, saying, "It's a product that only has to be eaten by customers."