2015 Oct 18
The Marriott Hotel introduced its new executive pastry chef, Prins Nalawansa, at the Lobby Lounge by showcasing desserts and confectioneries in an artistic and decorative manner at an event earlier this week.
A vertical table, placed at the centre of the hall, was covered with colourful delicacies made by the Sri Lankan-born chef, appointed two weeks back at the hotel. Nalawansa has more than two decades of culinary experience and has worked at various international five star restaurants as an executive pastry chef.
Nalawansa studied hotel management at a culinary art school in Sri Lanka. He won gold medals in the Chef’s Culinary Challenger in 1999 and in the Emirates Salon Culinary. He is also a senior member of the Emirates Culinary Guild.
“There is a wide variety of cakes here with French, German and Italian origins. It took us three days to just prepare the cakes,” said the chef.
Other than designer cakes, there were macaroons, cupcakes, pastries, fondant cakes, fruit tarts and an assortment of chocolate with caramel, nut and honey filling.
Guests were also served hors d’oeuvres in the form of chicken satay, quiche, sushi and barbecued chicken.
The guest of honour at the event was model Natasha Hussein.
Most guests enjoyed the desserts; however, certain women refrained from tasting anything sweet as they said they were on a diet, as part of the 42-day workout challenge which coincided with the event.
“Everything looks very delicious and tempting. It is a feast for the eyes and a true work of art. I find the entire preparation amazing,” said Zainab Omar, CEO of My Art World.
Riaz Pesnani, a regular at the hotel, was glad the initiative was taken. “The cakes have always been very good particularly the black forest cake, which is a Marriott trademark for many years, but for the patisserie and the outlook, they needed improvement which has finally been achieved,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 17th, 2015.
