Barely time to recover from the summer farniente, and Parisian pastry chefs are at it again with their Christmas logs in September. In fact, every year, this obligatory exercise gives rise to a healthy competition of talent between the various palaces and prestigious establishments in Paris. Let's take a closer look at Chef Maxime Frédéric 's 5-star creation for the Four Seasons Hotel George V: a log deconstructed in the style of a Christmas tree, in reference to the palace's winter decor and a nod to the Four Seasons group logo.
At just 28 years of age, the man who dreamt of palaces in his pastry school days is well on the way to achieving his goal, this year becoming Executive Pastry Chef of the George V hotel's 3 restaurants. This is no mean feat for Maxime Frédéric, since Le George*, Le Cinq*** and L'Orangerie* all boast no less than 5 Michelin stars. A singular moment in his career, the press presentation of his first log was also an opportunity for him to explain what it means to him.
"I'm very much a family man, and for me a log is a moment of sharing, of childhood memories (...) It was the first time that all the hotel's pastry chefs had worked together (...).) I chose the fir tree because, during the festive season, the hotel's marble courtyard is decorated with them, and I wanted to create a continuity between what we have on the table and the outside décor."
The result is a range of coniferous trees in different sizes, depending on the number of guests, which, at first glance, makes you wonder how difficult it is to distinguish between edible and decorative. And yet, believe it or not, you won't be left with a single crumb: the branches of the tree are made of 75% chocolate perou sprayed with melted white chocolate, the pine cones are chocolate "truffles ", right down to thechocolate candy-like star that you'll share after devouring your log of lyokan (Japanese orange), hazelnuts and yuzu. A perfectly balanced dessert, the triptych of sweet, sour and crunchy working to perfection.
Another success for the pastry chef and the whole team at the George V, making us hardly miss last month's lagoons and white sand. Winter is coming and we can't wait.
The Four Seasons Hotel George V log will be available in the three restaurants Le George*, Le Cinq*** and l'Orangerie* at a price of 160€ for 4 to 6 portions and 180€ for 6 to 8 portions. Orders can be placed 48 hours in advance.
Practical information:
Four Seasons Hotel George V
31, avenue George V
75008 Paris
Le Cinq
Reservations: 01 49 52 71 54
Le George
Reservations: 01 49 52 72 09
L'Orangerie
Reservations: 01 49 52 72 24
Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.
Location
George V Hotel
31 Avenue George V
75008 Paris 8
Official website
www.fourseasons.com
