Other
En-Ming Hsu
Pastry chef
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
En-Ming Hsu built her practice around chocolate and sugar showpiece work, with Sip! Extraordinary Drinking Chocolate in Henderson, Nevada, as the current expression of that focus. The through-line is control of form and finish: work that has to hold up in the room and on the plate, shaped by formal study and by years inside demanding pastry kitchens in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and elsewhere.
The Climb
Training at the Culinary Institute of America and Skidmore College gave En-Ming Hsu the base for a career that moved through pastry rooms where timing, precision, and presentation were not separate skills. The sequence that followed shows the standard route of a Pastry Chef building range through repetition and pressure: Pastry Chef at Lespinasse restaurant, St. Regis Hotel in New York City, then Pastry Chef at Patisserie Café Didier in Washington, DC, and later Executive Pastry Chef at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago Hotel in Chicago (1997–2004). Those kitchens demand more than finishing desserts. They ask for chocolate work that holds temper, sugar work that keeps its shape, and a sense of proportion that reads cleanly at service speed. En-Ming Hsu’s work in chocolate and sugar showpiece work sits in that register, where the value lies in accuracy as much as in display. Her later roles as independent Pastry Chef and consultant and faculty member / guest chef of The French Pastry School show the other side of the trade: passing technique on, and keeping the standards of the craft moving forward.
Today
Sip! Extraordinary Drinking Chocolate in Henderson keeps chocolate at the center of the offer, which is consistent with the line of work En-Ming Hsu has built over time. The project treats drinking chocolate as a deliberate format, with texture, aroma, and intensity carrying the weight of the experience. The same discipline that shaped her pastry work still applies here: refine the base, finish cleanly, and keep the result controlled rather than heavy-handed.
Recognition
En-Ming Hsu’s honors map a career that has been measured by peers at the top level of the profession. Her honors include Pastry Chef of the Year, Dame de l’Année (2009), Doctor of Culinary Arts (honorary degree), Gold medal, Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie; Team Captain of the U.S. Pastry team (2001), Rising Star Chef (1999), and Pastry Chef of the Year in America (1997). The sequence matters here: Pastry Chef of the Year in America (1997) and Rising Star Chef (1999) came early, followed by Team Captain of the U.S. Pastry team (2001), then the later honors—Gold medal, Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie; Doctor of Culinary Arts (honorary degree); and Dame de l’Année (2009). Read together, they point to sustained command of technique, competition, and instruction across the span of En-Ming Hsu’s work.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of En-Ming
What is En-Ming Hsu's current role?
As of 2026, En-Ming Hsu is Owner and Founder.
Where did En-Ming Hsu train or study?
En-Ming Hsu trained at Culinary Institute of America and Skidmore College.
