Taira KAWAMURA
Pastry Chef : 1 restaurant Originally from Japan, Taira developed a passion for French patisserie as soon as he studied. In 2014, he decided to come to France to perfect his skills... and has never left!
Her ambition was obvious: "My mother really liked making pastries, so I helped her a lot. It was a vocation: after high school, I was sure I was going to go into pastry-making. I didn't even ask myself any questions."
An apprenticeship from Japan to France
Between the ages of 20 and 22, Taira took a pastry-making course in Japan. During his training, he discovered Japanese and French pastries, as well as bakery. But by the second year of his studies, he was concentrating on French pastry, which was to become his specialty. At the same time, he worked as a commis chef and pastry chef at a restaurant in Kobe.
After several years as head pastry chef in the same restaurant, Taira wanted to go further, and come to France to perfect his skills: "Staying for two weeks wasn't enough. I applied for a visa so I could come for a year and really learn French pastry."
His journey led him in 2014 to Valence, where he joined La Cachette. The chef and owner of the establishment, also Japanese, offered him the opportunity to work in France, first in the kitchen and then in pastry. He stayed for four years.
The duo experience at La Pyramide
In 2017, Taira joined La Pyramide as chef de partie. "It was the first gourmet restaurant I ate at when I arrived in France. I never thought I'd work there one day. It's a very well-known restaurant in Japan, which we'd heard a lot about during my studies."
Today, he shares the position of pastry chef with Anthony Fresnay. Together, they create the house desserts, share tasks and exchange techniques. Taira explains: "We share our knowledge and our cultures. The balance with Anthony also gives me more time. I really enjoy training for competitions, and this pairing allows me to do just that."
Alongside Anthony Fresnay, the chef has been nominated in the Pastry Chef of the Year 2026 category by Gault&Millau.
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