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Philip Khoury: ‘Dubai Chocolate’ becomes his ‘love letter to Beirut’

Some express it with flowers, others with words. He chose chocolate, a language he masters layer by layer, to gently declare his love for his country of origin. His Lebanese version of "Dubai chocolate."

Philip Khoury: ‘Dubai Chocolate’ becomes his ‘love letter to Beirut’

Lebanese-Australian pastry chef Philip Khoury during his visit to Lebanon. (Credit: Yussef Sarieddine)

With an elegant accent that transports us nonstop from Australia to Great Britain, the pastry chef could have made us forget his Lebanese origins. However, just recalling his childhood memories, the details of places and retained aromas, naturally allows his DNA to find its place, momentarily unpacking his emotional baggage."I was baptized in Lebanon," he recalled. "We came as a family every summer until I was 14. I only appreciated the beauty of these villages much later. The scent, the aroma of peaches and figs we picked from trees still linger. I use these two fruits a lot in my creations."After spending much of his childhood and teenage years in Sydney, young Philip Khoury settled in Lebanon for two years. "My father wanted to understand his roots better and share them with us."Bad timing, the 2006 war...
With an elegant accent that transports us nonstop from Australia to Great Britain, the pastry chef could have made us forget his Lebanese origins. However, just recalling his childhood memories, the details of places and retained aromas, naturally allows his DNA to find its place, momentarily unpacking his emotional baggage."I was baptized in Lebanon," he recalled. "We came as a family every summer until I was 14. I only appreciated the beauty of these villages much later. The scent, the aroma of peaches and figs we picked from trees still linger. I use these two fruits a lot in my creations."After spending much of his childhood and teenage years in Sydney, young Philip Khoury settled in Lebanon for two years. "My father wanted to understand his roots better and share them with us."Bad timing, the 2006 war...