Food Review: Le15 Patisserie

Rose macaroons.

Desirable things are seldom got without effort. It’s fitting then that Pooja Dhingra’s newly launched Le15 Patisserie requires bit of a hunt in a tree-lined Worli neighbourhood. Dhingra, a Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef, has been operating a delivery service and cooking school from her central kitchen in Lower Parel since her return from Paris in March. This elegant pink-and-black dessert counter, located on the premises of a friend’s salon and spa, marks her first attempt at a full-fledged patisserie.

Though Dhingra only showcases an abridged version of her menu of macaroons, tarts, cupcakes, tea cakes and mini cakes, she’s clearly had fun designing the jewel-toned confections and their inventive flavours. The best-selling ochre passion fruit macaroon has the peculiar sourness of passion fruit and is an acquired taste. Dessert fiends might appreciate the cream-coloured hazel nut macaroon and the bubblegum-pink bitter chocolate one, both with rich chocolate centres. The deep brown Belgian chocolate cupcake is intense without being too sweet, while the appropriately named Red Velvet is a decadent maroon cupcake prepared with cider vinegar and blanketed with cream cheese frosting.

The Verrines (a confection typical to France in which the ingredients are layered in a glass) have playful names suggestive of culinary romance such as Opera, French Kiss, Pure Bliss, Trois Chocolates, Addiction and Summer Love. We recommend Mon Amour, a combination of light chocolate mousse and fresh raspberry sauce and Addiction, her ode to a banana Nutella crepe. Disappointingly, the sinfully named Trois Chocolat with its multi-layers of dark, milk and white Bavarian chocolate tasted all the same. There isn’t much room to linger at Le15 unless you sign up for a haircut or salon treatment but Dhingra’s desserts can weather a long journey home. Though the selection isn’t as wide as her delivery service (which offers macaroons in flavours like mint, chai lemon and blackcurrant), Dhingra does intend to introduce savoury options, and will rotate flavours and ingredients depending on seasons and her “mood”. But even with these minor restrictions, Le15 delivers on its promise of Paris.

A box of five macaroons is priced at Rs250; individual macaroons are Rs50; cupcakes are Rs35 and Verrines are Rs55 onwards.

LocationLe15 Patisserie
Shama Hair and Skin Boutique
Krishna Building
Near Podar Hospital
JN Palkar Road
Worli

Phone97692 86544

HoursDaily, 11am to 9pm

Websitewww.le15.co.in