When Antoine Santos was growing up in the port of Marseille in southern France, he dreamed of becoming a pastry teacher by the age of 30. Little did he imagine his dream would come true — in Japan.

For Santos, 41, chef and owner of pastry shop and school Ecole Criollo (School of Criollo, with criollo referring to a top-quality cacao) in Tokyo, pastry-making has always been his passion.

He learned some of his first skills in baking from his mother.