Sanjana Patel brings French Pastries to Mumbai
Meet chef, Sanjana Patel, who spent nearly 14 years perfecting the craft of making pastries. Her passion is a testimony to a ‘love beyond obsession’, and that is meaning behind the name of her new patisserie – La Folie. “French pastries are a journey in discovery – simple on the outside and intricately layered inside,” she enthuses. With that, she takes us on a saccharine trip mapped by a Parisian palette.
When did your love affair with pastries begin?
I have been thinking about setting up my own patisserie for a really long time. At the age of 16, I left for London to pursue my undergraduate studies and found myself in the midst of a whole new world of pastries and desserts. A passion for pastries led me to acquire a postgraduate degree in food management, while dabbling with part time jobs at small pastry shops. In 2008, Paris beckoned and I was accepted at Ecole Grégoire Ferrandi, one of the finest French pastry schools in the world. It was a blessing in disguise because I got to intern with some of the best pastry chefs in the world. Fuelled by entrepreneurial dreams, I was back in Mumbai and after almost three years of planning and hard work, my patisserie is ready to set up shop.
Yet another French patisserie in Mumbai; what makes you stand apart?
Creating intricate textures is an art that a French pastry chef tries to master. It’s all about what lies within the dessert and what each layer will unravel. You will see the beauty unfold as you take a bite of the pastries that we create. Almost 80-90 percent of the ingredients are fresh fruits, and to maintain the authenticity of our desserts we source them from their place of origin. For instance, the chocolate that’s used in the truffles is pure single origin Venezuelan coco bean.
What are the defining features of French pastries?
The five things that define these desserts are – sweetness, crunchiness, texture, taste and aesthetic appeal. Your dessert should not only taste good, it has to be presented well. Creating art is part of our learning and each pastry will catch your eye.
Have you tried to ‘India-nise’ these French desserts?
We have certain fusion desserts to offer; specifically the paan and gulkhand macaron and the lemongrass with basil macaron. Lemongrass is not very French but people here appreciate the flavour. We soak the lemongrass for 72 hours in cream, as it takes that much time for the flavours to surface. These macarons are my attempt at merging the two worlds.
Besides these macarons, what are the must-haves at La Folie?
The Black Currant and Violet Cheesecake – we played around its aesthetic appeal and have kept it very raw in terms of taste, the chocolate fondant with 100 percent pure chocolate is our signature dessert, the Candy Cake with biscuit, marshmallow and chocolate ganache is close to my heart as it’s inspired by my childhood.
Eggless options include truffles, Caramel cake, Hazelnut cake, Swiss Truffle Cheesecake and the classic Rouge Velour or the Red Velvet Cake, jams and cookies.
What are your dessert recommendations in Mumbai?
Well, I like to treat myself to rich gooey chocolate at Moshe’s, freshly baked walnut brownie at Theobroma, light and hearty cupcakes at Le 15.
La Folie, will open its doors to Mumbai Foodies on January 24, 2014. Get dessert-ed at Kala Ghoda, 16 Commerce house, Rope walk lane, Kala Ghoda.
Call on: 22672686.
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