"Le supreme", a boulangerie aiming for even greater heights [Sako, Nagoya]

The bakery "le supreme" is located a 1-minute walk from the south exit of Meitetsu "Sako" station. It produces traditional and unique bread, and has been selected as one of Tabelog's "The 100 Best Bakeries" for three consecutive years. Its deliciousness is known to many people, including being featured in the media.

Owner-chef Kazuhiro Watanabe returned to his hometown of Nagoya in 2007 and opened his shop after training at hotels and bakeries in Tokyo. This time, I asked about the charm and thoughts of making bread.

The concept is "European boulangerie"

About a 1-minute walk from Sako Station, one stop from Nagoya Station on the Meitetsu Main Line. The exterior is impressive, like a boulangerie standing on a street corner in Europe.

When you enter the store, you will be greeted by a variety of carefully made breads with a fragrant aroma. About 80 kinds of bread are baked in the kitchen at the back of the store every day.

The concept of the store is "European boulangerie", and the wooden counter and orange lights create a warm atmosphere. You can find a wide variety of breads, from French bread and German bread, cream bread that children will love, to side dish bread that goes well with alcohol.

In the refrigerated case, sweets and sandwiches with lots of ingredients are also available.

From the time the store opens at 8:00 a.m., fresh bread is lined up one after another, with the largest selection available around the noon. More bread is baked continuously until late at night so as not to sell out, but you can also call to make a reservation for the bread you want.

Fascinated by baking bread,
In 2007, he opened Le Suprême.

Mr. Watanabe was born in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, the eldest son of parents who ran a Japanese confectionery that had been in business since his grandfather's generation. At the time, the confectionery also offered a variety of Western confectionery and breads, so Mr. Watanabe enrolled in a confectionery school in Osaka with the aim of becoming a cake baker himself. After graduation, he joined the Shinagawa Prince Hotel, where he was assigned to the patissier department.

- How did you make the transition from pastry to bread?

Ms. Watanabe: "When I, a second baby boom generation, started working, there were many people who wanted to become pastry chefs, and in my first year I was unable to get the job I wanted, so I helped out in the bread department. At first, I wanted to train in both bread and pastry, and planned to return to pastry after learning all the way through bread for two or three years, but when I tried it, I found that bread making was surprisingly difficult ... I guess I'm a bit of a stickler, but the frustration of not being able to do things the way I wanted led me to take a serious interest in bread."

– Please tell us about the charm of making bread.

Watanabe: "Fermenting bread means handling a living thing called yeast. There are no answers, so it's a constant process of try and error every day. The physical properties of the yeast are completely different before and after fermentation, so I make hypotheses based on my imagination. If I deviate slightly, I can't make the same thing, and it's fun when it turns out exactly as I imagined."

Fascinated by the world of bread, I cultivated my experience and knowledge for 15 years working at hotels, bakeries, and confectionery schools in Tokyo. In 2007, at the age of 35, he returned to Nagoya and decided to open Le Supreme in the place where his predecessor ran a Japanese sweets shop. The store name, Supreme, means "excellent" and "best" in French. It contains the determination to aim for the best so that they can do their best every day.

Medals and awards plates displayed in the store. Even after opening the shop, he continues to challenge contests and has won numerous awards. In 2014, they opened their second store in Takashimaya, and although they are popular both in name and reality, Mr. Watanabe says, "I still don't feel a sense of accomplishment. I'm still not convinced."

Commitment put into each bread

When I asked Mr. Watanabe about his commitment to making bread, he smiled.

Mr. Watanabe: “If we stick to domestic wheat and self-cultivated fermented seeds, we won’t be able to make delicious products, so we are not particular about the ingredients. We use domestically produced wheat and self-cultured fermented seeds, but we also use foreign wheat.

*Self-cultivated fermented seeds are fermented seeds made from yeast and microorganisms that adhere to fruits and grains, and are generally recognized as “natural yeast”.

– Le Supreme’s "Anpan" is exquisite! The rounded appearance is also cute.

Mr. Watanabe: “Our shop used to be a Japanese confectionery shop, so we use homemade anko (red bean paste). We reduce the amount of sugar as much as possible and use salt as an accent to bring out the flavor of the adzuki beans. Since the red bean paste is not sweet, we put a lot of it in the dough and end up with bread dough attached around the red bean paste. That's why it's in that mountainous shape."

He spoke passionately about his passion for baking, saying, "I think about how to make each product interesting in shape and delicious in taste. 

Le Supreme's Recommended Bread

Le Supreme's bread is packed with such commitment. I will introduce recommended bread in a wide lineup!

The signboard product is "Homemade Anpan"

Homemade anpan 160 yen (excluding tax)

After all, the most popular item is the “Homemade Anpan”, which is also a signboard product. It contains plenty of sweet red bean paste and has a slightly salty taste. It's palm-sized and perfect for a snack.

Addictive spiciness "Green Chili Fougasse"

Green Chili Pepper Fougasse 260 yen (excluding tax)

“Green Chili Pepper Fougasse” has a unique leaf-like shape. Jalapeño, which is a green chili pepper, and Gouda cheese are a perfect match.
It's hot and spicy, but it's delicious. Beer, of course, seems to go well with any kind of liquor.

Poppy seed paste and walnut "Mohn Plunder"

Morn Plunder 230 yen (excluding tax)

"Mohn Plunder" shaped like a stump. The Danish dough is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The aroma and texture of walnuts accentuate the moderate sweetness.

"Oliver" where the scent of olives spreads

Oliver 270 yen (excluding tax)

It contains a whole olive paste and fruit. The crispy texture can be enjoyed in the mouth, the aroma of olives spreads, and the more you chew, the deeper the flavor becomes.

Exquisite harmony of chocolate "Cocoa Pod"

Cacao pod 320 yen (excluding tax)

Rich coffee chocolate and caramel cream melt in your mouth. It's slightly bitter and perfect accompaniment to coffee.

The day after the interview, I slowly savored the bread. It colored our table and made us happy in every scene: breakfast, lunch, coffee time, and evening drinks.

Mr. Watanabe, who is currently planning to open a third store, is extremely busy, but he is also focusing on training the next generation. In addition to working as a part-time lecturer at a vocational school, many staff at Le Supreme aim to become independent and are honing their skills under Mr. Watanabe's guidance. The bread industry in Nagoya seems to be getting more and more exciting.

Le Supreme celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Please enjoy the bread that is born from Mr. Watanabe's insatiable curiosity and commitment.