- Story by Gail Johnson Photography by Lia Crowe
Macarons, brioche, financiers and sabl茅s: these are a few of the exquisite treats on display, like so many pieces of art or jewellery, in cases imported from France that were specifically designed to showcase chocolates and pastries in the new Thierry Caf茅 in Vancouver香蕉视频直播檚 Mount Pleasant.
French-raised master chocolatier and p芒tissier Thierry Busset has trained and worked with some of the globe香蕉视频直播檚 top culinary talents, earning respect as a pastry chef the world over. None other than Gordon Ramsay, a former colleague, once called him 香蕉视频直播渙ne of the finest pastry chefs in the world.香蕉视频直播�
Now, Thierry is settling into his new home, the 2,000-square-foot caf茅 and 4,000-square-foot production space at Main and Kingsway. Here, he honours his roots with all things buttery, chocolaty, flaky and finely crafted.
It all started in Auvergne, France, where Thierry learned to cook by his mother香蕉视频直播檚 side.
香蕉视频直播淲e grew up with plenty of food around us,香蕉视频直播� he recalls. 香蕉视频直播淢y mother always cooked for us. Every time we went to school, we came home for lunch. Cooking was all around me, and she encouraged me.香蕉视频直播�
Throughout his career, Thierry has taken on roles at several prestigious Relais & Chateaux properties and Michelin-star restaurants like London香蕉视频直播檚 Le Gavroche, where he worked with the late Albert Roux and Michel Roux Jr.
What skills he didn香蕉视频直播檛 learn in one pastry kitchen he would set out to pick up in the next, acquiring time-honoured techniques such as how to make p芒te de fruits and nougats. During mandatory military service, he made pastry for the French government. He has also worked in a ski resort in the south of France and on an island in the French Caribbean.
On a recommendation from Ramsay (whom Thierry knew pre-Hell香蕉视频直播檚 Kitchen and four-letter-worded fame), he spent several years working with legendary chef Marco Pierre White, helping elevate his London restaurant from two Michelin stars to three.
香蕉视频直播淭he pressure is not to get the three stars but to keep it,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淎t a Michelin-star restaurant, you learn service. You have to be perfect, and you have to be fast and organized. It香蕉视频直播檚 very great training.香蕉视频直播�
One of his day-to-day tasks at Marco Pierre White was to dip chocolate by hand. Even now, at his sophisticated, airy new digs香蕉视频直播攚here he has access to chocolate tempering equipment and a chocolate cooling tunnel, along with temperature-controlled storage, test kitchens and packaging rooms香蕉视频直播攈e prefers doing much of the dipping by hand rather than by machine.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a more natural technique, and it香蕉视频直播檚 good to learn if the machine ever breaks,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淔or all the people who work for me, it香蕉视频直播檚 good for them to learn it.香蕉视频直播�
The travel bug brought him to Vancouver, and he fell in love with his surroundings. He joined Toptable Group, first working at West before heading the pastry program at CinCin Ristorante.
The second location of Thierry comes almost a decade after the first on Alberni Street. Like its downtown counterpart, the elegant East Vancouver outpost boasts the group香蕉视频直播檚 trademark palm wood doors.
In each location, these doors open to the aromas of France, from freshly baked croissants to all sorts of ganache chocolates. Made of milk and dark and white chocolate, the artful pieces contain ingredients such as gin, Quebec maple syrup, shaved tonka beans, coconut pulp and raspberry liqueur. Macarons, in the colours of a Monet garden, are regularly offered with different flavours, from cassis to salted caramel.
Among Thierry香蕉视频直播檚 signature desserts is the gold-leaf-adorned chocolate marquise: the rich, dense cake comprises hazelnut dacquoise, salted caramel, crisp praline and chocolate mousse. It香蕉视频直播檚 a showstopper that his wife concocted with him. (The couple has three children together, ranging in age from seven to 12.) If it香蕉视频直播檚 chocolate you香蕉视频直播檙e craving but can香蕉视频直播檛 make up your mind, the chocolate trio is for you; it香蕉视频直播檚 a chocolate sponge cake layered with white, dark and milk chocolate mousse. The pretty passionfruit cake is especially popular, bright and refreshing with elegant miniature pink macarons dotting the bottom of a mound of passionfruit mousse with white genoise, all topped passionfruit gel茅e.
The caf茅 also offers savoury items such as quiche Lorraine with thick-cut bacon, organic vegetable quiche, a variety of croissants (including croissant au jambon) and more, with sandwiches coming soon.
Thierry loves the idea of coming in for a petit four with Thierry Caf茅香蕉视频直播檚 signature coffee香蕉视频直播攁 special blend made in collaboration with 49th Parallel. Except that he香蕉视频直播檒l be having something savoury: 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e been doing pastry for 36 years,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淚 like to cook for family and friends, but I don香蕉视频直播檛 eat pastry except to test it.香蕉视频直播�
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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