In 2021, sweets designer Yuki Katsuki launched the ice cream brand "NEW," which rose to fame overnight and quickly became the talk of the town. Yuki is the owner of WINE & SWEETS tsumons, a specialty shop in Fukuoka where you can enjoy a marriage of freshly baked sweets and wine. She is based in Fukuoka but has taken her career around the world. So who is Yuki Katsuki? We'll take a closer look at her in this interview.

■ How NEW ice cream got started

- When did you start coming up with NEW?

It was around last spring. A company in Kagoshima asked me if I was interested in launching a brand using fresh milk. Since I wanted to create a new brand with a different style from tsumons, I decided to start an ice cream shop. The concept of NEW is "FROM FRESH MILK." We use fresh milk and ingredients, although I don't advertise that explicitly. I assume that people tire of always eating the same flavor, so I work on different tastes and textures for them to enjoy.

- NEW's logo is designed by Yoichiro Uchida, the owner of PLACERWORKSHOP.

Yes. I first asked him to create the logo for "tsumons," and I've asked him for help ever since. We met through a web media project that brought creators based in Fukuoka together. I have a thing for fonts and letters, so when I look at various kinds of art, I'm often attracted to pieces with letters and their fonts more so than the photographs or paintings. Since I started working with him, I've been creating sweets based on the letters. I made this ice cream based on the letters "NEW." I always wear a uniform with the logo embroidered on it when I have to stand in front of people. I'm pretty shy and timid, so it gives me a lot of confidence (laughs) and the push I need.

- Pink is the signature color of the brand.

I decided to go with pink because I launched the shop during the Valentine's Day season. I had this cute image of a chic gentleman in Paris wearing a suit with a shirt or tie with pink accents. Having pink in a black and white setting makes the uniqueness stand out a bit. For White Day, I added new items that add a splash of white while also letting people enjoy an atmosphere that gradually changes to black, the color I originally intended to use.

- It's your first time ever launching an ice cream brand.

Mr. Uchida and I were talking about how ice cream has something unique about it that makes us feel happy despite the fact that it soon melts away. That conversation led me asking him to draw the copy for "MIDNIGHT GUILTY BUT HAPPINESS." I pictured a scene where there's a pint of ice cream in the freezer, and today we're once again eating it in bed while watching a movie before going to sleep. It's the kind of scene you'd see in an American film, giving you a mixed sense of guilt and pleasure, but it's also the happiest thing in the world. I also hope that treating yourself to ice cream in the middle of the night will become a part of Japanese culture (laughs).

- How do you come up with the flavors?

Sometimes I put together the flavors using rhymes. I'm a big fan of the rapper Action Bronson, and when I was thinking of a name for the "SPICE NIBS" flavor that uses cocoa nibs and going through many ideas, I thought "SPICE NIBS" sounded like the words "Steve Jobs" used in his lyrics and decided to go with that name. "POP BY JUN" was inspired by the popping sound, as in popping popcorn. To make the popcorn's taste linger in your mouth, I roast it to caramelize it and combine it with butterscotch to create a street-style-like atmosphere. For "CHATEAU JUN," I first had to think of how I could describe the red wine called Yama Sauvignon. The slightly acidic chocolate is layered elegantly with the bold and rustic red wine.

■ How sweets designer Yuki Katsuki came to be

- What did you do before you opened tsumons?

I had various part-time jobs while I was in college and I loved ones with flowers, so I decided to continue working as a flower arranger. I thought about pursuing a career in that field, but my brother told me I shouldn't get a driver's license because I was so given to daydreaming, so the issue of not being able to deliver anything arose (laughs). Still, I wanted to continue to make things, so I decided to take the plunge and get trained as a pastry chef. I worked at Petit Jour, a cheesecake and pasta place in Yakuin, Fukuoka and was able to get certified as a sommelier there. I trained myself to become a sommelier by smelling and distinguishing the wines. I've loved to sniff things since I was a child, so maybe that helped (laughs). Seven years ago, I opened tsumons.

- tsumons is dedicated to creating "oven-fresh" pastries. You make fresh pastries and cakes for each customer.

For me, tsumons is like a stage or a theater. The shop's unique atmosphere makes people think I'm a very calm person, but in reality, I get told that I'm like a comic storyteller (laughs). The place only has counters, so when my customers laugh, I feel like I should do something more entertaining.

- It sounds like a fun place to be entertained

I recently realized that I like to make people laugh. When I visited the noma restaurant in Denmark, I was impressed not only by their innovative cuisine but also by the staff's hospitality. I understood why people from all over the world come to this remote place. I wanted to make people happy in the same way and to make tsumons a place where people would like to visit no matter where it is. I changed my style to what I've been aiming for since last year, such as offering takeout and serving dessert courses with freshly baked soufflés as the main course, with a combination of sweet and salty flavors. I hope that customers can also experience the unique entertainment of pairing wine and spirits with the dishes.

- When did you start calling yourself as a sweets designer?

​​After I opened tsumons, I was asked to produce brands and shops, so that's how I came to use it. I believe that a sweets designer is someone who designs flavors for a specific theme. I think I am better at making flavors for others, since I find happiness in creating flavors that make people happy. I think I acquired and improved this skill through my work as a sommelier, since my head is always full of ideas about how things would taste if I combined this or that. However, it takes a lot of time and energy to shape those ideas, so there are so many things I want to do, but I can't realize all of them. At first, calling myself a pastry chef was enough, but I wanted to do something beyond that, so I started to call myself a sweets designer.

- You've worked as a sweets designer in other countries as well. Could you share about some memorable experiences?

​​I've been involved in a project called "36," where I come up with sweets live depending on the image of the country or venue where the event is held. I still can't forget the experience I had in New York in 2019. I had to source ingredients locally, and when I started explaining that I had mixed Dr Pepper with apple juice I had bought at a nearby farmer's market that morning, the audience buzzed with excitement. At that moment, I felt like I was alive. Since then, I've always wanted to perform overseas again someday (laughs), but I realized that explaining things in your own words is important. It's not just about making sweet food but also about designing a sweet moment with the drinks, the atmosphere, and the entertainment that takes place there. So I try to convey my messages in my own words as much as possible, even it there is a language barrier.​

"36"​ ​official website​ ​

- What are your future dreams and goals, including for NEW?

Of course, my ultimate goal is to collaborate with Action Bronson (laughs). To be honest, I don't know what the future holds for me, but we often hear about the "age of wind" now, don't we? I think this must be true (laughs). I'm a Libra, and Libra is an air sign, so I guess it'll be easier for me to live during a time when I can feel more freedom. I think tsumons is where I belong and is a place I will be until the end, so I believe Fukuoka will always be my base. However, with the start of NEW, I feel that I can work in my own way. I'm glad to work at one of the most successful pop-up shops, and I have many ideas, such as creating an ice cream bar or offering ice cream live by combining fruit and alcoholic beverages. No matter where I am, I always want to make people happy, and I want to see their faces in person. My passion for that will never change.

 

■ NEW
Period: Friday, February 19th - Sunday, March 14th
Venue: POP BY JUN
Address: Shibuya PARCO 1F, 15-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00 - 20:00 (Irregular holidays)
Online store: "POP UP JUN" official online store