The First Encounter

Before information became instant,
before formulas were shared freely,
before “technique” became searchable—

there was a gap.

In Malaysia, bread was still largely learnt through apprenticeship. European bread existed, but often only in fragments — seen, but not fully understood.

Then in 2013, through Marubishi Malaysia, Chef Tomohiro Nogami arrived.

August 2013 — Chef Tomohiro Nogami’s first bread demonstration in Malaysia

Not as a trend,
but as someone who brought structure.

For me, and for many bakers here, certain ideas became clearer:

Autolyse.
Levain.
High hydration.
Bassinage.
Cold fermentation.

What once felt uncertain suddenly had form.

That moment did not feel dramatic.
But it shifted the direction of my learning.

Not a Style — A Way of Thinking

Chef Nogami did not impose an identity.
He clarified fundamentals.

What stayed with me was not a recipe,
but a way of thinking:

To read dough, rather than control it.
To allow fermentation, rather than rush it.
To build consistency through repetition.

It was a quiet shift — from doing, to understanding.

March 2023 — Chef Tomohiro Nogami’s first joint bread demonstration in Malaysia with his son, Chef Syouta Nogami

Learning Twice

Ten years later, in 2023, Chef Nogami returned to Malaysia — this time with his son.

The setting was familiar.
But my understanding was different.

What once felt like “I understand” became something quieter:

I am only beginning to understand.

It is like reading the same book again.
The words do not change.
But the reader does.

Some lessons only become clear after enough years of work.

Influence on Malaysia’s Baking Landscape

It is easy to measure influence through visibility.

But Chef Nogami’s impact is quieter — and more structural.

Before, many of us had technique, but not always framework. Shaping, fermentation, flour behaviour and lamination were understood unevenly.

After his workshops, these ideas became more accessible, more organised, and more seriously discussed among local bakers.

To me, Chef Nogami helped Malaysia translate complex bread knowledge into something usable.

Not by changing our identity —
but by strengthening our foundation.

Carrying It Forward

For me, his influence is not visible in imitation.

It appears in discipline.

The refusal to rush.
The habit of observing before acting.
The repetition of fundamentals, daily.
The belief that consistency is built — not claimed.

These things do not show immediately.

But over time, they shape everything.

What Remains

Chef Nogami did not leave behind only recipes or techniques.

He left something more enduring:

A way to think about bread.

And for those of us who continue in the craft, that influence does not fade.

It deepens.

March 2023 — As with every bread demonstration he gives, Chef Tomohiro Nogami was accompanied by his wife

野上智寬—
孕育麵包界的搖籃推手

如果我沒有記錯，野上師傅和野上太太第一次來到馬來西亞分享烘焙講習會，是在 2013 年。

當時，烘焙資訊並沒有像現在這樣發達。大家對歐式麵包的認知仍然有限，甚至對麵包製作理論也還很模糊。

我相信那個時候，很多人都曾經為法國麵包、裸麥麵包和可頌的製作感到困惑。

2013年8月 — 野上師傅首次在馬來西亞舉辦麵包烘焙講習會

直到 Marubishi Malaysia 舉辦了野上師傅的烘焙講習會，大家才開始更系統地接觸這些類型的麵包：

如何整形法國麵包和可頌，
如何理解麵粉，
Autolyse（自我分解法）的作用，
天然酵母，
高含水量，
後加水，
冷藏發酵等。

十年過去了。

值得紀念的是，2023 年，野上師傅、野上太太，以及他們的兒子野上翔太，再次來到馬來西亞，舉辦父子同台的講習會。

時隔十年，再次參加講習會，我有了很多感觸。

以前學習的時候，總覺得自己已經懂了。
現在再學習，反而更能明白野上師傅所教的細節。

我覺得，不同階段所領悟到的知識是不一樣的。

以前聽不明白，是因為還沒有經歷過。
現在再聽，卻有了更多體會。

就像同一本書，
每一次重讀，都會有不同的感受和理解。

我覺得，野上師傅一直在傳達的，是把麵包基本功做好的重要性。

如果說 Raymond Calvel 對日本烘焙業的發展有著深遠影響，那麼我也真心認為，野上師傅對馬來西亞烘焙技術的發展，同樣產生了深遠影響。