DANNEVIEN CASIMIR (PASTRY CHEF)

What seems to be an underrated position in the kitchen, pastry chefs are what helps make a meal complete. Think about it, without dessert, is your hunger really satisfied? Well, meet Dannevien Casimir, Hilton Kota Kinabalu’s (KK) pastry chef who keeps everything in line when it comes to their pastries.

Hailing from Penampang, Chef Dannevien has been around the world in his career. Although he recently started at Hilton KK, he has over 15 years of experience working in Abu Dhabi, Macau, South Korea, and Singapore. During this time, he’s met with mentors who’ve taught him a lot. He believes that everyone should do their best, and it translates in his pastries. Chef Dannavien tries his best to produce pastries with the best ingredients, no matter how challenging it is.

Chef Dannevien starts his day at Hilton KK by checking the buffet, making sure the quality of the pastries are up to par. He will then proceed to look into the daily operations and preparations for any events happening in the hotel. He likes to experiment and create new desserts. Implementing his past experiences from abroad, Chef Dannevien brings his knowledge back to KK and tests to see if his creations can be offered to the KK market.

During his free time, Chef Dannevien prefers to spend it with his family, since he has spent a lot of the past 15 years overseas. For him, it’s a good time to catch up and be with his family more. He is also an avid photographer, particularly in street and food photography. With each pastry he makes, he just loves to take some time to appreciate them and take some photos. As a street photographer, one of the best spots he’s ever had the honour of shooting was Jeju Island. He notes the similarities with KK, with nature and urban life coexisting in a calm and not so busy life.

Hilton KK sure does have a very passionate and dedicated pastry chef in Chef Dannevien. He strives to give his best every day, hoping to meet the expectation of every Hilton KK guest as business starts picking up and more events are coming up.