GILDAS PÉRIN

Corporate Executive Chef

: What is your role as corporate executive chef?

Gildas: As a corporate chef my main task is to oversee all aspects of the culinary department, including pastry, and make sure we keep moving in the right direction. Basically, my role is to work with our different chefs and channel all the team members’ experiences and strengths to reach the same goal, like being a coach.

: What is so special about your three signature desserts?

G: These three desserts are brand new, some not even on the menu yet! But what makes them special is their use of local products: coconut, strawberry and mango. i believe it is very important that our dishes and pastries tell a story and reflect our environment; here in Bali the best way to achieve that seemed to be with fruit.

: Can you tell us about your dessert concept for the resorts?

G: One of the first rules i established when making our new desserts was using less sugar, that is a must in modern pastry. Secondly, we always try to respect the product, for example if you are making a lemon dessert then it should taste like lemon. Finally, on top of all that, we try to be creative, adding different textures and flavours to match with our pastry style.

: What do you think is the most important principle or philosophy when it comes to baking?

G: i think the important thing is to not get carried away, knowing when to stop. Oftentimes chefs want to keep adding to a cake or dessert, making it more complex, but beauty lies in simplicity. Less is truly more.