Pâtisserie Sadaharu Aoki, Tokyo

Japan-born Sadaharu Aoki moved to Europe as a 23-year-old, fresh out of culinary school and eager to perfect the art of pastry making. By age 30 he had developed a niche creating pastries for fashion designers, such as Christian Dior and Kenzo. (His sculptural confections—as easy on the eyes as they are on the palate—worked well for the Paris fashion week crowd.) In the last decade, Aoki has opened shops in Tokyo, Paris and Taipei for a total of 11 locations. His delicate chocolates (like the bonbons pictured here) and Japanese-influenced French pastries, like black-sesame éclairs and matcha opera cake, are celebrated worldwide. Shinkokusai BLD 1F, 3-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku; 81-3/5293-2800; sadaharuaoki.com.