Will Goldfarb
ROOM 4 DESSERT | New York
Biography
Originally from Port Washington, NY, Will Goldfarb started
cooking when he worked as a waiter while attending Duke University.
To avoid law school, he switched to the field of pastry, and ended
up in Paris rather than Southern California. In 2000 Goldfarb formed
AKWA with Chefs Kasper Kurdahl, a Danish chef, Ruben Garcia, a pastry
chef from el Bulli, and Davide Scabin, the innovative Italian chef
of Combal.Zero (then Al Combal) in Torino. The
organization called for a global movement to shape the future of
cuisine.
Among the world-renowned culinary greats Goldfarb
has worked with are Gerard Mulot, Fabio Picchi, Ferran and Albert
Adria, Tetsuya Wakuda, Cheong Liew, and Tim Pak Poy. In addition
he has served as Pastry Chef for US-based Chefs Craig Shelton at
the Ryland Inn in New Jersey, Masaharu Morimoto at Morimoto
in Philadelphia, and Tom Gutow of the Castine Inn in Maine.
In New York, he teamed up with Paul Liebrandt at Atlas
and Papillon, and most recently with Shea Gallante at Cru.
In January 2006 Goldfarb opened Room 4 Dessert,
a true dessert bar located in Nolita. Here Goldfarb offers an avant
garde menu of edible dessert cocktails, plated desserts and thoughtful
wine pairings. With virtually no kitchen to speak of, the pastry
chef plates his desserts to order from behind the bar. Each of Goldfarb's
desserts is a study in perfect texture and flavor, achieved through
modern culinary techniques and processes. Goldfarb has developed
Willpowder, his own line of specialty powders, including methylcellulose
and sodium alginate, that allow him to experiment with the textures
and flavors of his dishes.
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Interview
Cont'd
AB: Who are the more influential
pastry chefs you’ve worked for?
WG: At Patisserie Mulot in
Paris I worked for a great pastry chef who was always the first
guy to get there. He cleaned the floor of the shop and always took
care of whatever needed to be done. Pierre Gagnaire was an inspiration,
although I only worked with him for a day. El Bulli is a three star
Michelin restaurant, so of course their pastry kitchen sets the
standard for perfection.
AB: What pastry
tool can’t you live without?
WG: My spoon! A spoon can be
very versatile.
AB: What are
your favorite ingredients?
WG: Water, sugar and butter.
These three are necessities in my kitchen.
AB: What are
your top three tips for pastry success?
WG:
1. Always fold your towels.
2. Keep your spoon water clean.
3. Always keep everything at right angles in your station
AB: Who are your
pastry heroes?
WG: Albert Adrià from
El Bulli, Pierre Herme, who I haven’t worked for,
and Frédéric Bau, another great teacher whom I’ve
only read.
AB: What are
your favorite desserts to eat and to make?
WG: Actually, I don’t
like to eat desserts! But I do love the entire process of making
vanilla ice cream.
AB: What pastry
trends do you see emerging in the industry?
WG: I find that the savory
side of the kitchen is becoming more and more influenced by pastry
cooking techniques and flavors. Also, less pastry chefs are content
to work in kitchen basements and are instead beginning to open their
own restaurants.
AB: In what way
will these trends manifest themselves in the mainstream?
WG: I think a lot of places
that focus in on desserts will be set up like sweet tapas bars.
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