Between Memory, Heritage, and Sweet Form 記憶、傳承與甜點形態之間
Written by 撰文: The Fête Chinoise Team • Menu by Steven Tran
Photography: Calvin Lee
Art Direction: Deborah Lau-Yu
As Featured in Fête Chinoise The art of Celebration Annual Edition No.3
Sweetness, memory, and cultural dialogue come together in this visual chapter celebrating the artistry of modern pastry. In the hands of Steven Tran, familiar flavours are reimagined through a lens shaped by French technique and a deeply personal heritage rooted between Chinese and Vietnamese cultures.
From mooncakes reinterpreted as contemporary confections to tropical fruits, roasted teas, and nostalgic desserts from childhood, each creation becomes more than a pastry — it is a reflection of identity, travel, and memory. Traditional symbols are gently reworked into new forms, where technique and storytelling meet on the plate.
This is a study of celebration through dessert: layered, symbolic, and deeply personal. A quiet exploration of how culture can be tasted, remembered, and redefined — one bite at a time.
甜味、記憶與文化對話在這一章交織，呈現當代甜點的藝術語言。在主廚 Steven Tran 手中，熟悉的風味透過法式技藝，以及介於中國與越南文化之間的個人背景被重新想像。
從以當代形式重新詮釋的月餅，到熱帶水果、烘焙茶香，以及喚起童年記憶的甜點，每一件作品既是一道甜品，也承載著身份、旅程與記憶。傳統符號在溫和轉化中被重新組織，技藝與敘事在餐盤上交會。
這是一場關於甜點如何成為慶祝語言的探索：層次豐富、富有象徵性，亦極為個人化。文化如何被品嚐、被記住，並被重新定義，在一口一口之間緩慢展開。
Chocolate Ingot
Inspired by ancient gold ingots, these Chocolate Ingots are filled with a golden white sesame praline and coated in white chocolate couverture. They are finished with an edible red cocoa butter spray and gold, giving them a rich, symbolic presentation.
Honey Pineapple Cake
Inspiration draws from Taiwanese pineapple cake, shaped by Steven travels in Taiwan and his experience of its culture,
A dessert Taiwanese grew up eating and often given as a gift for special occasions. The traditional pastry is reimagined here with a French twist, featuring a pineapple and local honey compote, almond frangipane, and a French cookie crust.
Honey PIneapple Cake
Mango Pandan Cake
Steven draws inspiration from the light chiffon cakes he grew up eating, especially those paired with fresh fruit. This dessert reflects flavours rooted in his upbringing, including pandan and coconut alongside ripe mango and longan. With parents who are ethnically Chinese but born in Vietnam, Steven grew up immersed in both cultures — speaking Cantonese at home while also being surrounded by Vietnamese food and traditions, which continue to shape his creative approach today.
Mango Pandan Cake
Jade Mooncake
Drawing inspiration from the chef’s personal roots, this piece introduces a vibrant tropical profile to classic French patisserie. A crisp vanilla sablé base and airy coconut dacquoise support a fragrant pandan cream, all encased in a matcha white chocolate shell. To finish, the intricate mooncake medallion is molded from an almond marzipan tinted with fine matcha powder, casting a serene, jade-like luster.
Black Sesame Mooncake
A study in contrast and balance, this creation reframes an enduring Asian staple through bright, citrusy acidity. Deep, nutty black sesame cream is paired with tart passionfruit curd and delicate mandarin chiffon cake, accented by a toasted sesame crunch layer for added texture. Crowned with an almond and black sesame marzipan seal, each dessert is touched with edible gold leaf for a refined, celebratory finish.
Hazelnut Praliné Mooncake
Rooted directly in classic French confectionery, this iteration translates the decadent richness of traditional mooncake fillings into pure patisserie craft. A milk chocolate shell encloses a velvety housemade hazelnut praliné cream alongside a hazelnut sponge and crisp feuilletine layer. Completing the design is a sculpted almond and toasted hazelnut marzipan imprint, delivering a warm, nutty aroma in every bite.
Jade Mooncake
Black Sesame Mooncake
Hazelnut Praliné Mooncake
Guava Passionfruit Tart
Inspired by the tropical fruits of Asia and the flavours he grew up enjoying, this tart brings together a bright, layered expression of fruit-forward pastry. It features a vanilla tart shell filled with passionfruit curd, cream cheese mousse, guava jam, and coconut cake.
Guava Passionfruit Tart
Yuzu Lemon Tart
An enduring signature since day one, this tart has earned its permanent spot on the menu without a single tweak. It elevates the classic French lemon tart through the lens of Steven’s formative culinary training in Japan, introducing aromatic yuzu citrus to cut through the richness with a sharp, fragrant brightness.
Yuzu Lemon Tart
Vanilla Pecan Cake
Another founding classic that remains just as popular as the day the bakery opened, this dessert is all about layered warmth and textural contrast. Built on a delicate almond cake foundation, it brings together rich caramel pot de crème, buttery pecan streusel for a satisfying crunch, and a light, cloud-like vanilla bean mousse.
Lucky Mandarin
This chocolate confection is inspired by mandarins traditionally gifted during Lunar New Year. It features walnut praline, mandarin orange caramel, and white chocolate couverture. Shaped like a mandarin and finished with gold, it is designed as a refined gift piece.
Mandarin Coconut Almond Cookie
A delicate shortbread cookie brings together classic Chinese flavour of almond, coconut, and mandarin orange. It is made with an almond and coconut shortbread base and filled with mandarin orange jam for a bright, fragrant finish.
Oolong Tea Osmanthus Thumbprint cookie
Inspired by the Chinese flavour profile of oolong and osmanthus, these thumbprint cookies are infused with roasted oolong tea and filled with housemade osmanthus flower jam.
Vietnamese Coffee Sable viennois
A classic French Sablé Viennois is infused with Vietnamese coffee, one of Steven’s favourite flavours. This cookie brings together French pastry technique and the bold, aromatic profile of Vietnamese coffee for a rich, balanced finish.
Sesame Palmier
A reimagined take on the classic French palmier cookie, these cookies are flavoured with toasted black and white sesame. The combination brings a subtle Asian twist to a traditional pastry, highlighting the nutty depth of sesame within a crisp, caramelised cookie.
Mandarin Coconut Almond Cookie, Oolong Tea Osmanthus Thumbprint cookie, Vietnamese Coffee Sable viennois, Sesame Palmier
Signature Chocolate Bonbons
The signature chocolate bonbon set features a selection of seasonal flavours alongside permanent favourites such as black sesame and ube cookies and cream. Each piece reflects Asian flavour influences as well as ingredients and ideas encountered through the chef’s travels and training, expressing his personal journey and culinary background.
Signature Chocolate Bars
An assortment of chocolate bars made with French chocolate couverture explores Asian-inspired flavour profiles in a modern format. Varieties include matcha genmaicha white chocolate and sesame caramel, combining familiar regional ingredients with refined chocolate craftsmanship.
Signature Chocolate Bonbons and Signature Chocolate Bars
Black Sesame Choux a la creme
A classic French choux pastry is reinterpreted here with black sesame as the central flavour. It is filled with black sesame custard, housemade black sesame paste, and black sesame cream, finished with a crumble and choux pastry shell. Black sesame is widely used across many Asian countries and remains a much-loved flavour across cultures.
Black Sesame Choux a la creme
STEVEN TRAN CHOCOLATES
Chef Steven Tran began his culinary career at the age of 16, starting early in professional kitchens. After winning a local teen culinary competition that awarded him a scholarship to culinary school, an internship in the south of France became the turning point that led him into the pastry world.
There, he developed a deep fascination for the precision and technique of pastry, often observing the pastry chef at work and asking questions behind the scenes. Upon returning to Canada, he immediately enrolled in the pastry program at Vancouver Community College.
Chef Steven went on to build an international career, working in the kitchens of the two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons,
Le Pommier Patisserie in Tokyo, Pâtisserie Arnaud Larher (M.O.F.) in Paris, Daniel Boulud in New York, Maison Wittamer in Brussels, and Thomas Haas in Vancouver. He later returned to Toronto to consult for various restaurants and took on Executive Pastry Chef roles at luxury hotels such as the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto and the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto.
Most recently, Chef Steven competed on Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship, where he won the top prize.
Steven Tran Chocolatier & Pâtissier represents the culmination of these experiences, allowing him to take full creative control and focus on his craft.
“I feel like I have done everything in this industry except owning my own business, which has always been my dream. Going back to basics and doing what I love, which is chocolates and pâtisserie.”
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