Since quitting my post at The Peninsula Shanghai last year, I haven’t had any occasion to step back into the professional kitchen until a few days ago. World Pastry Champion Quentin Bailly was in Taipei, and I had the pleasure, along with a few other pastry chefs, of assisting him with his demo preparation. This brought back fond memories of hustling in Parisian kitchens, and reminded me of just how much I’ve missed this.
去年離開上海半島酒店的職位後，好一陣子沒進專業廚房了。上周因為世界甜點冠軍 Quentin Bailly 在苗林行開講習會，我前往幫忙做課程準備，才發現自己有多想念廚房工作。與 Chef Bailly 以及其他甜點師們共處的這幾日，勾起了好多在巴黎廚房的，身體和心靈層面上的回憶。
這回憶一勾起來呀，就一發不可收拾，撫也撫不平、壓也壓不下去。
But first, let me tell you a bit about how I came to know Quentin Bailly.
Amongst his numerous achievements, Quentin Bailly is most applauded for leading the French team in winning the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie (also known as the world cup of pastry) in 2013, snatching the title of “World Pastry Champion” (hence the ring of flags on the neck of his chef jacket). He subsequently became the chair of the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in 2015, and has remained a big name in the industry ever since.
先說說我和這位 chef 的淵源。
Quentin Bailly 曾於2013年帶領法國隊奪得 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie 甜點世界盃冠軍，更於2015年擔任甜點世界盃的主席，在業界是位名聲響亮的大人物。
註: Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie 是每兩年在法國里昂舉辦的甜點世界盃冠軍賽，是甜點界舉目關註的大盛事！各國的參賽者先經國內初選，再進階至世界四大洲的決選，角逐桂冠的選手來自非洲、歐洲、亞洲、以及美洲等地共計有20隊。決賽者必須在限定的時間內完成特定主題的巧克力、水果冰淇淋、拉糖工藝創作、巧克力工藝創作、冰雕…等作品，最後由各項累積的分數依序評選出金、銀、銅獎。
Though I haven’t previously met Quentin Bailly in person, he was actually the original chef at the first pastry shop I worked at in Paris – Un Dimanchce à Paris (“a Sunday in Paris”). This stylish boutique, tucked inside a quaint pedestrian street in the 6ème arrondissement of Paris, was founded by a Pierre Cluizel of the Cluizel family, who recruited Quentin Bailly to helm the pastry kitchen.
我之前雖然未和他本人見過面，但其實我於巴黎工作的第一家甜點店 Un Dimanchce à Paris 的開業甜點師就是他。Un Dimanchce à Paris 意為 “在巴黎的一個周日”，地點在六區一條極具法國風情的小巧步行街上；店老闆是法國巧克力世家 Cluizel 的成員，開業時特別請了 Quentin Bailly 坐鎮甜點廚房。果然，新店一炮而紅。
Chef Bailly had left UDAP before I joined the team so we never worked together, but at the time, our kitchen was still using many of his recipes. I remember a colleague telling me: “Execute this well! It’s a creation by the world champion!”
Chef Bailly’s recipes are indeed quite particular. Take this lemon tart as an example, he had added a layer of mirliton (somewhat similar to the texture of financier) at the base, which not only prevents the lemon curd from soaking the shell, but also adds a lovely variation of flavor and texture to the pastry.
我入職時 Chef Bailly 剛離開不久，當時店裡還沿用著許多他留下來的食譜。記得同事曾跟我說：“好好做！這可是世界冠軍的創作！”
Chef Bailly 的甜點的確有許多特別之處。比如這款大家看我 po 過好多次的檸檬塔，就是他當年為 UDAP 設計的甜點之一。他在檸檬塔皮底部添了一層薄薄的 mirliton（質感有點類似費南雪），除了能隔離塔皮和濕潤的餡料、讓塔皮較不易受潮之外，口感層次也相當迷人。
The lemon curd is also atypical. He used a blend of white chocolate and cocoa butter to replace the large amount of butter commonly found in lemon curd recipes, creating something that’s much lighter on the palate. The shape is clever as well – the rectangular design is not just pretty, but also convenient to eat whether you decide to cut it or take a bite.
檸檬奶油的做法也與眾不同。Chef Bailly 用白巧克力以及可可脂取代了一般配方里常見的大量奶油，吃起來口感更輕盈。造型也很吸引人 – 長方形不僅別致，也方便食用，用刀切或直接拿起來咬都比圓形要來的乾凈利落。
Here’s a colleague who was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to work with Chef Bailly, and would sometimes tell me about the chef’s eccentricities, such as the way he says “sei~gneur~!” (basically “my lord”) in an exaggerated drawl.
下面這位同事曾跟 Chef Bailly 一起工作，時不時會跟我說一些有關主廚的趣事，還會模仿他的口頭禪 “sei～gneur～!”（類似 “我的老天” 的意思）拖長音的搞笑念法，讓我對這位未曾謀面的大師除了倍感尊敬之外，也多了一些親切感。
Naturally, I developed a sense of familiarity in addition to reverence for this chef, though I never had a chance to meet him in person during my years of working in Paris.
不過我在法國工作的那幾年，一直沒有機會碰到他本人。
…6 years later…
— 6年歲月的分割線 —
Last week, Quentin Bailly was in Taipei for a demo class, and I had the opportunity to help out during preparation thanks to Miaolin Foods‘ arrangement. Back then as an intern at UDAP, I probably never imagined that one day I would have the chance to work with the legendary chef …I guess we never know what life brings you.
上周 Quentin Bailly 在台北開示範課，感謝苗林行的牽線，讓我有機會前往幫忙。回想起來，當年在 Un Dimanchce à Paris 時完全沒料到自己將來會有機會跟傳說中的他一起工作，不禁感嘆緣分的奇妙。
There were a few other pastry chefs on site to help, most of them French or French-educated, and working with them totally brought me back to Paris! There was quite a bit to be done – the chef was to demo 5 pastries, each composed of 5-6 elements, and we also had to make mini-sized tastings for about 120 people in total – but with the chef giving out clear directions and all of us experienced enough to follow, it actually felt more like fun play than work.
除了我之外還有其他幾位甜點師在現場協助，大部分是法國人或曾在法國學習的甜點師，瞬間有種回到巴黎廚房的感覺。這次講習會 Chef Bailly 示範5款甜點，每款甜點有5-6個組成部分，再加上給同學的試吃（兩天共120人份），工作量不小。好在大家都是有經驗的甜點師，又有主廚清晰的指導，工作起來有種如魚得水的快感！
And this, was when I realized that I don’t just miss making pastry, I also miss working in a team. In the past few years, having spent time in pastry shops, Michelin restaurant, five-star hotel, and also teaching on my own, I’ve came to the realization that no matter how skilled one becomes, what can be achieved as an individual is limited; to accomplish anything in scale, a tight-knit team is absolutely necessary. These past few days of working with a team of such competency was fun and educational at the same time. There’s also a sense of reassurance, that everything would be alright because someone’s got your back.
這才後知後覺地發現，原來讓我迷上甜點廚房的，不只是甜點製作本身，還有那種強烈的團隊感。幾年下來，在大小甜點店、米其林餐廳、五星級飯店都工作過，也經歷了自己開課的過程，所得到的心得之一是 – 不論個人手藝多進步，獨自能完成的事情實在非常少；要做大事，必須有合作無間的團隊。這幾天和神隊友們一起工作，很開心，很安心。
（當然這不僅限於廚房，相信大家在各行各業都會有類似的感受。）
From what I could tell during the short time that we worked together, Quentin Bailly seems to be a really nice chef. Every time he asks you to do something, he would always follow with merci + your name, and also doesn’t forget to throw in some jokes to lighten up the mood from time to time (though, I can totally imagine him being a whole lot stricter in his own kitchen). The best part about working with him is that he is super organized and easy to follow.
Though his style seems breezy, it’s obvious to see that Quentin Bailly is a fastidious chef. His rock solid skills honed by working with numerous MOFs over the years is infused with vibrant creativity conjured up in his young mind (despite the amount of experience he has under his belt, he is only 34 years old this year). His creations don’t come with flamboyant decorations*, but the balance of flavors and textures is nothing but on point.
*The chef explains that he doesn’t like to decorate for the sake of decoration, and prefers that each element of the pastry contribute to the flavor.
Quentin Bailly 是位非常客氣的主廚。每當他讓你做一件事，交代完後都會說 merci（謝謝）+ 你的名字，也會時不時開個玩笑，現場氣氛輕鬆（不過估計他在自己的店裡不會總是如此和顏悅色，該罵的時候也會開炮）。最棒的是他做事有條有理，在準備和示範過程中皆是如此，非常容易 follow。
風格雖然輕鬆，但仍可以看出 Chef Bailly 是位基本功相當扎實、在細節上一絲不苟的甜點師。他有著與MOF大師們修練過的堅實底蘊，再揉入自己的年輕創意思維（別看他經歷豐富，其實今年也才34歲呢），呈現出來的成品並沒有過於繁復的裝飾，但味道搭配非常出色，everything on point。
註：Chef Bailly 說自己不喜歡 “因為裝飾而裝飾”，在設計甜點時希望每個部分都是在口味上的加分。
註2：我們有準備小份量的試吃給來參加講習會的同學們，但由於比例以及口感新鮮度上都大打折扣，跟 Chef 當天做出的正常大小甜點吃起來相差不小。
My personal favorite from the demo is the “roll cake sirop d’erable poire”, composed of pear confit and marmalade made with Sicoly pear puree, maple syrup chantilly, and a choux pastry cake – an elegant ensemble of flavors.
The “choux pastry cake” is something I’ve been pretty crazy about in the past few years, and for those who haven’t tried it already, here’s a brief on how it’s made: like pate-a-choux, you first heat milk, sugar, and butter to a light simmer before stirring in flour, then adding eggs until it’s completely absorbed. The batter is then folded with whipped meringue before it’s baked, resulting in a light-as-cloud, almost melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Note: I tried Sicoly‘s fruit purees for the first time during this demo, and really loved them! Other than pear, the coconut puree with pulp was also very memorable – I can totally imagine making a delicious coconut ice-cream out of it.
講習會的示範里，我個人最喜歡的是這款洋梨楓糖捲 – 用 Sicoly 洋梨果泥做出香氣十足的果醬，搭配燉煮洋梨、楓糖奶油、以及楓糖泡芙蛋糕，優雅而迷人。
其中的 “泡芙蛋糕” 是我近年來很喜歡用的一個元素，這里給有興趣的人一個小科普：步驟跟做泡芙相似，將牛奶、糖、奶油煮熱後離火加入麵粉拌勻，再加入蛋液混合，最後拌入打發蛋白霜再烘烤，成品柔軟如雲，有入口即化的微妙口感。Chef Bailly 將食譜里的細砂糖用楓糖顆粒代替，做出來的蛋糕帶有淡淡楓糖香氣，甚至不用再搭配任何食材就非常美味了。
註：托這次講習會的福，首次嘗到了法國 Sicoly 品牌的果泥，很喜歡！除了洋梨之外，帶有顆粒的椰子果泥也很人驚艷，可以想象用它做出美味的椰子冰淇淋。
After the demo, I followed Chef Bailly to Regent Taipei for a taste of the afternoon tea set he had designed for the hotel.
講習會結束後，我又跟隨著 Chef Bailly 去了台北晶華酒店，試試他推出的期間限定下午茶。
Here’s a gif from his demo at the hotel. The texture of this perfectly whipped cream though…I could look at this for hours and not get bored.
Chef 也在現場做了幾款甜點組裝示範。一團團打發完美的開心果奶油，用勺子塑形時那飽滿奶油微微向下擠壓的質地，真是太療愈了…可以 on repeat 一百次也看不膩。
So, what to expect from Quentin Bailly’s afternoon tea set at Regent Taipei:
- Pistachio sablé tart with a mousse of exotic fruits
- Caramel hazelnut religieuse with pear and almond cream
- Blackberry chocolate cake with smoked chocolate ganache
- Brandy almond apple tart with vanilla meringue
- Raspberry chocolate sphere with red peach jam
Each pastry is a pleasure to the tastebuds, though if forced to choose, I would have to go with the hazelnut religieuse dotted with pear jam, as well as the pistachio sablé tart with an acidic note from passion fruit. Oh, but the smokiness of the blackberry chocolate cake is quite unforgettable too…
這次 Quentin Bailly 設計的下午茶套餐里有五款甜點：
- 開心果沙布列酥餅塔．熱帶水果慕斯
- 焦糖榛果修女泡芙．洋梨及杏仁奶醬
- 黑莓巧克力蛋糕．煙燻巧克力甘納許
- 白蘭地杏仁蘋果塔．香草蛋白霜
- 覆盆子巧克力球．酸甜紅桃醬
每一樣都別出心裁，不過硬要選的話，加了洋梨果醬的榛果修女泡芙，以及有開心果酸度搭配開心果濃郁的酥餅塔最令我印象深刻。啊，不過帶有煙熏風味的黑莓巧克力蛋糕其實也很不錯…
Though I had already tasted a few of Chef Bailly’s creations at the demo, the afternoon tea at Regent Taipei is a whole other experience altogether – to be able to enjoy the pastries in a relaxed setting, and slowly feel each layer unfold on the tongue, is definitely time well-spent. If you are in Taipei, don’t miss the chance – the set is available until 11/30.
Special thanks to Miaolin Foods, Sicoly, Regent Taipei, and of course chef Quentin Bailly for this experience!
雖然在講習會上已經嘗過幾款 Chef Bailly 的作品，但能夠坐在優雅舒適的環境里，一口一口地感受每個作品的微妙層次，那才是真正的享受。這套期間限定下午茶到11月30日結束，如果這之前有機會去台北的話，一定要到晶華酒店品嘗一下喲。
感謝這次活動的主辦方苗林行、Sicoly、台北晶華酒店、當然還有 Quentin Bailly 主廚的關照！
Lastly, a bit of random reflections.
(中文請往下滑。）
The past few days reminded me of how much I revel in kitchen actions. At the same time, I became keenly aware of how it’s simply not possible to revert back to the crazy work mode I had back in Paris, because…well, having entered a different stage in life, there’s now a home and a family for me to take care of (no kids yet though, phew).
And exactly because of this, I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity, years earlier, to move to Paris. With no strings attached, I had complete freedom to lose myself in the enchanting world of pastry: waking up at 2:30am and not leaving the kitchen till 5pm; volunteering to work an extra day every week without pay, just so I could see and learn more; visiting pastry boutiques during my off days so I could try other people’s creations, then religiously record all that I’ve experienced on this blog. That period of absolute craziness, in retrospect, is beyond precious.
Previously, when people messaged or emailed me asking – “Should I also quit my job to pursue my interest in pastry?”, I’ve always answered quite conservatively – “Well, this really depends on each person, the kitchen certainly isn’t for everyone…”
But now I would say, especially to those who are still young / don’t have many family obligations: please listen intently to that inner voice and don’t let the sprout of your passion wither off easily. Nurture it, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. There are certain things that you can only do now, because you will not have the same opportunity later in life. Whatever you do, don’t let your future self regret.
As for me, I also need to do some serious thinking about what’s most important for me during this stage of life…
最後來一點碎碎念。
回廚房的這幾天，深刻感受到現在的自己已回不去當年在巴黎的工作模式了。雖然做甜點仍讓我熱血沸騰，但因為進入了人生另一個階段，從廚房忙完回家還得處理家事，無法像以前一樣全心全意投入工作。
也因此，非常感謝當年決定去巴黎放手一搏的自己。慶幸當時有足夠的自由，能夠瘋狂陷入在自己的熱情里，心無旁騖地專注於甜點。凌晨2:30起床，工作到下午5點才離開廚房；每周自願加班一天，就為了看更多、學更多；休息日仍離不開甜點，興致滿滿地跑去其他店裡品嚐他人的作品；回家後寫甜點部落格，記錄自己所感受到的每一種滋味。可以全力往前沖的那個人生階段，回頭看覺得不可思議。
之前有人問我 “是否自己也該追隨興趣去做甜點” 時，我總是回答得比較保守 – “嗯，這要看個人啊，不一定每個人都適合呢…”
不過現在的我再來看的話，如果你還是學生、或者是剛畢業的年輕人，我的回答會是 – 認真聆聽自己心裡的聲音，不要讓熱情的苗頭輕易消失，細心耕耘，勇敢嘗試，不要因為害怕而駐足不前。 有些事，年輕時不做，以後更不會做了。無論如何，不要讓未來的自己後悔。
至於我呢，現階段該做些什麼，也得認真思考一下了。