FEATURE: Crème de la Crème With Enderun’s Executive Pastry Chef Nicolas Pasdeloup

On the 24th of January, Discovering Hospitality was invited to Enderun College in McKinley for a pastry demonstration by Chef Nicolas Pasdeloup,, their new Executive Pastry Chef. 

Chef Nicolas impressed the audience by presenting a step-by-step demonstration of how to make The Pistachio Dentelle, a crisp choux cylinder filled with pistachio crème and a black cherry reduction. 

During the demonstration, both the host and audience were able to ask questions. This is where we could see the expertise come through, as Chef Nicolas explained some of the facets of his chosen dish and the details that make it special -- from the balancing of flavors with the ratio of pistachio crème and cherry reduction, to the raspberry powder being used for the opaline instead of food coloring. He also explained that choux pastry is one of the fundamental things that a pastry student should learn, making this recipe quite beginner-friendly, should you want to try it at home. 

An audience member asked: "What differentiates a good pastry from a great pastry?" To which Chef Nicolas explained that: "It’s all about the ingredients. The better the ingredients, the better the pastry."

That Q&A sparked a conversation between the audience and Chef about imported, expensive ingredients. They concluded that you can pretty much find any ingredient you need in the Philippines. And for a regular person who cooks for themselves, you can access rare ingredients by ordering online, such as the raspberry powder used during the demonstration.

After the demonstration, everyone was invited to see and taste the pastry buffet that was set up by Chef Nicolas and some of his students. The spread was impressive, with everything from various breads and cakes to macarons, some fruity, some with chocolate, and everything in between.

The event was a wonderful showcase of skills, creativity, and passion. After sampling the tasty spread, DH sat down with the man of the hour for a quick conversation about him and his views on the culinary world today. 

With an extensive culinary background, Chef Nicolas wouldn’t say he is more inclined to pastry over any of the other aspects of culinary. We learned that he is comfortable with all the different sides of the culinary space and does not necessarily favor one discipline over another.

When asked where he draws inspiration for his creativity, Chef Nicolas expressed that it doesn’t come down to one thing specifically. However, he did mention his travels and how traveling is a wonderful way to explore different cultures and receive inspiration from the different flavours and methods of cooking in various places.

Since Chef Nicolas has been in the Philippines for around 18 years. He says that he has noticed an improvement in the local culinary scene. He noted that in the early days, Filipino food was not that well presented, but now, it has vastly progressed, since people are becoming more conscious about their own culture and food. This has led to exciting things, one of which is the Michelin Guide, now gaining presence in the country. In addition, he noted that highlighting Filipino ingredients is an important aspect as Philippine Cuisine.

When it comes to the educational side of things, we asked Chef Nicolas what he thinks were the challenges for pastry students and the culinary industry at present. He said that he has worked with plenty of Filipinos abroad and domestic, and the one thing he noticed was the discrepancy in standards. He expounded that the Filipinos he has worked with abroad are skilled, but somehow, back home is not quite the same when it comes to standards. He also talks about the difference in motivation and passion when it comes to the work itself and the mindset of always improving and training. 

An interesting fact that he also shared was that he enjoys working with women. He noticed that women tend to be more perfectionists in the kitchen, and this led to pointing out that in the Philippines, the consistency and upkeep of standards are not always maintained in his experience.

The standard of output varies from day to day, and this is one of the challenges in the culinary industry. Lastly, he highlights that passion for the Culinary Arts is important, not only about earning a living.

Chef Nicolas expressed that he hopes one day Filipinos will not need to go abroad to earn more, and that hopefully culinary work in the country will be valued in the same degree as culinary work internationally. 

All in all, it was a wonderful morning filled with flavorful bites, meaningful conversations, and a delicious glimpse into an education in pastry. This event was organized by Ècole Ducasse Manila, Enderun, and Enderun Extension, which always showcase the best of the best, or rather, the Crème de la Crème of the industry and education.