Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles

Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles is a slightly misleading title. While there is an actual cake present, there aren't as many as the title would suggest. This film shows Ottolenghi as he goes through the process of finding unique and fabulous pastry chefs and creators to join with him in creating sweet treats for a Versailles themed event at NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art. I enjoyed seeing some of the behind the scenes of putting together an even like this. Unfortunately too much information was left out: not enough about the actual event, not enough about how this event was received and viewed, not enough about what went into the actual 'cakes', but rather just a few bits of information about many different aspects of the process. One thing I do feel was well represented and enjoyed was about Versailles itself and the role food played there.

Greetings again from the darkness. Food, art, and history. There may not be a connection at your local McDonalds, but there certainly is among the world's most renowned chefs. Director Laura Gabbert (CITY OF GOLD, 2015) documents the story beginning with Yotam Ottolenghi receiving an email from the Metropolitan Museum of Art asking him to curate a culinary presentation in conjunction with the museum's 2018 "Visitors to Versailles" exhibit, covering the years 1682-1789, just prior to the French Revolution.

Ottolenghi is an accomplished chef (with a test kitchen in London), restauranteur, and described as the most influential cookbook author. Born in Israel, he's our charming and exceedingly intelligent guide through this global process. Ottolenghi toured The Met and Versailles, and explains his rationale for focusing on desserts - a beautiful and colorful symbol of wealth and excess from the era. He then sets out to assemble a pastry "Dream Team" consisting of: Dominique Angel, the French pastry chef who invented the Cronut; Dinara Kasko, a trained Ukrainian 3D architectural design expert-turned-chef who now builds her own 3D molds for food; Ghaya Oliveira, born in Tunisia and now the pastry chef at NYC's elite Daniel restaurant; Bompas and Parr, the British chefs known for technology and jellies - though only Sam Bompas takes part in the project; and Janice Wong, a Singapore chef who specializes in 'edible art'.

We learn the inspirations for each of the chefs, from the gardens and fountains of Versailles to the particular flavors of the era. Ottolenghi takes us into the kitchens, as well as allowing access to the strategy sessions with managers at The Met. Ms. Gabbert's film offers a glimpse at the craftsmanship, creativity, and artistry of these chefs as they work towards the big night. The final presentations are dazzling works of art themselves, and ironically (or maybe not) are enjoyed by the elites in attendance at the event. Marie Antoinette's beheading may have been 'a just dessert' for an era of decadence, but the beauty of what these modern day artists have created is quite something to behold ... and a nice respite from the world's turmoil.

"Follow celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi as he assembles a star-studded team of the world's most innovative pastry chefs to put on a Versailles-themed culinary gala at the Met in NYC" - This is the description on Hulu and Prime (I assume Netflix has the same one). This is not a documentary only about cakes, but also about the chefs behind the pastries and their modern spins on a historical profession. If you're looking for a documentary about cakes alone, then look elsewhere. If you're looking for a documentary about the thought process behind organizing a niche food gala, learning a little about the court of versailles, and learning about the people recruited this is for you.

Interesting idea but in the end you're left, pardon the pun, hungry for more! No real substance to this mediocre documentary.

The movie all about desserts. The idea was fantastic: a happy marriage between Metropolitan Museum of Art and Royal Palace of Versailles to create desserts that were out of this world. There were five Pastry Masters joined this creative event: 1) Dominique Ansel whose cronut was such a big hit in NYC; 2) Janice Wong a pastry chef from Singaporean; 3) Dinara Kasko from Ukraine, she is specialized in making cakes from the 3D and silicon modes; 4) Ghaya Oliver who was a dessert master, working in Daniel Boulud restaurant: 5) Bompas and Parr of London, created artistic desserts with gelatin design. I was fascinated by this movie, it was not only about food, desserts, it couldn't not be any better combinations in creating an edible art; it was also about art, and life and history and everything in our life is beautiful.