Chef Magazine for Thailand December/January | Page 51

“I want to make something
that’s timeless and share
the happiness in the form of
food for a long time, despite
the awards and mentions
that we might get"
desserts, there’s no compromising by using local Thai butter or
milk. They just can’t be substituted,” he said. One ingredient
that Thailand has a competitive edge over, however, is sugar
“Sometimes we use Thai sugar because it has nice and neutral
colors unlike European sugar. We’re actually one of the biggest
sugar exporters in the world.” Sometimes he looks to Asian
for other ingredients such as yuzu orange, matcha or sakura
essence from Japan. “In the Pamplemousse cake, we trade
grapefruit for yuzu to make mousse, because grapefruit can
be quite bitter. Even though yuzu is sour, it still has a sweetness
to it that makes the cake balanced.”
For those new to the industry, Champ has some simple advice.
“In Australia, there’s a saying ‘Harden the f*ck up,’ you know?
Are you tough enough to be in this industry where the reward
is small but the work is hard? A lot of cooks seems to lose
their way when they start a business, they’re distracted by all
the awards and recognition chefs get these days. But for us,
cooking is simply a tool to bring people together. I believe
that food should still have a utilitarian purpose of fostering
the body and mind. I want to make something that’s timeless
and share the happiness in the form of food for a long time,
despite the awards and mentions that we might get,” Champ
said. “I’m happy where I am because I couldn’t imagine doing
anything else, so for me all the work that goes into this little
patisserie is worth it.” · Chef
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