Koji is having a moment. And we’re not just talking about miso soup.
The centuries-old Japanese fermentation culture responsible for staples like soy sauce and sake is stepping into the spotlight in Brooklyn, where a quietly luxe new bakery called Hacco is set to open its first brick-and-mortar this spring. The concept is pastries and drinks built around organic rice fermentation—and a belief that sweetness doesn’t have to come from refined sugar to shine.
At the helm is Raphael Boeri, former executive pastry chef at Dean & DeLuca, who now serves as corporate pastry chef and store operations division director for Hacco. Boeri’s resumé spans airport hospitality group OTG Management and years leading award-winning bakery concepts in New Jersey, but this Brooklyn opening marks a pivot toward fermentation-forward baking…