Sweet escape in Bandra

Desserts take centre stage as three and five-course meals at a cafe that moonlights as a bar

Inspired by the French phrase La vie en rose, meaning for life in the pink, a vibrant mural of a woman, peering through rose-tinted shades, occupies a wall inside Perry Cross Road's new hangout Moner, reflecting 25-year-old chef-owner Freny Fernandes' treats, as well as her journey, from Vasai to New York, and now, Bandra.

After toiling in the kitchens of several Michelin Star restaurants across the globe for a couple of years, Fernandes is now serving up her college dream, putting the spotlight on all things sweet, through the bistro that turns into an exclusive desserts-only bar post 7 pm.

Interiors of Moner. Pics/Atul Kamble

Seated inside the Parisian-style cafe - gold-rimmed, velvety chairs in hues of powdered-pink and teal, a long, arching facade, rose mood lighting et al - Fernandes, who was part of the team that created treats for Priyanka Chopra Jonas' bridal shower in the US, tells us that she feeds off the energy of guests enjoying her meals. "When I was interning at Noma in Copenhagen, I saw that although it's a Michelin Star restaurant, it was approachable in the sense that chefs and customers could interact. Since college, I have loved looking at the faces of my friends when I'd bake for them or explain my dishes to them. The dessert bar allows me to plate my creations live in front of guests, and be part of that joyous moment," she shares.

Fire and Ice

Moner is thus divided into a bistro section, where she serves fresh salads, soups, sandwiches, etc, along with petit gateaux and entremets, and a bar section, where she plates three and five-course dessert meals. The idea was inspired by her former boss, James Beard Award-winning chef, Ghaya Oliveira, who created "art on a plate". Plated desserts, she elaborates, allow her to create that kind of art - add different elements, play with textures, and build on flavours.

Mushrooms on toast

"This is a dessert experience you won't get everywhere since at most places, desserts are an afterthought, reduced to the back of the menu. Here, we have options to pair desserts with tea from the Himalayas, too. I also plan to secure a liquor license. I want desserts to occupy centre stage at the bar, post 7 pm," she asserts.

Freny Fernandes

As we dig into the first dish, the Italian-origin green apple and kaffir lime granite, we realise why she calls it an amuse-bouche. The minty icy granite, along with the meringue kisses and microgreens, refreshes our palate, preparing us for richer desserts. Fire and Ice, that comprises a vanilla bean panna cotta, macerated red fruits and a cutesy raspberry tuile, breaks all our preconceived notions of a sickly, sugar-laden dessert menu. The creamy panna cotta complements the macerated strawberry, and the tuile adds a nice crunch. Next up, and higher on the decadence quotient, is a chocolate coulant with a melts-in-your-mouth chocolate and liquid caramel centre, and a strong coffee ice cream. What we like is that the dishes, although sweet, are never overpowering; just what we need to breeze through a dessert-only menu.

Phases of the Moon

The last two dishes, Phases of the Moon and Jardin du Rose, sit pretty, truly looking like works of art. The former has a yummy, crescent-shaped vanilla sable, with tiny full-moon-shaped dark chocolate ganache; an earl Grey ice-cream and a berry coulis help cut through the sweetness. This definitely gets a thumbs-up from someone who doesn't dig chocolate. The flower-shaped rose and raspberry parfait of Jardin du Rose slides right off the tongue, as we keep going back for the bits of pistachio-flavoured mini baklavas.

Granite

While we try a few dishes from the bistro menu, what sticks with us is the tangy Kokum prawns (Rs 550), a hat-tip to the chef's Vasai origins, and a pesto-layered mushrooms on toast (R450). Head there in the day by all means, but if you, like this writer, agree that one of the few joys of the otherwise-trying adult life is to be able to dig into dessert for a meal, without judgment, let Fernandes help you raise the bar?

At: Darvesh Royale, Perry Cross Road, Bandra West.
Time: Tuesday to Sunday, 12 pm to 10 pm; dessert bar post 7 pm
Cost: Rs 1,000 onwards for one plated dessert; Rs 3,000 onwards for three-course meal; Rs 5,000 for five-course meal

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