Award-winning international pastry chef Andres Lara dazzled local dessert practitioners with his unique recipes and cooking secrets in the hands-on demonstration-workshop, entitled “Andres Lara: Revisiting Global Influences,” presented by CR8TV3 Solutions in partnership with the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB).
The three-day workshop-demonstration at the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM) of the DLS-CSB was attended by pastry chefs from major hotels and restaurants in the country, culinary school faculty, alumni and students.
During the event, CR8TV3 Solutions, represented by Chefs Peachy Juban and Joanne Limoanco, awarded an opportunity to a Lasallian Association of Tourism and Hospitality Education School to De La Salle-Lipa.
Lara, who has worked in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, is presently the Regional Chef for Asia Pacific of Cacao Barry, a French brand that offers a range of high-quality cocoa products, chocolate coatings, fillings and decorating products.
Born in Chicago of Colombian parents, Lara studied at the French Pastry School, working under Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sébastien Canonne and completed his Art de la Patisserie Diploma.
He honed his skills with Chef Paco Torreblanca at the Pasteleria Totel, and Chef Ramon Morato at the Chocovic Chocolate School at Barcelona, and did time at the famed el Bulli of Ferran Adrià, under the tutelage of renowned pastry innovator Albert Adrià.
He has been assigned in China, Denmark, Japan, Norway, Taiwan, and Thailand. He also held positions in Florida’s Ritz Carltons at Half Moon Bay and Palm Beach, as well as Chicago’s NoMI at Park Hyatt Hotel.
His last postings were at Iggy’s and Pollen in Singapore, and Aberdeen Street Social in Hong Kong, before he was named Regional Chef at the Chocolate Academy in Tokyo, Japan.