Pastry chef in major Las Vegas casinos (Bellagio, Aria), winner of multiple national and international competitions, Claude Escamilla has more than proven himself in the world of pastry. But to distinguish himself in Vegas, he needed more: to add some entertainment value to his recipes.
Sweet Sin, the pastry shop he opened on the Linq Promenade, near the Strip, puts on a show, with a giant “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”-like chocolate fountain that winds along the ceiling and ends in three taps. Each one dispenses a different variety of chocolate (dark chocolate, caramel, and strawberry). By simply operating pedals, the different types of chocolate flow before the eyes of customers onto crepes, coat strawberries, and even serve to concoct delicious hot drinks.
A fountain made in France
Representing a $200,000 investment, the installation consists of three seven-inch-diameter curvilinear pipes with transparent sections from which the chocolate can be seen spinning through turbines. “Visitors can even hear the turbines through the slight noise they make,” adds Escamilla. That’s the trick, because visitors will be convinced that the chocolate is flowing through all the pipes, which in reality is not entirely true. So, even if there is liquid chocolate in these glass parts, the one used for the dishes will be located behind the taps and stored in specific tanks.
The pastry chef is obviously very proud of his baby, which required a lot of work. “This fountain was made in France by craftsmen from Alsace, based in Strasbourg, who came to the United States especially to install it,” explains Escamilla. It took nearly twelve months to complete since it is entirely customized, and made of brushed and polished metal tubes. Before being shipped to the U.S., the fountain was assembled in France to ensure that all of its components fit together perfectly. It was then disassembled and shipped by freighter. “This pastry shop is my dream come true. It is the culmination of years of imagination and planning, and I can’t wait to share my vision with visitors,” says Escamilla.
