Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at your favorite restaurant? Well, much credit goes to the many chefs, owners and managers who work diligently day in and day out to make sure Hawaii’s diners have a top-notch dining experience.
This week, Dining Out gets the inside scoop from Cake Works chef and owner Abigail Langlas, who gives us a little taste of Cake Works, and shares just what fuels her culinary drive.
NAME Abigail Langlas
TITLE Chef and owner of Cake Works
TRAINING/EDUCATION Diplome Superior from L’ecole de Cuisine Francaise de Sabine de Mirbeck and City and Guilds Diploma in Advanced Pastry from Westminster College, a selective training program for working pastry chefs.
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- French Macarons. Nathalie Walker file photos
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- Abigail Langlas. Rachel Breit file photo
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- Assortment of cake samplings
How did your culinary career unfold? I began my career with an apprenticeship at London’s distinguished Four Seasons Hotel, then relocated to Lyon, France, to create desserts for Restaurant Les Eaux Vives at Hotel Metropole de Lyon. After that fantastic opportunity, I returned to Hawaii and worked at Alan Wong’s Restaurant on King Street for four years. I was mostly self taught in the area of cake decorating, with the exception of a few workshops given by famous cake artists teaching in Hawaii.
Who or what inspires you as a chef and owner? Customers and employees inspire me on a daily basis, as well as my own palate, and what it craves. Oftentimes, I know how I want something to taste and feel texturally, and then I have to find a way to accomplish it.
If you could serve food to a celebrity, who would it be and why? What dish would you serve? I would serve award-winning chef Thomas Keller our Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese French Macaron. It’s really lovely and unexpectedly good with toasted black sesame seeds on top; Why? He is an amazing chef with an amazing palate.
What is your favorite dish on the menu? Why? Salted Caramel French Macaron is my go to sweet fix. I like them straight from the freezer, and all I need is one because they are so rich.
Is there a dish that you create that’s not on your menu, but available upon request? Black Forest Cake and German Chocolate Cake are two of our most-requested cakes that are not on the menu, but available upon request.
Cake Works
2820 S. King St.
946-4333
Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Honolulu, HI 96826
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