Here at The Grid, we believe there's always room for dessert—especially if they're Workshop's decadent cakes and pastries. Now at Stall 20, Workshop started as the bespoke bakery of Le Petit Souffle, the Japanese-French restaurant also under the Tasteless Food Group. And while they've moved locations, you can still expect the same showstopper cakes and playful pastries.
Today, Chef Sonny Mariano leads the kitchen at Workshop—and he's also the brains behind their unique, sweet creations. We talk to the chef about how his love for pastry started, his favorite desserts (aside from Workshop's!), and his future plans for the bespoke bakery.
The Grid Food Market (TGFM): How did your career in pastry start?
Chef Sonny Mariano (SM): I started as an assistant to the Philippine Pastry team back in 2010. Since then, i became more interested in pastry—taking classes, working in a pastry kitchen, and joining pastry competitions here and abroad.
TGFM: Workshop is known for their unique cakes and pastries. What’s the process of conceptualizing new cakes for Workshop?
SM: We do research and check what's the next trend. We like to play on people's senses when they're eating our desserts so our goal is always to combine good flavors, textures, and nice presentation.
TGFM: Aside from cakes and pastries, what else do you love to cook?
SM: Not known to many, but I also do hot kitchen. I love to cook anything Filipino especially dishes that I miss from the province, like tinumis or kaldereta sa gata.
TGFM: What’s your favorite home-based bakery/dessert find?
SM: Anghelica's Baklava de Kasuy! I can eat one box of it in one seating!
TGFM: What’s your advice for anyone attempting to bake this pandemic?
SM: Baking is easy if you know how to read and understand the recipe. Make sure to use accurate measuring tools to always get the same output every time.
TGFM: What are your future plans for Workshop?
SM: There's a lot to look forward to from Workshop. We're currently developing additional cakes, breads, and other pastries plus more flavors of shaved ice, ice cream, and many more.