French chef hopes for sweet success with his 'haute couture' cakes

'Women love sweets, so what better way to sell designer cakes than making the experience like jewellery shopping?' Jean-Marc Gaucher, executive pastry chef at The Mira hotel, told the only male reporter at Thursday's media cake-tasting event at the hotel's newly relaunched cafe-patisserie, Coco.

With throngs of female journalists gushing over the 'cute cakes', each one elegantly displayed inside glass counters designed to recreate the feeling of a high-end jewellery store, the French chef further explained his collection of desserts, using fashion terms that would have most men scratching their heads, such as 'haute couture'.

'I am still working on finding that perfect balance for the taste of Hong Kong,' said Gaucher, who once ran his own bakery in Nice, followed by stints as a dessert maker in the French Riviera, New York, Dubai, Langkawi and Bangkok.

He said each region had a distinct preference. Malaysians, for example, like their cakes sweeter than people in Bangkok. He reckons Hong Kong's taste could be somewhere in between.

With more 24 handmade cakes and pastries, including the Raspberry Chic (a New York cheesecake adorned with raspberry and basil that was extremely popular), Hongkongers should have plenty to choose from.

And judging from the reactions of the many women in the room, Coco is going to be a hit.