[Special Feature]
Le Cordon Bleu has produced great talents worldwide throughout the years, and its alumni have been adding more colours and flavours to the F&B scene in Malaysia. Some notable establishments include DC Restaurant by Darren Chin, Mamanda and Suka Sucre by Dato’ Fazley, Kompasssion and K2 by Chef Nikom – all located in Kuala Lumpur, Jam & Kaya by Janice in Petaling Jaya, and gēn by Johnson Wong in Penang.
For beginners, gourmet enthusiasts or those wanting to be the best house party host, there are a wide range of short one day courses held monthly which are is great way to experience first-hand the world of Le Cordon Bleu.
We got to experience the French Vanilla Charlotte with Raspberries Baking Workshop (the November 2019 short course) which was led by Chef Rodolphe Onno who is the Technical Director & Cuisine Chef Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Malaysia.
Chef Rodolphe Onno was born in Brittany, France. He first obtained his professional certificates, C.A.P. and B.E.P., from Saint Ivy College in Pontivy, Brittany, France in 1987. He then proceeded to get the Professional Advanced Level in Food and Beverages at Saint Marc College in Trégunc, Brittany, France. Finally, he graduated with a Diploma, E.S.C.F., from FERRANDI School which is affiliated to the Paris Ile-de-France, Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Chef Rodolphe started his professional career as early as 1986 as the Chef de Partie at L’Espérance and at Jacques Le Divellec, a 3-Michelin-starred and 2-Michelin-starred restaurants respectively. Then, he worked his way up as kitchen manager, deputy executive chef, and finally as restaurant manager and executive chef at Val Joly hotel restaurant in Saint Gervais, France. Chef Rodolphe is also a member of the elite Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Kuala Lumpur, an international gastronomic society.
Chef Rodolphe has a great passion for specialties of Brittany, his hometown, especially roasted turbot in hazelnut butter, sea-flavoured vegetables, and for entremets, milk chocolate pistachio. Chef Rodolphe was Cuisine Chef Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit in Bangkok, Thailand, and has now taken over the role of Technical Director at Le Cordon Bleu Malaysia overlooking all aspects of the Cuisine and Pastry Arts programmes.
It doesn’t matter if you have absolutely no baking/ culinary experience as the chef and his assistants will guide you step by step, ensuring that by the end of the class you will have mastered the recipe and produced something lovely to bring home!
The workshop started early on Saturday morning, with a simple briefing to the participants which numbered around 20, on the basic guidelines (practise cleanliness, etc. etc.) followed by the start of the class in the kitchen.
Chef Rodolphe proceeded to give a step by step demonstration, dropping some pearls of culinary wisdom along the way from his many years of experience. The class was rather informal with participants able to ask questions,, and Chef Rodolphe cracking a joke here and there to keep the atmosphere light!
After Chef Rodolphe demonstrated each step, the participants got to do it by themselves, starting with the base ingredients, flour, butter, cream, sugar, fruits, etc. etc. It was truly quite a learning experience for us (some of our talents have never baked a cake in their lives) as we got to learn some very useful baking techniques, tips and tricks!
After four (4) hours of baking, finally each of our talents put the finishing touches to their cakes, and adjourned to the dining room for a little certificate presentation. Participants also got the opportunity to purchase a cookbook written by the chefs of Le Cordon Bleu Malaysia and got them autographed by the chefs! A truly memorable learning experience and one that we highly recommend to any baking/ culinary enthusiast.
Apart from the gourmet and short courses/ workshops, Le Cordon Bleu Malaysia also offers the following culinary arts programmes/ courses:
Cuisine
A highly acclaimed range of cuisine courses offer the most comprehensive training in French culinary techniques available today.
Completion of the Basic Cuisine Certificate, Intermediate Cuisine Certificate and Superior Cuisine Certificate results in the award of Diplôme de Cuisine. Students will learn to master the necessary skills to create fine cuisine dishes through a combination of practical sessions, demonstrations and theory lessons, gaining knowledge from the team of classically trained master chefs who have experience working in senior position in the world’s finest kitchens and Michelin star restaurants.
The cuisine master chefs of Le Cordon Bleu lead demonstrations to show students how to produce dishes to the highest professional standard. Students are then tasked with replicating the dish in one of the dedicated cuisine practical kitchens under the guidance of one of Le Cordon Bleu’s Master Chefs to ensure satisfactory progress is made.
Theoretical technical classes explore a specific culinary subject or ingredient and are taught through concise classroom sessions. Each technical class is supplemented by supporting resources to underpin the practical knowledge taught and provide context to the techniques developed and ingredients used.
4 intakes yearly: January, April, July and October
Pâtisserie
Le Cordon Bleu Malaysia offers a large range of pâtisserie courses led by the team of classically trained Master Chefs Le Cordon Bleu to help student develop their skills whilst improving their creative flair. The Diplôme de Pâtisserie covers Basic Pâtisserie Certificate, Intermediate Pâtisserie Certificate and Superior Pâtisserie Certificateis (the ultimate pâtisserie and baking qualification) which can be obtained in 9 months or 6 months.
The wide range of exciting gourmet short courses include Pâtisserie techniques, learning macaroons and chocolate demonstrations, all of which provide a truly unique culinary experience suitable for beginners or experienced students.
4 intakes yearly: January, April, July and October
Bakery, Danish Pastries & Artisan Breads
The Boulangerie programme is based on understanding, learning and mastering boulangerie techniques. The training mainly comprises practical classes. Theory classes, conferences and boulangerie related visits are also included.
The programme is divided into two levels: Basic and Advanced Bread Baking Certificates. Students have the option to create a comprehensive programme by studying the Diplôme de Pâtisserie alongside the Diplôme de Boulangerie within a 1 year period.
4 intakes yearly: January, April, July and October
Hotel, Restaurant & Culinary Management
All of the restaurant management and culinary management courses at Le Cordon Bleu London have been adapted to meet the needs of the ever evolving culinary and hospitality industry. Specialist courses such as the Diploma in Culinary Managementhave been designed to provide aspiring managers and business owners with the relevant skill set to lead successful kitchens and food businesses.
The focus of this innovative programme is to provide practical and technically advanced culinary skills, alongside entrepreneurship and management studies.
From menu concepts and marketing, professional kitchen management and food and beverage cost control, students will develop their creativity and understanding of modern food trends during their time on this course, whilst working closely with enthusiastic lecturers who have had many years of practical experience themselves.
The Diploma in Culinary Management can also be studied as an integrated programme with one of the culinary arts diploma (Grand Diplôme®, Cuisine or Pâtisserie)
4 intakes yearly: January, April, July and October
Grand Diplôme®
Respected across the culinary and hospitality industry as a mark of excellence, Le Cordon Bleu’s Grand Diplôme® is an influential qualification combining classical training in both cuisine and patisserie.
This Diploma is awarded after the successful completion of both the Diplôme de Cuisine and the Diplôme de Pâtisserie.
The programme is an intensive and comprehensive programme in classic French culinary techniques. Throughout the 9 month tuition, students are first taught basic culinary skills before applying them to high-quality produce and specialist ingredients. Supervised by some of the most qualified and classically trained Chefs, students will learn fundamental culinary techniques through a succession of theoretical and practical training combining Chef demonstrations and practical sessions.
The Grand Diplôme® may also be studied as an integrated diploma with culinary management
4 intakes yearly: January, April, July and October
For more info on the short courses, head over to https://www.cordonbleu.edu/malaysia/gourmet-short-courses/en
LE CORDON BLEU MALAYSIA is located at:
Sunway University
No. 5 Jalan Universiti,
Bandar Sunway,
47500 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan,
Malaysia.
Telephone: +603 5632 1188
Email: malaysia@cordonbleu.edu
Website: https://www.cordonbleu.edu/malaysia/home/en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeCordonBleuMalaysia/
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