Project Description

“Best Pastry Chefs”

freelance editorial writing | HAWAI‘I Magazine, September/October 2014

Michelle Karr-Ueoka and Mark Freischmidt

No disrespect to the simpler sweets in life. Puffy soufflés and liliko‘i bars have their place in the world. But Michelle Karr-Ueoka, co-owner of MW Restaurant, and Mark Freischmidt, executive pastry chef at the Halekulani hotel—both on O‘ahu—take dessert crafting to a whole new level. Case in point, the desserts here (with plating and ingredient sketches drawn by the chefs). Karr-Ueoka’s “Strawberry Shave Ice” harkens back to small-kid time visits to Waiola Shave Ice where she’d add all the extras: ice cream, mochi balls and a condensed milk “snow cap.” They’re all represented in elevated form in her dessert, made from scratch. Freischmidt started with a single flavor for his “Country Summer” dessert: corn. And while he uses fresh corn, peaches and cherries for it, the kernels and fruits here aren’t the real thing—they’ve been remade in molds from mousse and cremeaux. Why go through all the time and trouble? “It’s in the blood,” says Freischmidt. “Being creative is just a part of me. And I like to give guests that ‘wow factor,’ something they don’t usually see.” For Karr-Ueoka, it’s all about what you devour with your eyes. “It has to be pretty!” she exclaims. “If it tastes good, but it doesn’t look appealing…I’ll change it multiple times in a night because I want it to look just right.”

Behind the Scenes:

Pastry Chef Mark Freischmidt, Halekulani Hotel

Pastry Chef Michelle Karr-Ueoka, MW Restaurant