Last March, the restaurant Le K at the Domaine de la Klauss in Montenach, France, made a name for itself by obtaining its first Michelin star, crowning the work of Chef Potdevin and his brigade. Just before the festive season, a new announcement was made: the collaboration with pastry chef Angelo Musa, Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2007 and world pastry champion in 2003.
Having trained with Claude Bourguignon in Metz, this is a return to his roots for Chef Musa, whose creations have graced the tables of the Plaza Athénée in Paris, Harrod’s in London and The Lama in Dubai. This new collaboration with Domaine de la Klauss involves the dessert menu at the Le K restaurant, as well as the tea time menu and the creation of a Yule log for the festive season.
“This partnership is first and foremost a human story with Alexandre Keff, Benoit Potdevin and their teams,” explains pastry chef Musa. “I love challenges and pushing yourself to the limit, and I’m fascinated by what the Keffs have created at Montenach. Benoit fits in perfectly with these values, and it’s always a pleasure for me to cut my Parisian rhythm, to return to this beautiful Moselle region and to work in this stimulating and entrepreneurial atmosphere.”
Keff adds, “I’ve been lucky enough to know Angelo for several years and, paradoxically, it wasn’t the world of gastronomy that brought us together, but rather aviation and Luxair through a friend who was then head pastry chef in the airline’s catering department. I’ve always liked Angelo above all because of his simplicity and kindness. He’s a man of great sensitivity and generosity, which are evident in his signature pastries. Unlike many pastry chefs, Angelo stands out for one thing he has in common with Benoit: the ability to turn a simple or traditional recipe into a truly contemporary creation that will trigger a regressive pleasure when tasted, without adding any unnecessary artifice. In many ways, the Angelo/Benoit partnership is a natural fit, and I’m delighted to be able to grow the Domaine with these talents, to the delight of our customers.”
Chef Benoit Potdevin works daily at the restaurant Le K. Photo: Domaine de la Klauss
For chef Benoit Potdevin, this collaboration is an opportunity to demonstrate his expertise, creativity and technical skills. Their first joint creation, a Yule log, is also an opportunity to showcase local products such as those from La Ferme de la Ceriseraie, known for its dairy products, and the estate’s own fruit, including walnuts for this dessert. “Every dessert that comes out of the kitchen is a celebration of the local, the fresh and the seasonal, a veritable symphony of flavours that is both a tribute to our Moselle region and a commitment to the planet,” explains Potdevin.
This new collaboration is also part of the development of Domaine de la Klauss, which plans to expand the spa and add around ten rooms from 2027. But before that, in the second half of 2025, a tea room and a patisserie boutique will be opened to showcase Musa’s creations in collaboration with the estate’s teams. In this way, the estate will be able to treat not only those staying at the Domaine de la Klauss, but also the entire clientele of the tri-border region.
This article was originally published in French.
