The ‘sweetest’ man

Didier Derouet is a perfect example of a Frenchman with the sweet tooth and a taste for romance.

The connoisseur of pastries is the executive pastry chef at the Gulf Hotel in Adliya and has been in Bahrain for the past six months.
Didier comes from a small village close to Paris which he left more than 20 years ago for the bright lights of the US.
He originally planned to stay for a couple of years but eventually ended up as a celebrity chef spending in Washington working at the prestigious St Regis Hotel, a popular destination for the rich and the famous.
The more prominent feathers in his caps are the special custom-made cakes he baked and prepared, with love, for numerous celebrities.
One example was a special cake he made for the Rolling Stones. He based the theme on their instruments, more specifically the drums and guitar, all made up in chocolate. It quiet evidently went down well with the band members who in turn sent him individual notes of gratitude as well as a personal invitation to their concert.
Didier also remembers another star attraction at the hotel, movie star Kevin Spacey.
“It was when the movie American Beauty was released. Kevin Spacey had visited the hotel and I made him a special cake, completely in chocolate and sugar. It was the body of a lady with a rose held over her stomach, like in the movie promos. He loved it. I also got to sit and watch the premier of the movie in Washington sitting with him!
“Generally, I like to make the kind of cake that speaks of the individual. I do this with a combination of flavours, by inventing things, and so on.”
Didier was also a part of the ‘Washington Chefs Club About Nothing’ which was a small, informal group of chefs from various restaurants, hotels and food establishments who met up once in a month to dine and wine through the night and catch up on stories, events and recipes.
“We would all meet up one Friday in a month and sit up really late drinking, smoking cigars and just having some fun. But the favourite part of my job was the charity dinners that we were invited to do. We were able to give back to society what we received from it,” Didier explained.
The chefs of the club dished up numerous charity dinners for good causes including helping the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina victims as well as smaller concerns such as  Riverview School near Boston, a place of learning for children and adults with complex language, learning and cognitive disabilities.
Didier said: “We would load our vans with all necessary materials and drive all the way out there. We did this for four years in a row and the last year we raised $650,000. Every year we would meet the students and there would be something to celebrate – an addition to the school, new facilities. It was a very nice feeling, especially seeing the smiles on their faces.”
Didier looked to develop his career and found the world was his oyster. He took up a post in Algiers and then had a choice between Mauritius and Bahrain.
He said: “I like things that are really different. Mauritius was very tempting but I chose here.”
And chocolate lovers in the kingdom can be thankful that he did!
Didier’s personal favourite is chocolate. His actions ring a sweeter tone as well. He is all set to prepare a three-layered cake as a gift to his girlfriend. The cake will consist of three of her favourite flavours; chocolate, cheese and tiramisu.
“She is very special and I want to make something special for her,” he explained.
You can put Didier to the taste test at the Atrium Café at the Gulf Hotel. Today he shares the recipe secrets of one of his favourite pastry dishes with GulfWeekly.