How to improve creativity in pastry according to Dexter Lee

One of the chefs featured in so good.. magazine 35 is the Executive Pastry Chef at Bidfood Singapore and Gourmet Partner Singapore, Dexter Lee, who has demonstrated his great passion for the pastry trade in many different ways. 

Masterclasses with great masters, his time in luxury hotels and culinary academies, and the demanding preparation required to participate in competitions such as the 2025 Pastry World Cup and the 2024 Gelato World Cup have given him a solid foundation. It is precisely from these experiences in competitions that Dexter has developed a high level of excellence that has allowed him to enhance his creativity.

In terms of aesthetics, his is a fantasy patisserie, heavily inspired by the wonderland of chocolate. Want to know how he enhances his creativity? Here are some reflections!

Photos: Debic

Discover so good.. magazine 35

Take care of the flavor, but also the aesthetics

“As a chef, taste and textures must always come first as our utmost priority. With social media being integrated so deeply in our life, I believe the aesthetic aspect is absolutely important as well.”

A good example is The Black Swan, in which he revisits the classic ‘Cygne en Pâte a choux’ (Choux Swan). “I’ve done a few versions of my own twist previously, and this one here is my latest one. With the truffle looking Truffle Cremeux sitting on the choux pastry, it resembles the back of a swan. And how else can I make it more intricate and elaborate the flavor of the choux at the same time? Truffle (patterned) wings perhaps. Pun intended.”

Discover the recipe for The Black Swan in so good.. magazine 35

Test your own limits

“There is no fixed pathway for my creative process. Sometimes my inspiration can come from nature, a bizarre idea from conversations, other times even upon waking up one morning and suddenly felt strongly to create something new.”

There are times when Dexter Lee feels like he wants to push the boundaries of his creativity. “I would challenge myself to create something new that wouldn’t involve the usage of any mold. The Golden Bamboo here is one of them. With mere simple maneuvering of the Sudachi Genmai Curd and Chantilly Cream to resemble the bamboo pattern, it helps to create this pastry here that is also well balanced with the Tonka Chantilly at the center.”

Discover the recipe for The Golden Bamboo in so good.. magazine 35

Customized molds, 3D or AI to differentiate oneself

“In competitions you would often see each country has its own customized molds, stencils, sometimes even cabinets. I believe with the aid of technology like 3D printing and Artificial Intelligence, many pastry shops will be able to do customization on their own.”

In Singapore Pastry Cup 2025 (National selection for Coupe du Monde de la patisserie 2027), he did a plated dessert Circuit. “My buffet theme was Cyborg Rodeo, a chocolate sculpture of a Female Robot riding on a Cyborg horse, with an underlying meaning of riding into the future (year 2027). The dessert was designed to look like a microchip from the chocolate sculpture, imprinted with the serial number Coupe Du Monde de La Patisserie 2027, and with a chocolate decoration technique I came up with to resemble the circuit beads of the microchip.”

Discover Circuit’s recipe in so good.. magazine 35

Combining traditions and techniques from different countries

“I believe that as chefs we should strive to be the bridge to connect people of our country to our craft. Often, by using local ingredients combined with techniques from different countries, it helps them to enjoy flavors that they are familiar with, but in a different dimension.”

In the dishes he presents in so good.. magazine 35, he showcases this blend of traditions by combining citrusy Japanese ingredients like sudachi with Chantilly cream, or açai, native to the Amazon rainforest in South America, with craquelin, to name a few examples.