JUMEIRAH Himalayas Hotel Shanghai will have the services of the Burj Al Arab’s award-winning Executive Pastry Chef Johannes Bonin at its disposal until Monday.

Bonin will create an exquisite afternoon tea buffet and conduct dessert master classes for adults and children. The Grill Room and Arte Café will feature a selection of his signature desserts.

Born in Lyon, France, Bonin has worked alongside stellar names including Pierre Gagnaire and Alain Ducasse. He also teamed with French pastry legend Pierre Hermé, hailed by French Vogue as the “Picasso of Pastry,” for six years to refashion trends in pastry preparation. The two chefs developed a new technique to make pastries lighter and smoother. Their work influenced a global renaissance in traditional afternoon teas and the emergence of designer pastry collections.

“My pastries use traditional French techniques but the flavors and ingredients take inspiration from my travels around the world and are adapted according to my mood,” Bonin said.

A chosen partner of Valrhona, the Grand Cru of premium chocolatiers, he is also one of the few pastry chefs in the world with access to the new ultra-premium Valrhona Blond chocolate.

Dessert connoisseurs can taste Bonin’s special afternoon tea buffet in the Lobby Lounge until Monday. The unlimited selection includes savory and sweet delicacies inspired by the afternoon tea at Burj Al Arab, plus treats specially created for Shanghai. Among Bonin’s signature creations are choux pastry yuzu and milk chocolate, coconut dacquoise with citrus jelly and lemon whipped ganache, and a gianduja streusel with banana passion fruit compote and chocolate cream.

A tempting selection of cakes and macaroons crafted by Bonin will be available to take away. Options include almond hazelnut praline madeleines and six-piece macaroon boxes.

On Saturday, Bonin will join Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Shanghai’s Executive Chef Tobias Pfister to present a three-course cooking master-class at the Grill Room. Pfister will demonstrate the appetizer and main course and Bonin will explain how to create his exotic mango jasmine dessert, composed of lemon sponge, jasmine crème brûlée, jasmine tea, chantilly cream and mango salsa. After the class, participants can savor their creations with fine coffee and fresh macaroons.

Bonin will also conduct a kids pastry class on Sunday, teaching children how to make and decorate a cupcake à la Française. The class presents a great opportunity for children to be inspired in the kitchen by one of the world’s leading pastry experts.

Bonin’s visit forms part of Jumeirah Restaurant Week, an annual weeklong celebration that ends on Saturday. More than 60 Jumeirah restaurants will participate worldwide and the Grill Room and Shang-High Cuisine restaurants will offer three-course set menus of seasonal signature dishes for 228 yuan (US$36.55) at lunch and four-course set menus for 328 yuan at dinner. Both prices do not include a 15 percent charge.

Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel is also a proud supporter of Shanghai Young Bakers, a charity program that provides sponsored French bakery training for disadvantaged Chinese youngsters. The hotel will invite three of their students to work alongside Bonin with the hope they will be inspired to achieve new heights in the future.