PETALING JAYA, Sept 27 — The array of artisanal French pastries is beguiling. One has ribbons of ripe mango forming a rose; another has sharp lemon curd anointed with heady frankincense. There is elderflower gelée and white wine poached pear, roasted hazelnut praline and crème Chantilly.
You’d imagine this was at the display counter of some Parisian pâtisserie but every dainty little tart comes from a home-based pastry business in Damansara Perdana called Tart Temptress (the name itself a triumph of witty enticement).
Tart Temptress is run by Alvan Then, a pastry chef who had previously worked at Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon’s restaurants in Singapore and Macau respectively. Growing up in Teluk Intan, the 35 year-old didn’t imagine he would be crafting desserts at Michelin-starred establishments.
Far from it: Alvan recalls a modest childhood and less risky career path. He says, "My parents arranged for me to study programming. I quit halfway and used the loan money to pay for my culinary and baking arts studies in Taylor’s College.”
The sudden switch wasn’t without reason; Alvan was motivated by his own parents who were bakers and who had owned a kopitiam in Teluk Intan (before closing it and moving to KL).
Alvan shares, "My parents used to bake traditional Chinese pastries such as egg tarts, siu bao, almond biscuits, etc. They had hoped that I wouldn’t have to work hard in sweat and tears like them. So they were really upset when I changed courses but they are happy now.”
That eventual parental approval might have come from Alvan’s storied career as a pastry chef or pâtissier. First at the Singaporean outpost of Guy Savoy’s eponymous restaurant (since shuttered) in Marina Bay Sands right after he graduated. Next he headed to Macau to work at Robuchon au Dôme (formerly Robuchon a Galera) at Grand Lisboa Hotel.
A pâtissiers’s work is far from easy but Alvan never lost sight of his love for French desserts and fine pastries.
He says, "I got my cooking and baking passion from my mother. I read her recipe books during free time since primary school. One day she bought a piece of French kitchen equipment from Robot Coupe. That was 20 years ago and it was very modern in a small town.”
The Robot Coupe arrived with a French recipe book which young Alvan browsed through every chance he had. He says, "I was very attracted by the beautiful food as I had never seen anything like that before. The recipes included delectable tarts full of berries and chocolates, artisanal pies and terrines that were spectacular to look at.”
Fast forward to a couple of years ago when Alvan was the Senior Sous Chef at Mangala Resort & Spa. He shares, "The lockdown started and the tourism industry suffered very badly. I began selling desserts online and decided to continue even after the lockdown ended thanks to positive feedback and support from customers.”
Alvan’s artisanal tarts and pies are far from their cookie-cutter, mass produced cousins. Beyond a good recipe, quality ingredients, a trained sense of taste, professional skills and experience are required.
He shares, "My tarts are deeply inspired by my exposure at previous jobs in French restaurants as well as master pâtissiers such as Cédric Grolet.”
Grolet, the executive pastry chef at Le Meurice in Paris, is known for his fruit-forward French desserts. Often these fine pastries resemble the very fruits that are used in their making.
Alvan showcases this influence in his own creations such as his Citrus Tart Platter, with tangy flavours such as Lime Passionfruit Mango, Burnt Lemonberry, Keylime Lemongrass and Frankincense Lemon.
Unusual flavour pairings turn up too: from a deconstructed "Apam Balik” Corn Peanut Butter with Cheddar Tuile and Popcorn Tart to a fruity-floral Elderflower Honey Cognac Pear Tart. Alvan even makes small, rustic galettes.
Many of Tart Temptress’s offerings come in the form of entremets, which are a type of French dessert. Beautiful, delicate cakes, often mousse-based and multi-layered.
Typically there will be a variety of different flavours and textures; the thrill for the passionate pastry chef comes from decoding the mystery of how to make everything come together. If the pâtissier is a conductor in an orchestra, then the entremet is a sublime symphony.
With so many unique tarts and pies, it can be tough to single out one favourite creation. Alvan’s chosen tart is his Valrhona Jivara Whiskey Coffee; he enjoys the puzzle of figuring out how to best balance the disparate ingredients so they develop compatible notes and become a well-rounded whole.
He explains, "The nutty, toasty flavour of Nicaragua coffee compliments the whiskey's oaky notes. Valhrona Jivara milk chocolate is used as a medium to harmonise all the flavours to make a well balanced, flavourful and delicious tart.”
Research and development (R&D) is key to keeping the offerings novel and enticing. Alvan enjoys coming up with new recipes, and looks forward to seasonal celebrations for ideas: "There will definitely be new festive desserts for Deepavali, Halloween, Winter’s Solstice and Christmas. I’d like to develop more savoury artisan pies as well.”
Such savoury treats include Pithiver de poulet à la moutarde & crème fraîche, a reversed pie from the Loire Valley in central France. Made with artisanal puff pastry, the pie is filled with pulled roasted mustard chicken and bacon, slow cooked in chicken bouillon, mushrooms, parsnip, carrots, chestnuts and quail eggs finished with a dash of cognac, crème fraîche and fines herbes.
With such a diverse menu, little wonder that Tart Temptress’s current operations run on a hectic, daily schedule. Alvan shares, "Sometimes there are even orders for delivery late at night!”
He adds, "Being a home-based business means I do not have to spend on rental and hiring staff so I can spend more buying quality ingredients.”
The entrepreneurial pâtissier subsequently passes the savings on to his customers: "I sell every piece of entremet dessert below RM100. I don’t think there is any entremet dessert that uses Valhrona and Callebaut chocolate that sells at lower price than me in KL.”
Alvan is clear-eyed about the challenges an independent pastry chef faces, from depending on delivery services to maintaining a strong social media presence. Finances, particularly with the current economic climate, is a constant worry.
He says, "There were a lot of ups and downs. One needs to stay positive, develop problem solving skills and be equanimous all the time.”
The young business owner has come a long way from reading French recipe books in Teluk Intan to working at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Macau. Now he’s carving a path for himself, in pursuit of his dreams... and tempting tarts.
Tart Temptress
