Chef Joakim Prat strikes a sweet balance

Chef Joakim Prat became a chef not because his mother or grandmother prepared delicious meals. “My brother and I grew up with our mother. So, naturally, there was a lot of work to do with her. We were her dedicated helpers and I ended up learning more than a thing or two just by being around her and doing the designated chores,” says the chef, who is rooted in the Basque countryside and seasoned in the finest kitchens of Europe. Currently, he is the executive chef of Bakery & Pastry at Roast CCX in Hyderabad.

Joakim, a Michelin Star awardee, started work at the age of 15 and was head pastry chef at Can Fabes, Spain’s first three-Michelin-starred restaurant by 25. By 29, he helmed pastry programmes across nine Michelin star establishments, including L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and The Greenhouse in London. Over the years, Joakim has been recognised as one of Europe’s most dynamic pastry voices, winning titles such as UK Pastry Open Rising Talent (2013) and UK Best Dessert of the Year (2014). His influence extends into the classroom as well, through his sessions at the ICEP Hotel School and global masterclasses in modern dessert design. In 2024, he published Signature Éclairs by Joakim Prat.

What brought him to India? “I had conducted a masterclass at Roast early this year and was impressed with the kitchen and the tools. When Hanumanth Rao (founder of Roast CCX) gave an offer to join Roast as executive chef of Bakery & Pastry, I took it up.”

In 2015, Joakim founded Maître Choux in South Kensington, London, the world’s first patisserie dedicated to éclairs, choux, and chouquettes. This concept became a global benchmark for fine patisserie made accessible, thus earning him the title of King of Éclairs.

Joakim says he is still learning and at each place that he visits, he makes it a point to offer something that matches their palate. However, the availability of ingredients and their proper treatment during baking go a long way into getting the perfect bake.

Joakim follows the concept — low in sugar but high on flavour, which reflects his belief that true indulgence lies in balance, not excess.  But how will he strike a balance for Indians who believe sweetness makes a dessert perfect? “This is a challenge I am willing to take up. This, in turn, is making me understand the palate and preference of diners. It is not an easy task, not an impossible one.”

He recalls, “When I was conducting a workshop in Hong Kong, I was asked to tone down the sweetness in the desserts. I loved that challenge because I got to learn to plan a menu to suit the taste preference of others instead of what I thought was the right sweetness.”

On the topic of breads, he feels many of us are eating the wrong kind of sourdough breads because he has seen people struggling to cut it. He rubbishes the ‘sourdough crust is supposed to be hard and chewy’ theory. According to him, “a good sourdough has a crunchy crust. The idea that we need to just feed the starter is not the right approach to get a good sourdough. One should also maintain the PH levels for a healthy starter. If it is doughy and very sour then the starters’ PH is not well balanced.”