Ladurée's Head Pastry Chef

NIKO NEKO
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LADURÉE

Interview with Frankie Robin, Head Pastry Chef of Ladurée

Becoming a Patissier

01

When did you start baking and what sparked your interest in being a patissier?

I always wanted to be a doctor, so during school I did a one-week trial at a hospital… and I hated it. Every single aspect of the job. It's amazing how you can sometimes think of something, then realize it's not what you thought it was. So I started to look for different work places, to get an idea.

One day, I had a trial at a Pastry Shop. I went to the kitchen and saw the patissier working, one was making a chocolate piece ('cause it was Easter time, and there's chocolate all around in France during this time). I was amazed by the piece and the creativity. The patissier simply replied: “It is a kind of work and you can learn it”.

I knew that was it, I wanted to learn it. I stopped school immediately and went to do an internship in pastry, I was 16 years old and I never stopped baking since.

02

When did you join Ladurée Paris?

I joined Ladurée in 2017, I first had training, then opened Malaysia Ladurée in Nov 2017.

03

Do share with us your role and routine in Laduree Malaysia.

The routine of a Head Pastry Chef is to follow up on daily production. Then, ensure the daily task of all the staff. His daily task is then to order the raw ingredients for the following days, ensure HACCP (hygiene program), follow up with suppliers and customers' comments. Also, for every menu, there is a big part of learning new recipes from the head office and teaching the team the new process.

Becoming A Patissier

01

When did you start baking and what sparked your interest in being a patissier?

I always wanted to be a doctor, so during school I did a one-week trial at a hospital… and I hated it. Every single aspect of the job. It's amazing how you can sometimes think of something, then realize it's not what you thought it was. So I started to look for different work places, to get an idea.

One day, I had a trial at a Pastry Shop. I went to the kitchen and saw the patissier working, one was making a chocolate piece (it was Easter time, and there's chocolate all around in France during this time). I was amazed by the piece and the creativity. The patissier simply replied: “It is a kind of work and you can learn it”.

I knew that was it, I wanted to learn it. I stopped school immediately and went to do an internship in pastry, I was 16 years old and never stopped baking since.

02

When did you join Ladurée Paris?

I joined Ladurée in 2017, I first underwent training, then opened Malaysia Ladurée in Nov 2017.

03

Do share with us your role and routine in Laduree Malaysia.

The routine of a Head Pastry Chef is to follow up on daily production. Then, ensure the daily task of all the staff. His daily task is then to order the raw ingredients for the following days, ensure HACCP (hygiene program), follow up with suppliers and customers' comments. Also, for every menu, there is a big part of learning new recipes from the head office and teaching the team the new process.

Challenges + Motivations

01

What is the challenging part when coming up with new recipes for desserts and recipes?

The challenge is to balance the flavor, the textures and the sweetness. I follow a rule from my ex-chef and a world champion, Christophe Michalak, "always use 3 textures and no more than 3" - the same applies for the flavours. This way I know I will always get something good to work around.

02

What is the best part of baking or being a pastry chef?

For me, it is to travel and meet new cultures and people to work with. I always wanted to travel around the world teaching something I know and I am very glad my current work allows me to do this.

The learning curve is infinite and I learn something new everyday, even after 16 years in the industry. New ingredients, new processes, exchange is really 1o1 with my team, we are all equal in front of a new process, I love that part of team-working.

Matcha in patisserie 

01

You have worked on numbers of Matcha desserts and pastries on the recent collaborations with Niko Neko Matcha. Tell us what are those and how do you come up with the idea?

I love classic French pastry and all traditional stuff in life. I wanted to take some classic French pastry and twist them with the Niko Neko Matcha. I did French toast, Bostock (almond and brioche), sables, the ice cream matcha that matched very well with the vanilla. I did a cake served in slice, which our GM loved and want to do worldwide.

02

Is matcha hard to be incorporated into dessert or pastries? 

Yes and no. The matcha is very strong in flavor so it is quite easy to incorporate in any cream or ice cream.

But when you start to bake it, cook it, you lose a lot of the aromatic -- especially the kind of seaweed aftertaste and it can become bitter. The tricks is to slow cook it, which match(a) perfectly with the Japanese tradition.

Advice from a pastry chef

01

What is one of the biggest things you learnt in your career as a pastry chef?

Be humble and always respect other pastry chefs.

02

What is your advice to the new bakers and those who want to start baking?

Do not expect stars, start slowly, fail and re-try, learn your basics, TAKE YOUR TIME and do not burn steps: they are all essential steps  and it will backfire on you if you skip them.