A French affair

As we had already peered over the glass counters stacked with delectable desserts a few times over, our hearts were set on L’envie Violet (Rs 235), a baked violet cheesecake with blackcurrant compote and Infinite Caramel (Rs 215), an eggless dessert made of creme caramel with sea salt and a base of hazelnut crumble. The cheesecake looked so dainty that it broke our hearts to spoon out the crispy layer of white chocolate. The creaminess of the cake blended well with the tanginess of the blackcurrants; the white chocolate added to its sweetness. While, the creme caramel was a good mix of sweet and savoury, the hazelnut crumble had hints of saltiness, which held the pastry together.

Impressed with the first two arrivals on the table, our greedy eyes met our next suitor. The GQ (Rs 235), is named after its creator Gregory Quere — French pastry chef-cum-consultant at the patisserie. A visual treat, the dessert was loaded with the goodness of chocolate, flavours of the tonka beans —  often used in perfumes — and tangy raspberry coulis. The Candy Cake (Rs 215) was a colourful seven-layered cake made of biscuit, buttercream, mousse, marshmallow cream, ganache and glaze. It’s meant to take you on a nostalgic trip through childhood. However, the bubblegum-like after-taste failed to score high on our report card.

The pastry shop also serves flavourful chocolate truffles made from single origin beans. The chocolate truffle made with 70 per cent Venezuela chocolate (Rs 495 for a box of nine) had hints of vanilla and honey mixed with fruity taste of raisins. The one made with 40 per cent Arriba Equador chocolate was more on the sweeter side and had notes of malt and vanilla. To balance our palate, we ordered a plain croissant (Rs 110) which was slightly doughy on the inside but we plan to visit as soon as the bakery starts baking fresh croissants. With plans of expanding its existing kitchen, La Folie will soon launch tea and desserts pairing along with other beverages such as coffee and hot chocolate.

While, the patisserie is priced slightly higher than its counterparts, for instance the macaroons here cost about Rs 75 per piece, the price is certainly justified by the use of high-quality imported ingredients. For instance, the chocolate is sourced from Belgium and France, vanilla from Tahiti and raspberries from Mexico. Though the space may seem compact, don’t let its elfin size fool you as this little patisserie is like a large celebration in your mouth.

meenakshi.iyer@expressindia.com