Malika Ameen

Expert Interview: Malika Ameen

Behind the Pastry Chef

What were your favorite desserts growing up?
Chocolate éclairs, Florentines, and flan

When did you decide you wanted to be a pastry chef?
After going to culinary school

Where and when did your cooking career begin?
In New York City in 1996

Who/what has shaped your baking the most over the years?
Alice Waters and Claudia Fleming are my pastry mentors. Living in California for 4 years and being able to shop in the farmers markets year round with an abundance of produce. I was able to really work through the philosophies and ideas of my mentors about seasonal and produce driven pastry.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
The micro plane zester -- I can't live without it!

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Vanilla scented sugar which I think is an extremely effective flavoring component. It can be added to almost any recipe where vanilla flavor would match well.

What are some recent dessert trends that you have noticed?
Going back to comfort foods

What was the most challenging dessert you had to make? Why?
Always soufflés! As a pastry chef you want to make sure they are absolutely perfect and each soufflé has its own behavior.

What is your least favorite food?
Mashed potatoes

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?
At home. I love to cook and do so whenever I can get a moment at home

Which foreign country inspires your style most?
France

What was the most spectacular meal or dessert you have ever had?
Dinner at Jean Georges in New York, Lemon Tart at Ladurée in Paris

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Try and tackle recipes that make sense and are simple.

What do you eat when you are home?
Traditional Pakistani food

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Expert Profile

Malika Ameen, owner/executive pastry chef of the new contemporary American bakery and restaurant Aigre Doux at 230 W. Kinzie in Chicago's River North neighborhood, is becoming known as one of Chicago's star pastry chefs. She and her husband, Mohammed Islam, bring a passion for food and a stellar Chicago, New York and Los Angeles culinary background to the new venture.

Ameen is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. She established her reputation early, working under three award-winning pastry chefs. She first performed her dessert-making magic at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago, working under renowned pastry chef En Ming Hsu who has won numerous awards and served as captain of the U.S. pastry team that took the gold medal at the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie in Lyon, France. When Ameen relocated to New York she continued her professional growth at the Cub Room, working under James Beard multi-year nominee Gina DePalma, then the award winning James Beard award-winning Karen DeMasco, and then she became one of two associate pastry chefs at the celebrated Balthazar in Soho.

In 2003 Balazs hired Ameen and Islam to head the kitchen at his Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood. This legendary hotel had once been considered the "home away from home" to many of Hollywood's elite, and the two brought this illustrious venue to culinary life as it had never been before. Los Angeles Times restaurant critic S. Irene Vibilia described Chateau Marmont as one of the city's best-kept secrets, had rave reviews for Ameen's desserts and described her as a "talent to watch." Angeleno Magazine (sister publication to Chicago's CS Magazine) described Ameen and Islam as "among the most exciting chef duos in town," and said that together they have "completely transformed the glamorous little dining room at the infamous Chateau Marmont, making it for the first time in history a true dining destination." Angeleno also voted Ameen Best Pastry Chef.

Ameen is modest about her rapid rise to stardom and is excited to be back in Chicago. "Chicago is where my family is and I'm thrilled to be returning to such a dynamic dining city. Mohammad and I hope to make many people very happy with our new bakery and restaurant." Ameen plans to grace Chicago with her majestic butterscotch silk with coconut sorbet and miniature Moravian gingersnaps as well as many other sumptuous surprises yet to come.