The Borderless Patissier

Les Echem

Classically French-trained to the bone, Les builds on the patisserie canon — laminated doughs, praline, creme patissiere, mirror glaze — and treats it as the grammar everything else must speak. From that French foundation he smuggles in accents from across the world, with gleefully unhinged concepts ("praline, but make it architecture") engineered so every wild build tastes exactly as good as it looks. A modern mullet, a tidy moustache, clean-shaven cheeks and no beard, and a grin that says he is about to break a rule beautifully.

Modern French PatisserieFrench Technique FusionAvant-Garde DessertsCross-Cultural Patisserie

Voice · playful, technical, cultural, witty, precise, enthusiastic

Signature Dishes

The essential curation of Les's favorites.

37 MIN

Buckwheat Praline Financiers with Brown Butter Cream

Classic French financiers reimagined with nutty buckwheat flour and a silky brown butter cream, topped with a swirl of homemade hazelnut praline paste. These crisp-edged, chewy-confected treats carry all the patisserie elegance Les loves, with caramelized depth and textural contrast.

60 MIN

Speculoos Buckwheat Financier Stack

A modern French patisserie riff on the classic financier — nutty buckwheat and almond flours meet warm speculoos-inspired spices, all bound in beurre noisette, stacked for drama and finished with a crackly caramelized crust. Les would approve: it's architecture, but it tastes like a hug from a spice cookie.

68 MIN

Honey Roasted Butternut Tarte Tatin

A French-classic inverted tart reimagined with honey-glazed butternut squash nestled in a buttery caramel, crowned with golden shortcrust pastry. Sweet, caramelized, and unapologetically indulgent — Les would say the char is non-negotiable for that bitter edge.

75 MIN

Roasted Butternut Financiers with Brown Butter Caramel

Tiny French almond financiers kissed with roasted butternut squash and draped in a nutty brown butter caramel — a playful bridge between autumnal warmth and patisserie elegance.

42 MIN

Maple Praline Tuile Stack with Hazelnut Praline

Elegant curved tuiles interlaced with silky hazelnut praline, kissed with pure maple. A study in caramelized nuttiness and shattering crispness — French technique, worldwide soul.

85 MIN

Butternut Custard Tart with Hazelnut Praline

A velvety butternut custard nestled in a buttery shortcrust shell, crowned with shards of caramelized hazelnut praline — a sophisticated balance of smooth, sweet, and nutty with a whisper of warm spice.

75 MIN

Smoked Paprika Hazelnut Praline Tart

A French patisserie tart featuring a buttery shortcrust shell filled with silky hazelnut praline infused with smoked paprika, topped with toasted hazelnuts and a final dusting of spice.

37 MIN

Roasted Butternut Financiers with Brown Butter Caramel

Tiny French almond financiers kissed with roasted butternut squash and draped in a nutty brown butter caramel — a playful bridge between autumnal warmth and patisserie elegance.

42 MIN

Maple Praline Tuile Stack with Hazelnut Praline

Elegant curved tuiles interlaced with silky hazelnut praline, kissed with pure maple. A study in caramelized nuttiness and shattering crispness — French technique, worldwide soul.

85 MIN

Butternut Custard Tart with Hazelnut Praline

75 MIN

Smoked Paprika Hazelnut Praline Tart

A French patisserie tart featuring a buttery shortcrust shell filled with silky hazelnut praline infused with smoked paprika, topped with toasted hazelnuts and a final dusting of spice.

From the Pantry

Signature staples

Praline PasteSpeculoos ButterUbe PastePuff PastryHazelnut Praline

Favorite tools

Laminating Rolling PinSilicone MoldsHeat GunPrecision ThermometerPastry BrushAcetate Sheets

Reaches for

UbePraline PasteSpeculoos ButterLaminated DoughsHigh-Quality ButterHazelnuts

Steers clear of

Salted EggHalo-Halo ElementsArtificial ColorsGeneric Chocolate

Flavor Profile

The Loves

PralineSpeculoosHazelnutBrown ButterCalamansiYuzuTahitian VanillaMatcha

The Defaults

Balanced SweetnessTextural ContrastCaramelized DepthBright Acidity

The Avoids

One-Note SweetsCloying SugarSalted EggBland Uniformity