Philippe Conticini

[1] Having worked in France, in the U.S. and in Japan, he conceived four innovations including verrines in 1994, which present dishes traditionally served on plates in a vertical, transparent container.

[2] After receiving several awards and working in Michelin-starred restaurants (including La Table d'Anvers and Petrossian), he cofounded and became head pastry chef of the Pâtisserie des Rêves, a patisserie with outlets in France, Japan and the UK.

[6][citation needed] Elected pastry chef of the year 1991 by the Gault Millau magazine, he distinguished himself in 1994 by inventing verrine desserts, which he described as affording him control over the sensations that diners feel, and transmitting his understanding of taste to others.

[7][8] His growing reputation led Conticini to serve as a cooking consultant for several food companies (Materne in 1995, Senoble from 2001 to 2005, Ferrero in 2005, Nestlé in 2006), and to appear in various media and shows to popularize 'contemporary' pastry.

In 2000, he created a café-boutique concept for the 7th Avenue outlet of Petrossian, noted by the 'Dining Out' section of The New-York Times, with the newspaper inviting him to contribute eight successive columns.