March 2025
In an exclusive interview, the ‘King of Modern Patisserie’, Pierre Hermé, shares on the future of desserts. We discover how trends are already headed towards his suggestions worldwide and at local partner restaurants on The Culinaire’s List, an exclusive dining programme for DBS Insignia Cardmembers.
French pastry chef Pierre Hermé, aka the Picasso of Pastry, is the visionary credited with elevating the macaron into a global phenomenon (Credit: Patrick Rougereau)
Global trends are re-inventing our sweet treats. One of the most ingenious re-inventions could be the haute pâtisserie by Pierre Hermé, where macarons and cakes ooze surprises in every bite. Hailed as the ‘King of Modern Patisserie’, Pierre revolutionised the pastry world using savoury additions to accentuate sweetness — at the turn of the 21st century, his creamy foie gras and chocolate shook the world — winning accolades including World’s Best Pastry Chef by World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2016.
Innovative chefs today are similarly re-imagining the concept of dessert with unprecedented ideas.
While the top-notch use only the best of seasonal produce, now the green leafy variety and a savoury touch are often used for unexpected nuances and depth.
Macarons that encapsulate the flavours of Pierre Hermé's best-selling Ispahan cake, where rose with fresh lettuce has its sweetness magnified by raspberries. (Credit: Laurent Fau, Pierre Hermé)
Thanks to the huge influence social media has on garnering attention and reservations, desserts are often an interactive experience. Whether DIY or assembled à la minute, they are stealing the show from the savoury stars. From your tart to choux, parfait to viennoiserie, Ami Patisserie is one such local concept where chefs prepare a multi-course menu in front of guests at counter seats.
We traverse the globe and our little red dot to find these trending developments at cool spots including stores by Pierre Hermé and our very own award-winning Janice Wong (2am: dessertbar and Janice Wong Pure Imagination), as well as partner restaurants of The Culinaire’s List: Born, Imamura, Nae:um, Imbue, Thevar, and Revolver.
In a one-on-one with DBS for The Culinaire’s List, famed French pastry chef Pierre Hermé allowed us to pick his brain on how the future of desserts will take shape.
The trendsetter of the pastry world revealed, "Vegan pastry and the emphasis placed on sustainability and seasonality of ingredients are, in part, key pillars for the future of pastry-making.”
In a moment of confidence, he shares, “Vegan pastry, which involves creating cakes without any animal products, is a real challenge for me, having learned to make them using eggs, butter, cream, and milk. Gluten-free pastry, on the other hand, is more familiar to me, as most of our macarons do not contain gluten. Nevertheless, this approach represents a tremendous creative opportunity—it is absolutely fascinating!” He has even documented his journey in his book, ‘Vegan Pastry’, inviting fans on a re-discovery of his greatest classics in vegan versions.
A zesty vegan tart by Pierre Hermé, where the yuzu becomes cream, jelly and confit, (Credit: Laurent Fau, Pierre Hermé)
As Pierre Hermé continues to explore the new creative frontiers in pastry making, he emphasises the industry must evolve in terms of environmental impact. Seasonal produce for one, significantly reduces the carbon footprint of food transportation and storage.
“We must move towards a more responsible, eco-friendly form of pastry-making, embracing sustainability in both our ingredients and our profession to address the climate issues the world is facing today. At Maison Pierre Hermé Paris, we have always been mindful of the seasonality of ingredients, seasonality ensures flavour and therefore pleasure. But it is now at the very heart of how we structure our offerings, our profession has a crucial role to play as a driver of change—it must preserve its essence, its taste, and the joy of indulgence, while acting more consciously for the environment and the planet.”
Pierre Hermé also sees transformative opportunities through artificial intelligence. “I believe AI will support artisans, while leaving room for endless creativity."
Tarte Jardin Enchanté, a vegan tart where lime jelly accentuates the sweet raspberries, is balanced with Espelette pepper and almond cream with lime zest (Credit: Laurent Fau, Pierre Hermé)
Coda, the world’s first Michelin-starred dessert restaurant and holder of two Michelin stars today, offers a 15-course dessert menu, mostly plant-based, with a full range of flavour profiles. A breath-taking creation is its signature Caviar Popsicle – vanilla and Jerusalem artichoke ice cream with pecan ganache rolled in Oscietra caviar.
Over in France, the two Michelin-starred dessert restaurant, Le Sarkara ingeniously uses fruit and vegetables in unprecedented combinations such as celeriac with black truffle and mildly spicy citrus fruit pickles.
In Singapore, Janice Wong, a protégé of Pierre Hermé, has long come into her own in the pastry world. Her Signature Singapore Series reimagines familiar flavours with playful, unexpected twists. Think chilli padi or laksa leaf and lemongrass bonbons, where heat and spice meet the smooth richness of chocolate. These creations have not only elevated the dessert scene in Singapore, but also scored her a hat trick with the title of Pastry Chef of the Year at the World Gourmet Summit Awards in 2011, 2013, and 2015.
Imbue’s roasted lily bulb mousse, apple terrine and sea salt caramel, served with Calvados anglaise
At Imbue, Chef Lee Boon Seng seamlessly blends unusual suspects, from roasted lilybulb mousse to chocolate shiitake crèmeux, for a finale to remember. The latter combines earthy notes of chocolate and shiitake with a layer of plum sour cream and a puffed rice sable, finishing with a hint of whisky. Each element brings a distinctive twist, balancing sweetness for a multi-layered experience.
Over at Born, Chef Zor Tan too observes a growing trend of vegetable-forward desserts. With his Pastry Chef Dory Chen, they conduct research using unusual ingredients from celtuce to black garlic, making desserts a highly anticipated segment.
“A touch of savoury, even bitter, can elevate the natural sweetness,” he explains, “adding an earthy, refreshing contrast that surprises the palate.”
Chef Imamura Hirofumi (left) and Pastry Chef Vivien (right) perfecting their Christmas Strawberry Shortcake dessert
Chef Hirofumi Imamura and his Pastry Chef Vivien Foo of Imamura echo this sentiment. They create their version of umami-pumped desserts using parsnip, salted egg and distinctive Japanese ingredients such as amazake, a fermented non-alcoholic sake, and soba buckwheat powder.
To add complexity, Chef Hirofumi shares, “Fermentation plays a key role; we’ve even used fermented crab sauce to create ice cream.”
Fukuoka strawberries are fermented for 5 days for Imamura’s Strawberry Shortcake dessert
Little known to laymen, fermentation not only enhances the taste and texture of some ingredients including vegetables, but the bitter compounds are also removed. Chef Hirofumi makes use of this to introduce bold, layered flavours that elevate traditionally sweet desserts, transforming them into multi-dimensional experiences.
Chef Zor Tan of Born crafts desserts as innovative as they are elegant
This story of innovation is often elevated by artisanal craftmanship in dessert. À la minute assembly is a hallmark of fine dining to highlight the freshness of ingredients and the precision of temperature, texture, and taste intended.
Chefs prepare and plate components just before serving, ensuring that ingredients are at their peak, while the techniques demonstrate a mark of true craftsmanship.
Born’s Doraemon dessert brings childhood nostalgia to life with sweet potato, oolong tea cream, and sea salt ice cream (Credit: Born)
Chef Zor embraces this approach with Born’s signature Doraemon dessert, inspired by his favourite childhood cartoon programme, in which a character’s treasured food is the sweet potato. Oolong tea cream, sea salt ice cream, and burnt butter are assembled with sweet potato puree, crisps, and tater tots in front of guests. As the unexpected flavours come together, a Japanese purple sweet potato sable and sea salt flakes add a final touch.
With no formal pastry training, Chef Louis Han surprises diners with the complexity of his desserts at Nae:um, each creation having a distinct story and strong Korean roots. Alongside his pastry team, Chef Louis whips up desserts emphasising the fresh, natural ingredients often tied to Korean culinary traditions.
“We serve one light, fruity dessert made with seasonal ingredients on each episodic menu, and there is also a creamy second dessert for diners opting for the Signature menu,” Chef Louis explains. On their (Episode 8) dinner menu, the dessert offering celebrates Korean-Chinese culinary traditions with a fruity creation featuring longan.
Nae:um’s jeonbyung dessert is served as a wish of good fortune to diners (Credit: Nae:um)
Meanwhile, Nae:um’s signature dessert, Jeonbyung, remains a constant presence across the different episodic menus. This dish incorporates two significant ingredients, charcoal and red dates, which are traditionally placed in Korean fermentation pots as symbols of good luck. “I serve this dessert last to wish my diners good fortune in their coming days,” explains Chef Louis.
To celebrate the peak nutrition and tastes of seasonal ingredients, restaurant Imamura embraces the rhythms of nature in the kitchen.
“I see modern patisserie and diners moving towards simpler, lighter desserts,” Chef Hirofumi explains, “where smaller portions focus on a key ingredient in season. For example, we use seasonal strawberries for our desserts letting the essence of the season shine through with every bite.”
Revolver’s Brioche with Crème Cru dessert (Credit: Revolver)
At Singapore’s three-Michelin-starred Odette, Louisa Lim’s creations blend her French training with her Asian roots. Her Floating Island, for instance, is a vibrant dessert featuring tropical fruits like mango, passionfruit, pineapples, and kaffir lime spiked with an unexpected long Java pepper, offering a refreshing taste of home elevated by the finesse of French patisserie.
Thevar’s playful twist on a classic cheese course, Peach and Paneer (Credit: Thevar)
Over at Thevar and Revolver, desserts offer creative opportunities to re-interpret classic ingredients.
In the autumn menu of Thevar, Chef Mano added a twist to the classic cheese course with his Peach and Paneer pre-dessert. Typically a savoury element in Indian cuisine, paneer is reimagined as a refreshing sorbet. It is paired with seasonal peaches to perfectly balance the subtle creaminess of paneer with the refreshing fruit. At Revolver, their Brioche with Crème Cru combines French techniques with Asian flavours. Caramelised apples, nestled within layers of brioche, pay homage to classic French pastry traditions, while a cardamom crème cru adds a delicate Asian twist.
Incorporating familiar flavours in the new is a clever way to win over the brain – when taste signals are received, other brain functions like memory, emotions, and decision-making are also triggered. This interconnectedness helps explain why familiar tastes can often evoke strong responses.
This has become a running theme in many other restaurants including Imamura. For Chef Hirofumi, nostalgia is deeply woven into his Strawberry Shortcake dessert, a dish that harks back to his childhood in Japan, where he would pick strawberries at a family friend’s farm.
Chef Hirofumi Imamura’s snowy-white Strawberry Shortcake; a nostalgic tribute to his Fukuoka roots
“Strawberry Shortcake means Christmas to me,” Chef Hirofumi recalls. His deconstructed Strawberry Shortcake dessert for his last Christmas menu featured a sponge cake-flavoured ice cream, lacto-fermented strawberry jam, and the freshest strawberries from Fukuoka (Chef Hirofumi’s hometown). The tartness from the lacto-fermentation contrasts with the sweetness of the cream, meringue, and sugar disc, elegantly creating a dish that honours his roots.
As Pierre Hermé once famously remarked, there’s nothing more disappointing than eating a dessert that evokes no reaction. “Pastry is an art in the sense that it is a true means of expression, in the same way as music, painting and sculpture. The possibilities are unlimited in terms of both flavour and texture.” This philosophy strikes a perfect chord with Singapore’s dessert scene, where chefs are composing their own sweet symphonies. Each dessert tells a story, stirs emotions, and also offers diners a glimpse into a creation where tradition and innovation are intertwined.
Especially for DBS Insignia Cardmembers, The Culinaire’s List is a celebration of Singapore’s vibrant culinary scene through our partnership with both Michelin-starred restaurants and hidden gems. Be updated on Singapore’s fine dining scene through our monthly editorial series, The Culinary Canvas, where we bring you the narratives of each chef, their dishes, their inspiration for a finer appreciation of their culinary creations.
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