Born on a farm near Fougères, chef Bertrand Larcher has deep roots in Brittany's fresh produce. Since opening his first Breizh Café in Cancale in 2005—and later in Paris—he's championed local treasures like buckwheat (known as "blé noir" in western Brittany), semi-salted butter, chouchenn, sardines, oysters, andouille, buttermilk, and cider (far more than just a rustic beverage). His philosophy? "Working the raw material" with top oyster farmers, fishermen, market gardeners, breeders, and cider makers across Brittany.
Larcher's 1995 discovery of Japan sparked innovative culinary bridges: both regions cherish buckwheat (like Japan's soba noodles), and as an archipelago, Japan mirrors Brittany's peninsula. In 1996, he launched Japan's first Breton crêperie, introducing buckwheat with cider, apple, pork, and butter. Today, six Breizh Cafés thrive there, blending Japanese-Armorican flavors—from Breizh rolls to yuzu and ikura accents.
In his book "Breizh Café: 60 Recipes Around Local Breton Products,"* Larcher shares his kitchen secrets. Impress guests with aperitif rolls (sardine butter with lemon or andouille mustard butter), desserts like crêpe tatin flambéed with calvados, brown sugar, or chocolate-caramel-ginger crêpes, and classics like egg, ham, and cheese galettes. Cider sommelier Carine from Comptoir Breizh Café in Saint-Malo pairs each with ideal apple and pear wines.
*"Breizh Café," by Bertrand Larcher, photos by Marie Pierre Morel, Éditions de la Martinière; €25.
