Chef Narae Kim was recently named the Worldchefs Global Pastry Challenge 2016 winner. In addition to her win, she recently moved to the Park Hyatt Saigon in Vietnam as Pastry Sous Chef and oversaw the opening of the new in-house bakery, the Pastry Boutique. Here, Chef Narae talks about her recent move to Vietnam, her Korean heritage, and upcoming projects.
Congratulations on winning the World Chefs Global Pastry Challenge. How did you prepare prior to competing?
I didn’t have enough time to prepare for the competition. Since moving to Vietnam for work, crashing my car and working on a new project opening the Pastry Boutique at the Park Hyatt Saigon it was hard to get a break to prepare. I only had one week to focus on the challenge, and decided to go to Korea to prepare for it. Many of my colleagues helped and supported me throughout the process. I appreciate them all, because without them I wouldn’t have participated in the event.
You have enjoyed a lot of success in pastry competitions, what do you think are some necessary skills in order to do well? (i.e. speed, technique, emotional strength)
All the competitors are seasoned experienced chefs, having the emotional strength I think is the most important. My Commis Chef and I enjoy ourselves during competitions. We only concentrate on the job we prepared for, and give our best.
What dishes did you create for the World Chefs Global Pastry Challenge?
There were several challenge conditions for the dessert. The theme was summer and we had to use both Valrhona Chocolate and Dilmah Tea. I chose to use all of my favorite ingredients for this challenge. My favorite summer fruit is peach, so I layered that with my favorite chocolate, Opalyse, and my favorite peach flavored tea.
Were you able to pre-fabricate some of your chocolate sculptures ahead of time and if so how did you transport them?
We had to make the whole chocolate showpiece during the competition. But, we used silicon molds for the sculptures, which we packed in 8 boxes. Three ladies and I traveled to Greece with a total of 200kg from Korea. After a 20-hour flight, packing, carrying and unpacking with only four of us was the hardest time.
How has living and working in Vietnam (i.e. Park Hyatt Saigon) inspired your style process?
Vietnam is a very interesting country with its food and culture. There are many beautiful places to visit such as Da Nang and Mũi Né. It is still Asia, but it is so different. I am enjoying life in Vietnam very much. My work place supports me in all new challenges, fresh ingredients, and circumstances. I am always inspired by the French concept Park Hyatt Saigon has. I try to match the luxury hotel restaurant and Vietnam’s original style of local produce with my pastry work.
Have you drawn on your South Korean heritage when creating dishes for Vietnamese audience?
I consider the Korea Wave. Have you heard of the “The Korea Wave”? Asia (probably some westerns) loves Korean pop music, dramas, movies, cosmetics, etc. All of Asia knows about Korean dessert, food, and culture. Park Hyatt Saigon and I just launched a new promotion of “Bingsu”. “Bingsu” is a traditional Korean summer dessert of ice flakes and syrup. Everyone loved it!
After winning the Global Pastry Chef Challenge what’s next for you?
I’ll keep traveling as a Pastry Chef all over the world. My aim is to have more experiences, gain more managerial skills and overall enjoy my life!
