Olivier

Olivier on the Hot Seat

1. What inspired you to be a chef?

My journey began watching my father cook his favorite dishes with mom. It was natural of me to watch them and be mesmerized by all the hard work and passion they put together.  My first attempt at cooking something sweet was at the age of 12. After months of watching Julia Child The French Chef and Top Chef France, I was fully into trying my hands into making homemade chocolate ice cream. It turned out to be a disaster but then I was so delighted with my creation. That day, I learned my first lesson in ice creams, which helped me grow till today. 

2. Is there a chef you look up to? What about them inspires you the most?

My inspiration will always be ‘The Picasso of Pastry’, Pierre Hermé. He has an incredible talent for desserts. His baking skills have made him well known well in the industry, be it his flavored and rich macaroons or Tarter Tango. And artistic decorations on his desserts are amazing! And Reynold Poernomo, the chef from Master Chef Australia, is a genius when it comes to desserts and ice creams. Have you checked out his ‘Chamomile Ice-cream’? That’s only a genius could do. 

3. What is your signature dish? What do people love about it?

It would be ‘Ice cream Sundae’. Who doesn’t love the silky and smooth texture, crunchy butternuts, and all the unique flavors exploding in your mouth! This is the most ordered dish from my station. They love that there are sauces and syrups between the scoops, toppings like sprinkles, whipped cream, peanuts, marshmallows, fruits… you name it, you get it.  The ladies and their kids love this dish and also Raspberry Ripple.  Nobody can hate a Sundae, can they?

4. What do you do when you’re not making Ice creams? Tell us about your hobbies.

I am into food styling and photographing.  If I am not cooking, you’ll see me behind the cameras. Those eye-pleasing, mouth-watering dishes when photographed look so good for magazines, advertisements, and books.  There are stylists, who use tricks of the trade to make the food appear eye-popping; I feel it’s always best to keep the food in its most natural way. People tell me to take this hobby full time, but nobody can keep me from making Ice creams in the restaurant, haha! 

5. Have you heard about any weird and crazy ice creams flavor around the world? If so, do share.

• Mushy peas and fish: Yes, you heard it right. If you wanna taste it, you can get this disgusting flavor from Teare Woods Luxury Ice Cream Parlor in England. As named, it’s a scoop of mushy peas and a scoop of fish flavor, topped with bits of fried codfish and served with French fries. 
• Mamushi snake: Mamushi is a cute name, isn’t it? But it is one of the most poisonous snakes in Japan and it is listed as one of the primary ingredients of this ice cream. A food blogger had described the taste of the ice cream as garlicky, chunks of almonds and the third flavor, of course, the hero – venom. 
• Raw horseflesh: Ughhh! Whoever has tried a scoop of this has given their verdict saying nothing’s better than this. You can find it in Namja Town, an indoor amusement park in Tokyo. You can also find some other mind-boggling flavors like cow tongue, yakisoba, octopus, and squid.