GOOD TASTE
While flavours and taste are always a priority, pastry chefs in Hong Kong draw on art and design in the inspiration and articulation of their desserts
香港名廚以藝術和設計演譯甜品,完美滿足視覺與味蕾的享受
"To me, pastry making is an art form," says Chef Vicky Lau of Poem Patisserie. "But it is also a combination of art, craft and science." Poem Patisserie creates striking, intricate pastries, including bite-sized delights and cakes made for sharing, each one inspired by the tastes of Lau’s Hong Kong childhood. "Extraordinary flavours in the most beautiful designs" is what the patisserie strives for – and delivers just that in treats such as its miniature Hong Kong Style Egg Waffle and the Bahibe Chocolate Mousse with Chai Masala. Lau’s design process involves pen and paper before produce and pastry brush. "The first step for me is to draw it out so that I can visualise how it will look, and then we begin the process of creating the cake and [examining] the feasibility of it," says Lau, who incorporates traditional French pastry techniques in her creations.
While taste comes first, Lau says, "looks are also very important because that is what triggers the initial attraction." But of the utmost value? “All the different textures, and that the pastries have been created with love and care."
For Nicolas Lambert, pastry chef at Caprice in Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, "everything done with passion is considered art. It is not up to you to decide if you are an artist, it is the recognition given by others."
That recognition recently came to Lambert when he was named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef 2018 at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in March. "His delicate desserts reveal his meticulous attention to detail, his passion for perfection and his innate mastery of flavour combinations," said William Drew, Group Editor of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Lambert’s inspirational creations certainly look the part. Artistic by virtue of his dedication to the craft, they are nevertheless primarily a pleasure for the palate. "Taste is always the priority," says Lambert. "I start my creation process with great fruits and seasonal produce. I also like to play with three or four textures. Once I have the textures and the flavours right, I think about presentation."
That being said, appearance is still a key consideration. "Presentation is important because people enjoy taking food images. With the rise of social media, everybody can be exposed to your dessert online. But I always make sure I get the flavours and textures right before moving onto designing the presentation."
Anne Cheung of Jouer Patisserie agrees. "I always prioritise taste over appearance. That said, I do realise that the visual aspect of food is becoming more pivotal with the 'camera eats first' culture now."
Hailing from the art world prior to founding her patisserie, Cheung’s creations have a definite artistic bent. "I usually build on flavours first, instead of the look and structure. I would be inspired by a seasonal ingredient or theme, and experiment with different flavour combinations within that. It was art month in Hong Kong in March so I took inspiration from one of my favourite Japanese contemporary artists, Yayoi Kusama, and paid homage to her most iconic work, the kabocha [pumpkin]. To echo the flavours of the typical braised pumpkin dish found in Japanese izakayas, we made a macaron filling out of pumpkin purée cooked with dashi and Japanese mirin. Finally, we garnished the yellow macaron shells with round, dark chocolate dots to mimic Kusama’s signature motif."
Cheung has also been crafting matching pastries and tableware to create context for her desserts. "If I were to describe my work in contemporary art terms, I would compare it to installation art. It is the overall visual effect that I strive to create." Recently she has developed ceramics, including teapots, teacups and coffee cups, made with an organic marble pattern. "I also created a layered cake masked in the same exterior to go with the collection as a set," she says. "One of our goals this year is to design and develop more lifestyle products to complement our food creations." One thing's for sure, pastry chefs are blending art with their craft in all sorts of appealing ways.