Journeys to dessert

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/06/2017 (3339 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At the end of April, Sophon Chhin, founder of S Squared Patisserie, helped organize a dessert-themed pop-up event billed as “Midnight in Paris.”

The affair’s title was fitting; around this time last year the talented and congenial 34-year-old pastry chef had just returned to Winnipeg following a five-month stint in the City of Lights, where he attended the well-regarded cooking academy Ecole Gastronomique Bellouet Conseil.

Chhin, who answers to Soapy, a nickname he picked up during his days at Gordon Bell High School, says his goal at the pop-up was to showcase the most memorable and delectable desserts he sampled while he was living and studying in France. Among the treats he presented were a carefully crafted vanilla tart, a dark chocolate macaron and a Ferrero Rocher-inspired “petit gateau” made with hazelnuts and chocolate mousse that many in attendance considered almost too beautiful to eat — emphasis on “almost.”

Laughingly describing himself as “some Asian guy who can barely speak French,” Chhin, who named his biz S Squared for his nephews Solas and Soveren, nods affirmatively when asked if any of the people he met that evening were surprised to learn he had honed his skills in Europe.

“A few were, for sure, but it seemed a fair number have been following my story on Instagram, and knew about the Paris connection already,” he says, nodding a second time when a scribe opines his story is quite the tale, indeed.

★ ★ ★

Chhin pauses when questioned about his birth certificate.

Borrowing a pen, he scribbles “Sa Kaeo” on a napkin, explaining Sa Kaeo is the name of the refugee camp in Thailand his parents and older brother fled to in 1979 from their home in Cambodia, during the height of the Cambodian-Vietnamese War.

“(Sa Kaeo) is where I was born in 1981, and where I lived for the first two years of my life,” he says, adding he hasn’t discussed that period with his parents very much, because “my mom for sure lost family in the war and I don’t want them to relive what they went through, though they probably do themselves.”

Chhin’s father’s original plan was to move his young family to the United States. His request was turned down, however, which led him to apply to Canada, instead. Upon being accepted by Canadian officials, the Chhins were informed their new home would be in Ontario. At the last minute there was a change of plans, and the next thing they knew, they were bound for Winnipeg.

Chhin grew up in the West End. After completing high school, he enrolled at the University of Manitoba’s faculty of science. For a while, he considered a career as a research scientist. He eventually made the decision to pursue pharmacy because, as he puts it, “I didn’t want to be locked up in a lab by myself all day.”

For five years, Chhin filled the graveyard shift at a 24-hour pharmacy at the intersection of Portage Avenue and Moray Street. His schedule consisted of working seven nights in a row, then enjoying a full week off. During his down-time, he found himself spending more and more time in the kitchen of his home.

“I first got interested in cooking when I was kid, primarily because I was such a picky eater,” he explains. “Lots of times my mom would make something for supper and I’d be like, that’s not what I’m in the mood for. So I’d whip up a completely different meal for myself.”

Despite being comfortable around pots and pans, Chhin’s baking skills were marginal at best. He doesn’t really have a sweet tooth, he admits, but not long after he overheard some female co-workers going on about a particular bakery’s macarons he decided to try his hand at the French confections, which consist of jam, ganache or buttercream filling wedged between two cookies. (“Hey, you have to impress the ladies, right?” he says with a wink.)

His first few attempts left something to be desired. After improving his technique, thanks in large part to a pair of cookbooks penned by acclaimed pastry chef and chocolatier Pierre Hermé, not only were the women at work impressed by his output, he began fielding orders from friends of theirs who’d heard about his macarons, and wanted to serve them at birthdays, anniversary parties and other special occasions.

Chhin enjoyed his career — there’s no question about that, he maintains — but about two years ago he began wishing he had more time to bake.

“It was almost like I needed a creative outlet,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. “I used to do art and by then (baking) had kind of become my new art. So yeah, on my breaks and lunches, my mind would sometimes drift to what I could be doing if I was at home. Finally I asked myself, ‘Is (pharmacy) really what I want to do for the rest of my life?’”

Sure, Chhin could have chosen a pastry school closer to home — Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute in the nation’s capital, for example, attracts students from around the world — but because he wanted to completely immerse himself in French culture, he booked a ticket to Paris.

“One of my teachers was bilingual so I didn’t have too much trouble, in that regard,” says Chhin, who did take an introductory French language course before packing his bags in January 2016. “I lived in an apartment near the school and though the course and internship were pretty intense, I did find time to do all the touristy things like visit the Eiffel Tower.”

Chhin returned home just before Canada Day 2016. Soon thereafter he got involved with Futurpreneur Canada, a non-profit organization that offers financing and support to aspiring entrepreneurs under the age of 40.

“One of the first (Futurpreneur) meet-and-greets I went to was at Caked With Love on Corydon and, after being introduced to the owners, I ended up getting my macarons in there,” he says, noting his products, which he bakes in a commercial kitchen in Fort Rouge, can also be purchased at Crème DeL’Essence on Inkster Boulevard and Sweet C Bakery on Kildare Avenue, or through his website, www.s2patisserie.com.

Nikki Melegrito is the co-owner of Sugar Blooms and Cakes, 1020 McPhillips St. Melegrito, whose shop specializes in custom birthday and wedding cakes as well as a variety of Filipino delicacies, met Chhin at a pop-up event hosted by Jeremy Senaris, the 2016 MasterChef Canada runner-up from Winnipeg. She and Chhin hit it off right away, she says over the phone, and about three months ago, she began carrying his macarons in her store.

“We used to sell (macarons) a while back and when we switched to Soapy’s, we were a bit nervous because we were going to have charge about $1 more than we had been, because of the higher quality ingredients he uses,” she says. “It turned out we didn’t have to worry. During the first month, before we figured out what demand would be like, I had to ask him to make a second delivery every week, because they were selling like hotcakes.”

Sugar Blooms stocks between eight and 12 flavours of Chhin’s macarons at any one time, including peanut butter and jelly, black sesame, pistachio and Melegrito’s personal favourite, Nutella.

“The response has been super-positive, which is great because Soapy is very humble, and will never brag on his stuff himself,” she says.

For the time being, Chhin is content supplying other operations with his goods. His aim, though, is to open a place of his own. He’s kicking tires in Charleswood and is convinced it’s simply a matter of when, not if.

“I definitely think it’s time. Wedding season is upon us and I’ve been getting tons of requests. But because of time and space constraints where I rent, there’s only so much I take on. Sometimes I think it might have been easier to go back to pharmacy for a year and save more money — heck, I’m still paying off my trip to Paris — but right now I’m so close to my goal,” he says, his voice trailing off.

That he can almost taste it, he’s asked?

“Yeah — that’s a good way of putting it.”

david.sanderson@freepress.mb.ca