Alexis Jiyoung Lee

What inspired you to become a pastry chef? You’ve been in the
industry for quite some time. Would you have done anything differently when first starting out?

Simple pleasures to cook and serve dishes to family and friends and then enjoying their feedback led me to become a chef. Then the interest in dreaming to become a pastry chef grew bigger with all the TV shows and celebrity chefs at the time. I just found chefs very cool and charismatic and knew that was also who I wanted to become.

More so, I’ve always been involved in the artistic side growing up with activities that allowed me to express myself in different forms like playing violin solos and being involved in orchestras, I was a bassist in a band, performed at musicals and even participated in a small movie when I was young. Always enjoyed art classes too.

I would not have done anything differently. Every journey regardless has added value to who I am today. I believe that everything happens and happened for a reason and all are just beautiful, precious memories that I needed.

What is the philosophy and ethos behind the food you create?

I focus on using local and seasonal produce, avoiding food coloring as much as possible by using natural colours to create balanced flavours and textures. Some countries I’ve worked in do not have an abundance of local produce but it is also my responsibility to know where each ingredient is from and how it’s been sourced. I also believe that a pastry chef’s job is to create something fun and eye-catching together with creating something very delicious, that’s also the reason why we exist – for all the exciting moments and to provide a memorable experience for people.

Moreover for me, food hygiene is extremely important. We are not doctors and we don’t do this for a living to save people but to give pleasure – it’s a want but not a need. Therefore as a food handler, it’s our utmost responsibility to make food that is safe to eat that I will be able to give my grandma and my family as an example.

What is one food (pastry) trend you wish would just go away?

I don’t pursue trends but much prefer to do my own form of pastry and what I believe in. After all, we need to create desserts and need the demand for it so we can’t go all Picasso too so it’s important to create items which fit the market where we work and i believe that cannot happen while chasing trends and losing our originality and identity.

My favourites actually are the most classic French patisserie like Paris-Brest, St Honoré, warm tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream on top, crème brûlée, baba au rhum … you name it ! I very much in love with the classics.

My dad because he’s an artist himself too, he’s a TV producer and a specialist in the field. He’s always been my inspiration to be a specialist though he’s not a chef.

What is your advice to aspiring pastry chefs?

To master the craft, which I am far from, and this is a long journey. What you see on social media and on the internet are probably the edited photos of beautiful final products but to achieve that involves a lot of mistakes, hard work, dedication and passion… maybe a few tears too but do not give up!

I have various future plans which I cannot share for the moment but one of them involves doing something of my own.

Would you consider yourself as an artist? Are you inspired by
artists when you create your pastries? When you create different
products everyday where do you get inspired from?

I would humbly consider myself an artist..I hope the real artists don’t laugh at me. I really try my best to avoid putting other pastry chefs’ work into my mind when I create. Of course, it’s hard because I’ve seen it so many times so I try to look at works of sculptures, artists in other fields who are not chefs, contemporary arts and usage of colours, patterns and shapes. Many times ideas pop up before I go to sleep or during my sleep which is quite crazy but true.

It’s originality and techniques involved. My desserts are usually simple visually but quite technical to make. Also with my social media pictures, that’s exactly what you would get at the shop too – what you see is what you get.

The season and the clientele/target market.

Memil Chocolate cake, Honey and Pear cake, Triple Vanilla Tart, Framboisier, Yuzu Peanut Cheesecake, Paris-Saigon… for cakes

And the bonbon selection I created for the opening of Chocolaterie at Park Hyatt Saigon are my signatures too with recipes that took months to develop…

I’m always never really satisfied with my work but at the same time I’m proud of all my creations because there’s been so much work gone into it from myself and my team.

 

Recipe of Framboisier

+raspberry slice x 3, daisy flower, nappage

 

Framboisier

+raspberry slice x 3, daisy flower, nappage

Rolling Sponge

Ingredients:

• 468g egg yolks
• 236g sugar (A)
• 236g oil
• ½ tsp  vanilla bean
• 628g flour T45
• 1252g egg whites
• 468g sugar (B)

Procedure:

• Whip the yolks and sugar (A) with vanilla until fluffy
• Whip the whites and sugar (B) until fluffy
• Gently fold in the egg yolk mixture
• Add the oil,
• Weight 530g per tray 60×40, and bake at 190℃ for around 5 minutes
• Cut 17cm long – 4.5cm wide

 Pistachio Pain de Gene

Ingredients:

• 720g marzipan
• 980g eggs whole
• 260g sugar
• 2pc orange zest
• 2pc lemon zest
• 330g butter
• 160g pistachio paste
• 200g flour T55
• 16g baking powder
• 140g pistachio chopped

Yield 3 trays

Procedure:

• On the bain marie, warm marzipan, eggs, sugar, zest and salt to 50C then whip in the mixer until cold
• Take 1/3 of the marzipan mixture and add the melted butter and pistachio paste, combine well and incorporate with the remaining marzipan mixture
• Fold in the flour and the baking powder
• Spread 750g of the mix on the 60×40 tray
• Bake at 180C for 7-8mins

 

Raspberry Yuzu Gelee

Ingredients:

• 1155g raspberry puree
• 33g yuzu puree
• 165g frozen raspberries
• 180g gelatine mass

Procedure:

• Bring raspberry puree just up to the boil
• Add the frozen raspberries and cook for another 1 minute
• Add the yuzu puree to bring back the colour
• Add the gelatine mass off the stove

 

Vanilla Bavaroise

Ingredients:

• 2500g cream
• 500g egg yolks
• 500g sugar
• 4pcs vanilla bean
• 170g gelatine mass
• 500g cream

Procedure:

• Make crème anglaise with the first 4 ingredients
• Add the gelatine and melt
• Fold in the semi whipped cream

 

Raspberry Confit Topping

Ingredients:

• 2700g raspberry puree
• 900g frozen raspberries
• 675g sugar
• 90g honey
• 90g gellan

Procedure:

• Heat the puree with the raspberries
• Mix the sugar and the gellan and add to the mix
• Bring to the boil and fill the moulds

Pistachio Crunchy

Ingredients:

• 900g pistachio paste
• 900g Opalys 33%
• 800g feuilletine
• 2pinch salt

2 frames – Orange mats

Procedure:

• Melt the Opalys 33% and combine with pistachio paste, feuilletine and salt.
• Spread on the mat, refrigerate and cut