Wynn Las Vegas Magazine by MODERN LUXURY

Wynn Las Vegas - 2016 - Issue 2 - Fall

Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas

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88 PhotograPhy by david hartung But Devoille wasn't sat isf ied w it h a classic approach; rat her, he was deter- mined to customize t he recipe especia lly for Wy nn Pa lace. In too ma ny pât isser ies, he not iced, t he f illing was ja m-like a nd fa r too sweet. A fter dozens of t ast ings a nd adjust ment s, he workshopped a solut ion: remov ing up to a t hird of t he suga r. T he result ing maca rons emphasize freshness a nd acidit y, a nd use fr uit shipped in fresh from Japa n, Korea, a nd even t he g reenma rket s of Pa r is. Now, t here a re 16 custom f lavors on offer ever y day, from y uzu to coconut , va nilla to red bea n a nd chest nut. Such painstaking perfectionism is what brought Devoille to the attention of Steve Wynn. For Wynn, this cake shop is a passion project, its wall mosaics inspired by the American artist Wayne Thiebaud's mouthwatering paintings of colorful treats, particularly 1964's Four Ice Cream Cones. The longtime art collector tasked his pastry chef with creating "edible Pop art," and Devoille didn't disappoint. It's no sur pr ise, g iven his cook ing pedig ree. Devoille's ca reer bega n in t he k itchen at home in St rasbourg, t he Ger ma n-inf lected cit y on Fra nce's easter n reaches. "L ike a ny k id in Fra nce, I made lot s of ca kes w it h my mot her," he says. A fter past r y school a nd a st int work ing at a French rest aura nt in Ma nhat t a n to polish his English, Devoille joined t he tea m of M ichelin-st a r red chef A la in Ducasse. He spent more t ha n a decade at Ducasse's side, event ua lly r ising to become head of his ent ire desser t tea m. In t hat role, Devoille t raveled a round t he world super v ising sweet s at t he chef 's ma ny venues, from Las Vegas to Tokyo. "A la in Ducasse t aught me to respect t he product , a nd to be uncompro - mising: If somet hing is supposed to be eight inches by t wo inches, it isn't 2.2 —it's per fect ly cut ," he says. Devoille credit s Ducasse w it h shaping his t astes, too, a nd teaching him how to compose a desser t à l'assiet te, or desser t plate. Cont rast is cr ucia l, he expla ins, br ing ing crea my, soft , cr unchy, a nd iced text ures toget her in a single ser v ing. In t he past r y chef 's new role w it h Wy nn Pa lace, he's able to indulge t hat exper t ise v ia a w ide va r iet y of desser t s. Five dist inct st at ions ma ke up Sweet s: A longside t hose maca rons, t here's a sorbet a nd ice crea m select ion of a lmost 20 f lavors, plus a case f illed w it h a n abunda nce of classic French past r ies. T here's a lso a showcase for homemade chocolates a nd t r uff les. "T hree people were hired just to t a ke ca re of t he chocolate. Ever y t hing is homemade, even t he pra - line," Devoille revea ls. Most shops buy t heir nut paste ready-mixed, he adds, but his a r t isa n a lter nat ive has more text ure a nd cr unch. It's a t y pica l touch for t he det a il- obsessed desser t maest ro. As for t he f ina l st at ion, which ser ves crêpes a nd wa ff les, it's here t hat t he pât is- sier t r uly indulged his inner Willy Wonka. Ever y single g r iddle iron at Sweet s was custom- cast for him, w it h a unique t wea k: At t he center of each is t he Wy nn Pa lace logo, like a t ast y t at too. It's a test a ment to Devoille's devot ion to his new job. "T hat was my f irst drea m," he says, "to be a n a ma zing past r y chef at a hotel, or a pa lace." The macarons use fruit shipped in fresh from Japan, Korea, and even the green markets of Paris, in 16 custom flavors, from yuzu to coconut, vanilla, red bean, and chestnut. Chef Devoille at work on the best kind of assembly line.

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