Lara bounded into Singapore in 2011 to work his magic at Iggy’s. Today, he is the Tokyo-based regional chef for Cacao Barry. We caught up over his special chocolate afternoon tea at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.
Award-winning pastry chef Andres Lara bounded into Singapore in 2011 to work his magic at Iggy’s.
Today, he is the Tokyo-based regional chef for Cacao Barry.
We caught up over his special chocolate afternoon tea at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.
1 What does chocolate mean to you?
My family is Colombian and I grew up in Venezuela, where you can find some of the world’s finest cocoa beans. Growing up, I remember drinking warm liquid chocolate mixed with different ingredients.
Chocolate is my childhood.
2 Where do you get your inspiration from?
Fortunately, my job requires me to travel a lot. While visiting different countries, I get to sample local food or ingredients, and this triggers fresh ideas for my creations.
3 Favourite chocolate pairing?
I remember once creating a dessert using 70 per cent dark chocolate with nori (seaweed) and guava. All three have very different flavour profiles but they complemented one another well on a plate. That was quite an exciting creation for me.
4 Guilty pleasure?
I drink way too much coffee!
5 Next culinary destination?
I would love to go to Peru. I think there are a lot of amazing food and flavours to discover there.
NIGELLA LAWSON
“SITTING BY THE WATER UNDER A BLUE SKY, GAZING AT A BLUE SEA, AND EA TING QUICKLY COOKED,
FRESHLY CAUGHT FISH, IS MY ABSOLUTE DREAM.”
GOURMET GUIDE
If there’s one thing the Italians know, it’s good food. It’s therefore only natural for the Roman house of Bulgari to release a refined coffee-table book on the chef of the eponymous II Ristorante Luca Fantin at The Bulgari Ginza Tower in Tokyo. The book, La Cucina di Luca Fantin, is a compendium of recipes by the Michelin-star chef who artfully brings together flavours of the Mediterranean with those of the Land of The Rising Sun in menus for Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer. The book also offers an insight into the thought processes and stories behind each creation, from the smoked scallop with celeriac to homemade tagliatelle with raw lobster. http://gourmet.bulgari.com
previous article
next article
