Instagram is the best and worst thing to happen to desserts, says world-famous pastry chef Antonio Bachour

In town for his afternoon tea collaboration with The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, pastry chef Antonio Bachour discusses Instagram's impact on desserts, predicts the next visual trend, and shares his hopes for the next generation.

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore is currently playing host to renowned pastry chef Antonio Bachour, with an afternoon tea experience filled with his famously fancy-catching goodies.

Bachour, whose namesake restaurant in Miami is Michelin Guide-recognised, has been one of the most influential pastry chefs of the past two decades, revolutionising the look of modern pastry and helping redefine what patisserie looks like globally today.

Named World's Best Pastry Chef by The Best Chef Awards in 2018 and 2022, his signature style features mirror glazes, vibrant colours, edible flowers and geometric shapes.

And, with 1.7 million Instagram followers, the Puerto Rican of Lebanese descent is the pastry chef's pastry chef – an educator whose books and masterclasses have shaped a generation of professionals.

With the Afternoon Tea at The Courtyard (S$75 per adult, S$45 per child aged six to 11), Singapore diners get to experience the chef’s signature flavours and creations like the Berry Shortcake, Bachour’s Rocher and Exotic Pressed Sable, together with a selection of petit gateaux and savoury items.

“We are bringing a complete Bachour experience to The Fullerton Hotel Singapore – not just one or two desserts, but a showcase of what Bachour is all about,” he said.

For those of us who eat with our eyes – and cameras – as well as taste with our palates, it’s a visual wonderland. But, let’s not forget about flavour and technique.

“While people know my work for the colours, clean lines and presentation, I would like them to recognise the balance first. A Bachour dessert has to be much more than something beautiful. It has to have flavour, texture, freshness and a certain simplicity when you eat it,” he told us.

After all, “I never wanted aesthetics to become more important than flavour. For me, they have to work together. The visual makes you want to try the dessert; the flavour is what makes you remember it.”

So, has Instagram been the best thing that ever happened to pastry, or the worst?

“I think it has been both,” he mused, “but, overall, it has been very positive for pastry. Instagram gave pastry chefs around the world a platform that we never had before. Twenty years ago, you needed a book, a magazine or a competition for people to discover your work. Today, a young pastry chef can create something amazing and the entire world can see it immediately.

“The negative side is when pastry becomes only about the photo. A dessert can look incredible on Instagram, but at the end of the day, the taste profile has to shine before the aesthetic.”

The next big visual movement in pastry, he predicts, will be a pared-back aesthetic.

“I think we are going back to something cleaner and more natural,” he said. “For many years, pastry became more and more complicated visually. Now, I see people looking for simplicity, but simplicity with incredible technique behind it: Fewer decorations, cleaner shapes, better ingredients and more attention to texture and flavour.”

Additionally, “I also think viennoiserie will continue to evolve tremendously. There is still so much we can do with laminated and fermented dough.”

As for the next generation of pastry chefs, “I hope they make (their craft) even more personal. We have access to more techniques and information than ever before, but technique alone doesn’t give you an identity. I hope the next generation will use ingredients from their own countries, their own memories, and their cultures. Modern pastry should not look the same everywhere in the world.”

Afternoon Tea by Antonio Bachour runs from now until Nov 15 at The Courtyard, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, 1 Fullerton Square, Singapore 049178. For more information, visit www.fullertonhotels.com/dining. Signature cakes and pastries can also be ordered online at shop.fullertonhotels.com*. *