The Parisian Palace is handing over the pastry reins to Yazid Ichemrahen, World Pastry Champion “Frozen Desserts” and globetrotting Chef who trained with some of the greatest names in the business.
From 15th April 2024, the distinguished Pastry Chef will be unveiling his ode to all things sweet at Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris, his first Parisian address.
A CAREER FORMED FROM SUGAR AND STARS
His path into pastry started at around three years old and continued unwavering through adolescence and beyond. For Yazid Ichemrahen, desserts were a way of escaping from his difficult daily life that was cruelly lacking in perspective, affection, and recognition, as shown in the autobiographical book “Créer pour survivre, vivre pour ne pas sombre” and the film he co-produced entitled, “Sugar and Stars” (A la belle étoile). His career put him on a path to meet inspirational Chefs and father figures. Among his mentors are World Pastry Champion and Meilleur Ouvrier de France, Pascal Caffet, who discovered and trained him, then Angelo Musa under whom Yazid Ichemrahen grew in confidence at Pâtisserie des Rêves, and even Joël Robuchon who he worked for at Métropole in Monaco.
Ichemrahen honed his technique through every experience, going from strength to strength. This new legitimacy encouraged him to set a new goal: at just 22 years old, he won the Frozen Desserts World Cup, becoming the youngest world champion of any dessert competition ever.
BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO THE DESSERT MENU AT LE ROYAL MONCEAU – RAFFLES PARIS
For his arrival at the Palace, the Pastry Chef has chosen a Chef on the French pastry scene: Alexandre Favre. A former disciple and right hand of Chef Christophe Michalak, Alexandre Favre joins Yazid Ichemrahen as the Executive Pastry Chef of Yazid Ichemrahen at Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris. The two men share the same passion and values: letting gorgeous raw materials take centre stage and placing humanity at the heart of everything they do. They are teeming with complementary creativity and filled with a desire to highlight raw ingredients by keeping their desserts as natural as possible. Their back-to-basics creations come from a desire to offer desserts with a distinct, comforting, authentic taste.
MAKING ARTISAN PRODUCE THE STAR OF THE SHOW
Hand in hand with Alexandre Favre, Yazid Ichemrahen has been working on the new dessert menu for the most Parisian of Palaces. “I wanted to come back to the raw ingredients and honour the producers, their history and skill at making incredible quality products every day.” There is just one rule: no more than three ingredients and three textures in a single dessert. A recipe for happiness.
Ichemrahen’s heart is set on offering more than just cakes, he’s seeking to offer true culinary experiences. It starts with a visual experience, expressed through sleek design and presented with a precise gesture. His 360-degree entrepreneurial vision combines tradition and modernity, with the exacting nature of haute couture and total respect for the ingredients.
More than just cakes, Yazid Ichemrahen aims to offer a true culinary experience. First and foremost, it’s a visual experience, expressed through refined design and accompanied by precise gestures. His 360° entrepreneurial vision, a blend of tradition and modernity, combines haute couture standards with respect for the products.
YAZID ICHEMRAHEN’S SIGNATURE DESSERTS
The exclusive signatures of Yazid Ichemrahen at Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris:
The chef has constructed his sweet selection as a canvas of taste sensations: a Black Forest – a dessert that has accompanied him since the beginning – with sugar-free whipped cream, a light shortbread cake with seasonal fruits, a 100% vanilla dessert with Madagascar and Tahitian vanilla flowers, or a cheesecake with a twist that invites all the senses to taste. In short, a gourmet break made up of light dessert revisits.
Desserts at Le Bar Long :
In keeping with the friendly, elegant spirit of Bar Long, the sweet menu offers a contemporary pas de deux with delicious, well-balanced desserts: a chocolate on the border between fondant and airy soufflé, a comforting floating island with vanilla and orange blossom aromas, a vegan salad with very feminine floral notes and an Italian-style ice cream, which arrives at Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris when the weather is fine. The rice pudding, meanwhile, is a good example of the new direction Yazid Ichemrahen wants to take: sourcing mainly regional products directly from artisanal producers for extremely fresh products.
Desserts from the Michelin-starred restaurant Il Carpaccio:
Yazid Ichemrahen has created a menu for this must-visit destination for Italian gastronomy in Paris that gives pride of place to transalpine products, while defying expectations. The traditional tiramisu gives way to “L’écume de café”, an exploration of the aromatic richness of coffee. Panettone is revisited in the form of a caramelised brioche to bring out the sweet notes of dried fruit. Not to be missed on any ‘dolci’ menu are the double-textured chocolate fondant with stracciatella sauce and the triple-citrus tart, which combines candied orange, lemon and grapefruit with the milky notes of Robiola, an Italian cheese.
Desserts at Matsuhisa Paris:
A great source of inspiration for Yazid Ichemrahen, the spirit of Nobu Matsuhisa infuses the pastry chef’s flagship dessert for Matsuhisa Paris: cheesecake, a comforting version of the signature dessert of Nobu San restaurants. Other sweet offerings, such as iced mochi and fruit salad, are presented in a bento box that’s as playful as it is delicious.
Information & Reservations :
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Email: paris@raffles.com
Phone: +33 (0)1 42 99 88 00
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