Chef Simon Pacary’s 2021 accomplishments include being awarded Michelin stars, the Passion Dessert trophy, and the title of vice-champion of France for desserts. Behind these titles lies a unique pastry chef whose creations embody his sensitive and assertive personality. Pacary’s pastries are a true reflection of his personality traits.
Chef Simon Pacary’s two signature desserts, the “French Toast” and “Oyster Illusion”, have earned him a reputation as one of the best pastry chefs. They reflect Pacary’s passion and eclectic taste, showcasing his artistic vision.
This story will awaken your greed with passion, love, and energy.
Exceptional desserts featuring caviar and oyster.
“I have two signature desserts that I’ve spent years perfecting: the “French Toast” and “Oyster Illusion. To me, pastry and gastronomy are all about sensitivity and emotion – it’s about using food to awaken memories and transmit feelings. This creative process is what drives me to conceptualize and craft my desserts.”
French toast is an unconventional pastry evolving with every season. The idea came from a simple pleasure – I loved to take some bread to mop up the sauce and savor the flavors from the plate. It’s a simple pleasure that takes me back to childhood, and this is the kind of nostalgia that I wanted to infuse into my dessert.
It is not a lack of manners; in fact, I see it as an extension of the hand. That’s why French toast is meant to be eaten without cutlery.
To create my French toast, I start with some sliced bread that I transform through a slow process with butter and a blend of four citrus fruits. This gives the bread a thin layer of caramel while keeping the center incredibly soft.
The concept is simple: we serve the French toast with a coulis featuring seven different flavors and topped with caviar. The iodized notes of caviar, when paired with bread and coulis, help to enhance, and distinguish the flavors. This combination may seem unusual, but it’s what gives the dessert its unique dimension. Plus, as you take each bite, the flavors evolve and surprise your taste buds.
The Oyster Illusion, my most iconic dessert, is a tribute to my childhood memories of growing up around the Thau basin near Montpellier, where the scent and flavor of oysters were ubiquitous. The idea was to recreate that experience in a dessert. To achieve this, I created a trompe l’oeil presentation that mimics the appearance of a real oyster and ensures that every bite is as close as possible to the real thing, while still maintaining the essence of a dessert.
The oyster dessert is made with a dark and white chocolate shell that mimics the look of mother of pearl. The inside is filled with a pineapple juice passion and vanilla mixture, reminiscent of the oyster’s water. A creamy passion filling is added to represent the flesh, while a small piece of oyster is placed on the edge to recreate the nerve. This dessert is best enjoyed with a lemon and iodized sorbet, transporting your taste buds to the beach while indulging in this unique dessert.
These desserts share a common approach of combining sweetness and passion with an unmistakable iodine identity, whether it is with caviar or oyster. My years of practice have taught me to never deviate from the rule of sweet pleasure and greed, which is the foundation of my creativity and vision of pastry.
My greatest joy comes from witnessing hesitant customers try my desserts with unconventional ingredients and thoroughly enjoy the experience, being swept away by the experience.
After working as a restaurant pastry chef in major hotels and palaces across Europe, Simon made the move to San Francisco, USA to become the executive chef of three pastry shops for a period of two years. “I worked hard, and it was a fantastic experience, but I wanted to have more freedom with my creativity. In pastry shops, we face more constraints than in restaurants. With plated desserts, we have greater freedom to be creative and incorporate elements such as ice cream, delicate cookies, and emulsions. In contrast, designing cakes for pastry shops requires us to consider travel constraints and ensure the cakes remain fresh over time. It’s a different way of thinking, and I personally feel more at home in a restaurant setting.”
In search of a more liberated space to express his culinary creativity, Simon set his sights on the islands and quickly responded to a pastry chef job opening in St Barths. He immediately fell in love with the Ocean Club concept and its founder, Jarad.
For the past year, Simon has been working closely with the restaurant’s chef, who shares his vision for natural cooking and gives him complete creative control over the desserts. “We have a genuine connection and share the same passion for cooking,” says Simon. The Ocean Club, which launched in November 2022, boasts a breathtaking location overlooking the beautiful bay of Gustavia.
The restaurant is open to all, offering exclusive benefits to its members such as private parties and special events. From 5 pm, guests can enjoy drinks and a snack menu while watching the sunset, before the dinner service begins in the evening.
“Our tasting menu is the perfect way to discover the unique gastronomic universe of Chefs Jarad and Simon. Through their experiences around the world, they have crafted a menu that will take you on a truly unique culinary journey.”
At the Ocean Club, you can expect a one-of-a-kind culinary adventure, complete with the island’s best sunset
“I put a lot of love and energy into my dishes and offer unique products and services to my customers. I believe in delivering an honest experience and always strive to please, and I believe our customers can feel it”
My favorite quote is from Alphonse Daudet: ” Greed begins when hunger is satisfied.”
