DUBAI: At just 26 years old, Alexandre Thabard is responsible for the pastry program at one of the most high-profile kitchens in the UAE.  

As executive pastry chef at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi, Thabard manages everything from banquets and afternoon tea to the hotel’s cake shop, and has created custom desserts for members of the Abu Dhabi royal family. 

Originally from Paris, Thabard trained at Maison Lenôtre, where he also taught pastry courses and honed his technical skills across pastry, chocolate and ice cream. In 2018, he received the “Best Young Pastry Hope” award from Relais Desserts. 

Thabard told Arab News his goal is “to reduce sugar as much as possible and celebrate the natural flavors of each ingredient” when it comes to pastries.  

“To maintain consistency and lower glycemic impact, I often use Nascita date sugar and allulose as alternatives,” he said.  

Here, Thabard talks about learning to slow down in the kitchen, why balance matters more than sweetness, and offers a honey lemon pollen recipe.  

When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made? 

In the early days, I often found myself rushing — eager to be efficient and to see the final result. That sometimes meant I overlooked crucial steps. I’ve learned that great desserts demand patience and precision. Quality takes time. Cooking should be a joyful, sensory experience, not a race.  

What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?  

Keep it simple and let the quality of your ingredients shine. Follow the recipe and, most importantly, taste along the way.  

What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?  

Lime, or any good source of acidity. A touch of lime zest can instantly lift a dessert, bringing balance, freshness and vibrancy. It can transform something pleasant into something memorable.  

When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?  

I try to enjoy the experience as any guest would, but, naturally, I tend to view things through a professional lens. 

What’s the most common issue that you find in other restaurants? 

Often, I see desserts that are visually stunning but not well-balanced in flavor. They’re either too sweet, lacking contrast, or missing freshness. For me, the priority should be flavor and emotional connection, not just presentation.  

What’s your favorite dish to order?  

I have a deep appreciation for plated desserts, especially those paired with sorbets or ice cream. The interplay of temperatures and textures — warm and cold, smooth and crisp — creates a dynamic and refined end to a meal.  

What’s your go-to pastry when you want to make something quick at home?  

A quick pavlova. I usually have baked meringues on hand, made from leftover egg whites. So, I top them with vanilla cream, fresh seasonal fruits, and a touch of lime zest. It’s a simple yet elegant dessert that delivers texture, flavor and freshness in under 20 minutes.  

What customer request most annoys you? 

When a guest asks to change a dessert entirely before tasting it, or dismisses it based on appearance. While we aim to accommodate, I believe in trusting the chef’s vision. Occasionally, I receive feedback that my desserts aren’t sweet enough, which I actually take as a compliment — it means I’ve succeeded in creating something balanced.  

What’s your favorite pastry to make?  

I particularly enjoy working with chocolate-based desserts. There’s a refined technicality and sensory depth to chocolate that allows for endless creativity — whether you’re exploring bitterness, sweetness, or contrasting temperatures and textures. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with (chocolate brand) Valrhona on a bespoke couverture, crafted specifically to reflect the luxury and distinct identity of Emirates Palace. The result is a unique chocolate with complex notes that elevates our plated desserts. I also work extensively with camel milk chocolate, which has become really popular in the region. Its naturally tangy flavor, combined with the use of date sugar as a sweetener, creates a beautifully balanced profile is perfect for guests seeking lighter, more mindful indulgence.  

What’s the most difficult dessert for you to get right?  

The soufflé. It’s technically demanding, time-sensitive and allows no margin for error. When executed well, it’s a true testament to skill and discipline.  

As an executive chef, what are you like? 

I’d say I’m demanding but nurturing. I believe in building strong, collaborative teams and mentoring young talent. A good dessert is often the result of a unified, motivated kitchen. My style is modern and refined, with a strong focus on health-conscious and sustainable practices — no additives, no artificial colors, and a respectful use of sugar. I aim to create pastries that are elegant, balanced, and meaningful — desserts that not only please the palate but tell a story.  

 Chef Alexandre’s honey lemon pollen recipe 

Honey sponge 

Ingredients:  

Butter: 150 g 

Egg yolks: 220 g 

Whole eggs: 90 g 

Honey: 270 g 

Sugar: 170 g 

Almond powder: 30 g 

Sour cream: 170 g 

Cream: 30 g 

Flour: 350 g 

Salt: 2 g 

Baking powder: 10 g 

Method: 

Whip the egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar, and honey until light and airy. 

Add the sour cream and cream. 

Incorporate the melted butter (at 45°C). 

Fold in the dry ingredients. 

Pour into a frame or mould and bake at 170°C for 18 minutes. Cool and cut to fit your insert mould. 

Honey mousse 

Ingredients:   

Milk: 72 g 

Honey: 14 g 

Egg yolk: 10 g 

Gelatin: 2 g 

Water: 9 g 

Whipped cream: 143 g 

Method: 

Soak the gelatin in cold water. 

Heat the milk. 

Mix the honey and egg yolk, then combine with the milk and cook to 83°C. 

Remove from heat and add the gelatin. 

Cool to 25°C, then fold in the whipped cream. 

Use immediately for assembly. 

Lemon confit: 

Lemon juice: 308 g 

Sugar: 115 g 

Lemon zest: as needed 

Additional lemon juice: 77 g 

Method: 

Blanch the lemon zest three times to remove bitterness. 

Cook the zest with sugar and lemon juice until translucent and candied. 

Blend into a smooth confit. 

Pollen shortbread: 

Icing sugar: 40 g 

Butter: 35 g 

Egg: 20 g 

Almond powder: 12 g 

Flour: 92 g 

Salt: 1 g 

Pollen: 15 g 

Method: 

Mix all ingredients until combined. 

Roll out to 2 mm thickness. 

Bake at 160°C for 12 minutes. Cool completely. 

Assembly:  

Spread a thin layer of lemon confit on the honey sponge. 

Pipe or pour the honey mousse into a mould. 

Insert the sponge with confit into the mousse. 

Freeze until solid, then unmould. 

Place the entremets on the pollen shortbread. 

Decorate with bee pollen, chocolate garnishes, and edible flower petals. 

RIYADH: As the awareness around neurodiversity spreads, composer and pianist Ghiya Rushidat and cognitive scientist and author Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman have co-created a genre-defying musical experience tailored specifically for people with ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought).

The upcoming collaborative album, “Chasing Dopamine,” blends neuroscience, ambient soundscapes and special composition into a powerful auditory journey designed to enhance focus, emotional regulation and mental clarity.

“What I’m really hoping is that when people listen to this, whether they have ADHD or not, that they not only feel compassion for themselves, but they also are able to achieve their goals, or at least feel better about their day-to-day life,” Saudi Arabia-born, Jordan-raised composer Rushidat told Arab News.

Set to release this summer, the album is anticipated to be the first in a series tackling different neurotypes, including OCD and autism.

The tracks will feature guided spoken word by Dr. Kaufman, layered with original music composed by Rushidat. Each track is tailored for different ADHD states: Hyperfocus, feeling emotional overwhelmed, low dopamine, task initiation, creativity, and grounding.

“It’s more of a storytelling kind of track for each topic, rather than just one basic music track that doesn’t change or do anything. That’s more stimulating to the ADHD brain, and that just doesn’t allow you to get distracted during the meditation, but rather just be focused, because you don’t really know what to expect afterwards,” Rushidat said.

“The album, the seven tracks, take you through that process (of) overcoming brain fog, and then overcoming procrastination, and then how to ground yourself and how to feel good about yourself and not beat yourself up because you’re not getting enough things done.”

After her late ADHD diagnosis, Rushidat found that none of the existing meditation albums were compatible with her brain’s wiring. “I couldn’t sit still for five minutes or focus on my breathing at all,” she said. She decided to create her own affirmations that worked for her, prompting her interest in creating a collaborative album with Dr. Kaufman.

“ADHD comes with challenges as well as gifts. If we can help quiet the ADHD mind just enough to get into a creative flow state; there is no limit to what people with ADHD can achieve,” Kaufman said.

Considering his cutting-edge research in creativity, neurodivergence and positive psychology, and Rushidat’s award-winning background in music composition, the work aims to be a science-informed, musically immersive tool for the ADHD community.

“Of course, you don’t expect people to just heal from this. As cliche as it sounds, but ADHD is a superpower because there are so many advantages to it. Once you figure out and realize that this is what you have, then you just navigate through life with that diagnosis,” Rushidat said.

Kaufman is a professor of psychology at Columbia University and director of the Center for Human Potential.  He has written for The Atlantic, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Harvard Business Review, and he is the author and editor of 11 books. Rushidat is a Grammy, BAFTA and Emmy voting member and has scored films, games and performed at Carnegie Hall. She works between Los Angeles, Dubai and Riyadh.