Incomparable Beauty for a Steal
It’s uncommon when a dessert that costs 15 Euros (roughly $20) is thought to be priced extremely reasonably, almost unfairly low. However, French chefs Mathieu Robillard and Brian Esposito of Le Pinxo at the Renaissance Paris Vendome Hotel have created a dessert that is, quite honestly, a masterpiece.
The culinary Rembrandt these two world-class chefs created is an unparalleled esthetic achievement, a beautiful pastry made of exquisite ingredients that offer the pallet a luxurious sensation of flavor and the eyes an organic representation of the art that is the L’Oeuvre Noire.
Influence and Inspiration
While the germane influence that lead to this dessert was the chefs’ combined gastronomic heritage from southwestern France — which has a tradition of cultivating some of the most renowned chefs in the world over, — but the inspiration behind the pastry is the famous Mauboussin L’Oeuvre Noire Jewelry Collection, in particular, the ring.
The Mauboussin L’Oeuvre Noire Ring features a white gold band with a black enamel inlay and a white diamond pave surrounding a stunning black diamond. It is the form of the L’Oeuvre Noire that shaped the Le Pinxo chefs’ creativity, but it is fair to say that only the kitchen of world renowned Head Chef Alian Dutournier could create a dessert that reflects the symbolic wonder of the L’Oeuvre Noire.
Creation
The Robillard and Esposito dessert is as simple as it is remarkable. The three primary ingredients are black currents, pralines and chocolate. The black current is placed on a chocolate truffle ring covered in pink black current sugar and top the current rests a silver sugar diamond. The ring rests upon a two-layer, chocolate square foundation and has a single red rose pedal for a backdrop.
A wave of chocolate string connects the rose pedal with the ring and spills off onto the plate. Beside the ring and chocolate square rests a soft-chocolate-covered praline crisp in which a dark chocolate disk with the Mauboussin Star is seated vertically. The final touches include silver sugar diamonds imbedded around the chocolate square and a black Mauboussin ribbon with white lettering resting on top of it below the ring.
Fortunates
While the price for such a dessert is more than fair even by the most frugal standards, partaking of the pastry is a different matter all together. Le Pinxo is a 5-Star restaurant considered one of the premier in the world. An invitation to taste the dessert is as rare as the pastry itself.
Le Pinxo will feature the L’Oeuvre Noire dessert from February 15 to April 15 and is sure to make both the 5-Star hotel and the restaurant the talk of the Paris service industry for the entire month and undoubtedly beyond.
While Renaissance Hotels can be found in over 35 countries — there are 155 hotels — only Le Pinxo will feature the L’Oeuvre Noire Dessert. The hotel is already fully booked for the month and the restaurant is currently sending out RSVP invitations to the fortunate crown that is lucky enough to be considered for the honor of enjoying this culinary masterpiece.
