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December 11, 2023 06:02 pm | Updated 06:02 pm IST
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Maison Indulgence | Photo Credit: S Poorvaja
I’m instantly drawn to Maison Indulgence’s cosy outdoor space. There are plants all around, hues of bright green against the white walls and tables, there is a platform outside that you can sit cross-legged on and use the small marble tables on top to work on. All this is best enjoyed while digging into Janani Kannan’s cakes, of course.
A pastry chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu, Janani foray into the world of all things sweet began five years ago with her passion project, Zitter chocolates, something she says was born out of her extensively watching chocolate-making videos.
The indulgent chocolate cake with different ganache toppings | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
As someone very focussed on the product alone, a sit-down cafe experience was not something she ever envisioned setting up. “But I now see the necessity of having a place to showcase my product, the importance of building a community, and the joy of seeing customers enjoy what I’ve created,” she says. Her focus on the product stems from her being an ‘uncompromising chef’, and she says that Maison Indulgence is a chef-run place which will be uncompromising when it comes to the quality of ingredients.
There is a whole section of the counter dedicated to chocolates, with barks (fruit loops, dark chocolate sea salt, hazelnut milk chocolate), chocolate bars with different fillings including chewy caramel, Nutella, and lotus biscoff, and truffles, and bonbons in a host of different flavours.
“We’re also planning to have a DIY chocolate counter, where customers who walk in can take their pick from a range of ingredients and customise their own chocolate bar. There will be everything here — from pretzel bits to nuts, sprinkles…,” Janani says, showing me a row of pastel green drawers neatly arranged near their kitchens, which will be filled up.
We start off with the Nutella Hazelnut cake, which is airy, rich and just the perfect level of sweet. Janani says apart from whole cakes, and individual pastries in flavours such as orange and cranberry, she’s also planning to introduce bento cakes, which immediately enthuses the K-drama fan in me.
Toffee temptation sundae | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The ‘indulgence’ in the cafe’s name is best represented through their range of plated desserts. There is a toffee temptation sundae which comes with a date pudding that Janani calls their ‘crown jewel’. I try their signature chocolate cake drenched in three flavours of ganache — milk, white, and dark, a true rich, chocolatey explosion with each bite and aptly named Trinite de chocolate. “Customers will be given the option to drench any dessert in melted chocolate, add ice cream, and customise it to be as indulgent as possible,” Janani says. She is especially excited about their liege waffles, which come with a berry butter, a choice of decadent chocolate and syrup.
If you are not in the mood for a Cakeaccino, a whole cake slice dunked in an iced latte, there is also a range of regular beverage options to choose from. Beachville has worked on their coffee blends.
Cookies at Maison Indulgence | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Among the three eclair flavours we sample, the mango passion fruit eclair hits the right citrusy notes, and is packed with flavour. From the range of cookies which includes New York style, Ferrero Rocher, and Peanut Butter on offer, there is a pistachio ruby one that is an instant favourite. It is crumbly, light and fresh. The brownies however, are dense and quite ordinary — given the many good options available in the city, this dessert definitely has competition. The cheesecake too, while comes with a compote that is flavourful, needed a better base.
For a cafe that has its priorities set on desserts, Maison Indulgence chooses not to neglect its savoury menu — which has an interesting variety. The buffalo chicken focaccia pizza has a base that is perfectly crunchy and airy, and the empanadas are flavourful. The winner here is a Korean buldak chicken danish — it is buttery, flaky and fresh, with a fragrant spice hit.
Buldak Chicken Danish | Photo Credit: S Poorvaja
While there are several options to drench and pour on the desserts you pick to add to the decadence, Janani also does not want her customers to feel overwhelmed or intimidated. She says, “We consciously have options for them to customise their desserts, and I want people to come in, be able to pick up something small as well if that’s what they prefer, and enjoy it.”
Maison indulgence opens from December 13 onwards at Cooperative Colony Road, Alwarpet. Desserts are priced ₹200 onwards.
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