Karim Bourgi

Coming Up

In the early years, the pastry line was La Cigale; Ladurée in Beirut; Paris (2001–2003), where Karim Bourgi worked as pastry chef and absorbed the discipline of elegant classics and exacting standards. He then moved to pastry chef at Fauchon Paris in Abu Dhabi (2004), adding another house to a career shaped by movement across cities and pastry traditions. Chocolate became the center of the work, treated as structure rather than decoration. Today, his roles extend beyond the pastry counter: founder of KB Gourmandises, brand ambassador of Valrhona; Elle & Vire; Carpigiani, Executive Pastry Chef and Head Pastry Chef of Al Mana Group (since 2011), and Regional Development and Creation Chef of La Maison du Chocolat Paris boutiques. The range of titles points to a practice that includes making, developing and guiding product at scale.

Where They Are Now

As Executive Pastry Chef — Al Mana Group and Head Pastry Chef, Karim Bourgi works from chocolate as his main technical ground. He says it plainly: "I actually don’t have a signature dish. I am specialized in chocolate; I use it in all my creations." The line describes a method built on repeat use of one material, with composition and contrast doing the work. At KAYU pastry shop, the KAYU Signature became one of his bestsellers, built from three layers of chocolate: milk, dark and praline noisettes. The dessert is structured around balance within a single register. Bourgi has described the approach in similar terms: "I always go with a simple process, but very efficient in terms of taste. So I would say in French: Simple et Efficace (simple and efficient)." That same logic also frames his work as Regional Development and Creation Chef for La Maison du Chocolat Paris boutiques in the Middle East.

Signature

Karim's signature dishes include The KAYU Signature, date and orange blossom éclair, and Alhambra chocolate cake. Taken together, they show the range of his pastry work: layered chocolate intensity in one, floral and fruit notes in another, and a darker, more rounded chocolate format in the third.

In Their Words “I created a date and orange blossom éclair, embodying the excellence of French pastry with Eastern flavours—a true example of cultural fusion!” “I always go with a simple process, but very efficient in terms of taste. So I would say in French: Simple et Efficace (simple and efficient).”

Honors

Karim's honors include MENA's Best Pastry Chef (2023) and Pâtissier dans le Monde competition, 3rd Best Pastry Chef (2014). These recognitions place his work within a wider professional field while staying tied to the same technical throughline: disciplined pastry, made with chocolate at the center.