Art on a plate at the Artful Baker
By: Shagun Nayar
The Artful Baker , presently situated at My Square In Select City Walk Mall, Saket is a pop-up Patisserie and Boulangerie cafe by Lite Bite Foods which is shortly also going to take Khan Market by storm with it’s wide array of freshly baked bread, delectable pastry’s, airy macaroon’s & more (End August) . The idea and inspiration behind the Artful Baker and I quote the brand chef , Sahil Mehta , ‘ is to give the masses an authentic and traditional taste of a quintessential European bakery’. The chef who is credited with being India’s first certified Bakery,Pastry and Chocolate expert from the Harvard of Bakery Schools Lenotre, France is the man with the magic wand who has stayed true to his cause by incorporating the finest baking techniques and using premium ingredients. Owing to his previous experience at L’opera,Choco Diva and Rennaissance as the Consultant Chef and Deputy Director Food& Operations (L’opera) , the chef is well aware of the functioning of Patisseries and the intricate details that go into making any menu a success.
My experience at the Artful Baker was pleasantly interactive where i was told about what i had ordered and the ingredents that went into making it , something which transformed merely ‘eating’ to ‘tasting’.I ordered the Lemon Tart, Salty Caramel Macaroon, Chocolate Macaroon, Paris Brest,Cheese croissant, Ham and Cheese Sandwich and Monte Cristo. The order itself is reflective of the variety and the thought that has gone into crafting this menu. “We want to give you a taste of the best European bakes goods across the world” My favourites were the Monte Cristo,the Lemon Tart and the Macaroon’s.
The Monte Cristo is a dark chocolate mousse whipped together with french cream and a hazelut-almond base. As you dig into the sinful Monte Cristo you get the silky chocolate mousse and the nutty hazelnut-almond base which perfectly compliments each other. The Monte Cristo is different from the usual lot because it wasn’t overly sweet like the typical chocolate mousse which ends up killing the taste & overriding the other ingredients. It was a perfet blend and left you wanting more!
I was almost tempted to call a rain check on the macaroon’s , having never tasted the perfect macaroon. However, the chef was confident that the macaroon’s at the Artful Baker would be a definite game changer for me. I can safely admit that the Salty Caramel & Chocolate macaroon’s at the cafe are the best I’ve had in Delhi. They hit all 3 of the check marks on my list : Airy,Delcious filling and Proportionate.
Ending my tasting with the Lemon Tart was just what i needed to balance my taste buds. It was a bite of perfectly balanced lemon curd and meringue on the top with a perfect flaky pastry at the botom. The lemon tart is the perfect dessert for someone who isn’t a big chocolate fan but at the same time has his/her share of sweet-tooth cravings.
To all the dessert lovers, food enthusiasts and the ones who are searching for their guilty pleasures through their cheat-meals , come down to the Artful Baker to get a taste of a traditional and authentic bakery with a wide range of delcious deserts & savoury goods. You don’t have to spend a bomb to experience a little bit of Europe , it’s lagely affordable and definitely worth the money.
Cost for two – Rs. 500
Timings : 11:00am-10:00pm
