The limited residency with ‘Queen of Chocolate’ this month brings unique desserts to the plates of Intercontinental Fiji guests
Australian pastry chef and chocolatier, Kristen Tibballs, has arrived at InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa for her exclusive culinary limited residency during the month of April. A former contestant on MasterChef Australia, Tibballs was named the ‘Queen of Chocolate’ for her acclaimed desserts.
The limited residency sees Tibballs bringing local flavours and ingredients to her signature style. Tibballs’s specially designed recipes are available at Club High Tea while her bespoke desserts round out meals at Navo.
The main highlight of Tibballs’s residency was the live pastry session at InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa’s Beach Party on 5 April. As guests watched, the pastry chef created innovative treats such as the Macaron Hamburger. This creation features two macaron shells filled with a ganache to look like a meat patty, yellow chocolate served as the cheese, fresh mint leaves to give the appearance of lettuce and a dollop of raspberry jam for a spot of faux sauce.
“I am really looking forward to working in Fiji for the first time,” noted Kristen Tiballs, “and am eager to collaborate with the remarkable InterContinental team and to familiarise myself with the local foods and culture. I have embraced the tropical fruits and flavours of Fiji in all of my creations.”
InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa General Manager, Lachlan Walker, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating “we are dedicated to providing our guests with unforgettable experiences, and Kirsten Tibballs’s residency aligns perfectly with our commitment to culinary innovation. Her expertise and creativity will elevate our dining offerings.”
During Club High Tea, guests this April may enjoy Tibballs’s passionfruit madeleines, individual sticky date tarts, coconut financier and florentine tarts. Soaked in a passionfruit syrup, the madeleines are then coated with a layer of white chocolate. Shortbread tart shells filled with chewy caramel, date cake and a creamy caramel topping comprise the core of the sticky date tarts. These are then garnished with milk chocolate curls. The coconut financiers are topped with passionfruit jelly. A shortbread base filled with mango cream and adorned with a white chocolate garnish create the florentine tarts.
April guests at Navo can nosh on Tibballs’s banarama creation. Served in a glass, this dish features crushed peanut brittle, banana cream, peanut brittle mousse and cocoa arabesque. A dark chocolate disc is accompanied by hot caramel sauce.
Kristen Tibballs will share her insights with resort staff through two days of special training sessions focused on sharing her pastry techniques so that her culinary legacy lives on at InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa following the end of her residency.