Between Villa Arnaga and the centre of Cambo-les-Bains, in the peaceful Iguzkian estate, an amazing address in the Basque landscape: Kogo Mochi, an artisanal laboratory entirely dedicated to Japanese pastry. In command, Eugénie Césari returned to her native land after several years spent in the four corners of France.
A conversion born of a passion!
The story of Eugénie has something to inspire.
A health nurse at work, she discovers the mochi at the detour of manufacturing workshops in Paris and the love is immediate.
She then decided to change everything: she spent her CAP Pastry in Paris, then, since Japanese pastry was not taught in France, she went to Strasbourg to specialize with Charlotte Caspar, a graduate of Tokyo's pastry school and former pastry chef at Toraya, the oldest Japanese pastry house in Paris.
With in mind the desire to return to the Basque Country, the projects merge: Eugénie and her companion settle in Cambo, in a house with an artisanal laboratory and a garden transformed into an outdoor tea salon.
What is the mochi? *
For the novices, Eugénie describes it with poetry: mochi is a "very sweet pastry, which many compare to a snowball".
Nothing crucifies, nothing cracks, nothing flows. It is an experience apart, very different from French pastries.
Concretely: a mellow and slightly elastic envelope based on sticky rice flour, garnished with a melting interior made from beans candied — red for the traditional version, white and fragrant according to the recipes. And good news for many: it's a gluten-free product.
Zen parenthesis in the heart of Cambo.
What makes Kogo Mochi unique is also its frame.
Eugénie has set up her garden in a zen and green atmosphere, where you can enjoy mochis and drinks in a quiet atmosphere.
Mochis , teas, lattes, specialty coffee: everything invites to slow down.
The sweets can also be taken away or ordered fresh.
Much more than a tea room!
Eugénie imagined her space as a versatile place of life.
We can:
- Attend yoga, pilates or gym sessions on the summer terrace
- Organize a working morning or a pro appointment surrounded by greenery (free Wifi)
- Offer a Japanese taste immersion, an original idea, for example for a future bride fan of Japan
The warm welcome of Eugénie does the rest.
A short walk from Arnaga, this is the perfect gourmet stage during a visit to Cambo, a true singularity in the Basque Country, to be discovered absolutely.
