Shai Salon in Dubai has recently launch a new pastries menu, crafted by Senior Executive Pastry Chef Nicolas Lambert. The eight new signature pastries are Lambert’s first creations, utilizing a maximum of five textures and three flavors.
Here are the highlights:
Cup of Tiramisu
Reminiscent of a morning stroll in Paris, where one may stumble by a café and get drawn in by the smell of freshly ground coffee beans. This is a tiramisu à la Nicolas, with delightful layers of rich coffee and mascarpone, served in a Dulcey chocolate edible cup.
Raspberry and Rosewater Cake
Nicolas’ poetic ode to the region. The striking acidity of raspberries is balanced with the delicate sweetness that only lychee can offer. Rosewater completes the trifecta and enhances both flavors, and most importantly adds a sense of place. Guests will find themselves pondering the long and pleasant floral aftertaste amid the beautiful flower designs at Shai Salon.
100% Chocolate
A pure pastry for pure chocolate fanatics. To a seasoned pastry chef, chocolate is like a piano, it can seamlessly blend into an orchestra or absolutely captivate with a solo performance. This is Lambert’s solo piece, with a pinch of sea salt to defy chocolate’s tendency to be too sweet. The five textures in this pastry, made up of soft chocolate biscuit, crunchy chocolate, creamy dark chocolate, a milk chocolate chantilly and dark chocolate sauce, go together like octaves. The result is an airy delicacy that pushes all the right keys.
Cherry Eclair
Cherries are Nicolas’ favorite summer fruit, and for good reason; they remind him of his grandfather’s cherry trees. This eclair is an eternalized memory of summer days spent picking cherries and eating them, which to Nicolas, are completely worth the tummy ache from overeating and the subsequent scolding from Mom. The fresh cherry marmalade inside the eclair is the standout of this pastry and offers a homey, authentic taste.
Yuzu and Passionfruit Cheesecake
Fresh, citrusy and exotic, Nicolas’ meddling with yuzu and passionfruit combinations garnered great success for him in Hong Kong. This pastry offers a true taste of Asia, delivered in the form of a Lambert cheesecake. A honey sable base more than easily supports the “cheesecake,” which is light and airy as a mousse. Lambert plans to introduce a new cheesecake flavor seasonally.
Caramel Choux
You may call this the pastry of the year, and the choux would certainly fit. This creation is simple, meditative and forces one to take a moment to think about the wonderful swirl of flavors they are experiencing. Caramel shards and vanilla are infused into milk. The milk is then whipped into a dreamy cream filling. A crispy profiterole, spiced with brown sugar coddles the cream and homemade pecan nut pralines. The pastry is topped with vanilla and mascarpone cream which adds an irresistible richness to the pastry.
Strawberry and Pistachio Tart
A staple in every French pastry shop, the strawberry tart is an iconic dessert. Lambert likes his strawberry sliced meticulously into eight pieces and arranged elegantly to create a spiral. This is both aesthetic and practical as it ensures that the eating experience is seamless and not distracting. Raw pistachios are roasted to perfection and made into a paste for the chantilly. The pistachio flavor combines seamlessly with the marmalade, made with organic strawberries from France and the coulis made with the same strawberries and orange blossom.
Citrus and Basil Tart
Like a countryside breeze, this dessert refreshes and enlivens the taste buds. The citrus and basil tart sits on a sable Breton base that is buttery and salty, true to the culinary riches of Brittany. Creamy basil and lime provide a perfect acidity and spice, topped by a light and airy eggless meringue. Basil and lime gel, crafted from fresh basil leaves adorns the pastry as a final touch for both the eyes and the taste buds.
Shai Salon is located inside Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach.