Move over sweet desserts, Mumbai chefs are changing your main course meals

Itrsquos 2200 hours on Valentinersquos Day Love for chocolate fills the air as we take our seats at KMC a community space at Fort surrendering to the whims of Chef Sanjana Patel of La Folie and KMC head chef Dhriti Mankame On the chocolate degustation menu it is interesting to watch cacao nibs butter white and dark chocolate hold their stance with vegetables meats and saucesCoffee Cream CruffinInterestingly when the origin of a dessert doesnrsquot arise from the goal that it has to be sweet it delves into the complexity of flavours on the palate The menu begins with an amuse bouche made of cauliflower and white chocolate mash with toasted hazelnuts in brown butter and a cacao nib foam It has all the signs of cauliflower with the sweet presence of white chocolate The brown butter offers the salty reign On the main course is a roast dish of chicken or mushrooms served with an aged chocolate mole sauce that chef Mankame has createdWalnut praline croissantThe Mexican sauce originally made of chillies tomatoes and nuts has the company of chocolate in this version hitting the height of umami With a beetroot kvass jus and a side of leeks the cacao nib rye bread holds the narrative in place making us rethink our definition of sweet savoury and spice Patel who has a background in food technology and experience at Michelinstar restaurants and hotels feels that as a chef ldquonow is a great time to use our creative juices study what is happening internationally and find an audience who will appreciate the effort hererdquoPistachio and white chocolate tiramisu made by Mirella Fiore SomaniSisters and cofounders of Vanilla Miel Mansi Shetty Bafna and Isha Shetty have pushed the envelope of turning dessert products into art since they launched in 2018 During the lockdown they started painted cakes almost too pretty to eat On their current menu is ivory Vanilla Mielrsquos signature tart shell with brie cheese apricot geacutelee and almond crumble created to represent a cheeseboard ldquoSome people love to end their meal with a cheeseboard So we took a spin on the course and packed it into a dessertrdquo says Mansi adding ldquoWe took our signature shell and created an infusion with brie cheese which has nutty notes It is topped with an apricot jelly which is consciously not sweet but adds a balanced tartness The addition of an almond crumble creates three nexusesmdashcheese dried fruit and nutrdquoMirella Fiore SomaniA new entrant in South Mumbai TAATSU has been on everyonersquos order cart Raoul Singh who also runs Gourmaison a setup that offers gourmet cheese platters says ldquoAcross Asia you see brands that offer highquality products even at malls or food courts It breaks the perception that only specialised bakeries or restaurants can serve a wellexecuted dish Inspired by the Japanese version of a tart the flavours of baked cheese tartsmdashNutella cheese tart salted caramel Belgian chocolate vanilla and blueberry cheese tartmdashare familiar yet distinctiverdquoOn KMCrsquos chocolate degustation menu in February Roast chicken with aged chocolate mole sauceWhen we bite into their original vanilla and blueberry flavours it is crumbly and we get our dose of sweetness mingled with salt and enough textures that amplify each bite experience While not many would mess with a classic tiramisu Mirella Fiore of Bottega Italica offers an ode to the Mediterranean Sea with a white chocolate and pistachio combination The bakery which started last year is Mumbairsquos bestkept Italian secret Fioremdashoriginally from Padua the Italian city known for its aperol spritzmdashcame to India to study enamelling in 2016Cauliflower white chocolate mashIn 2022 she launched a menu that made the city drool over with family recipes of classic tiramisu kisses of devil and kisses of angels baci di dama horseshoe tea biscuits frollini biscottis jam cookies diamantini For the white chocolate version she uses ground pistachios instead of paste Expect a kick of savoury from the salted nuts but the classic taste of coffee and mascarpone is intact The white chocolate makes it creamier and sweet ldquoI have roots in Sicily which is known for its pistachios A small town called Bronte supplies it to the rest of the country From here you get a beautiful view of the sea It is the place of my art and I wanted to create a taste memory of the seardquo says MirellaJapanese baked tarts in Belgian chocolate blueberry and Nutella flavours PicAshish RajeWhat makes dessert now an allday possibility is its inclusion in bakes Suchalirsquos Artisan Bakehouse in Bandra takes four days to bake their handcrafted croissants The recipe uses a preferment dough to increase digestibility and enough resting and proofing time ensures the croissant has the right textures And she doesnrsquot stop at butter croissants Their hot sellers are the walnut praline brownie croissant berry mascarpone cheese croissant and a coffee cream cruffin which is a croissant in a muffin avatar Founder Suchali Jain says ldquoOur walnut praline croissant has an inhouse chocolate walnut praline along with brownie fillings and toppings A person having this will not miss a dessert Another variation is the cruffin which is a croissant in the shape of a muffin filled with coffee creamrdquoAnother hit among the GenZ is Masa Bakery by Anushka Malkani and Nariman Abdygapparov in 2022 inspired by flavours and seasons ldquoBefore opening we baked our first bread cut a slice and created a mould out of the bread that we use to create our signature chocolate barmdashwhich looks like a slice of bread but is homemade dulce chocolate with croissanttrimming gianduja made by mixing crispy croissant bits and dark chocolate sourced from Andhra Pradeshrdquo says MalkaniConsumers are increasingly looking for unique flavour experiences according to Dr Avin Thaliath Director of Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts Bengaluru ldquoAs Asian cuisine has gained popularity chefs and food manufacturers have been inspired to incorporate umami flavours into their own creationsrdquo says ThaliathRaoul SinghOn the presentation front minimalist design interactive elements and texture contrasts are current favourite trends This includes using clean lines negative space and monochromatic colour schemes ldquoInteractive desserts that engage the diner are becoming increasingly popular For example a dessert might be served with a sauce or topping that the diner can add themselves or with edible decorations that they can arrange on the plate Chefs are also using a variety of techniques to create contrasting textures and colours within a single dish like including a crunchy element like a tuille or brittle alongside a smooth creamy mousse or ice cream or incorporating edible flowers brightly coloured sauces or whimsical shapes and designsrdquo says ThaliathPatel shares a recent experience in Dubai where Chef Carmen Rueda Pastry Chef at Brix Desserts served a dessert inspired by Winter ldquoWhen I think of winter I see spices and warming ingredients We were served a decaf coffee mulled to taste like a port wine With this he paired a contrasting flavour of nitrogen cucumber foam celery juice and a fennel cake with meringue I would never think these flavours would work for winter but they didrdquo says PatelAt the KMC degustation menu her palate cleanser is a fruit granite with cucumber white chocolate foam and an avocado emulsion The chocolate ring that held the dish was made of dehydrated cucumber powder chocolate butter and matcha ldquoThe idea was to desensitise the palate so we made sure it was not overly sweetrdquo explains Patel adding ldquoAnd to prep for the actual dessert courserdquo she quipsHot picks in the cityStrawberry verrine and truffle ice creamToshinrsquos strawberry and cream is a classic take on Marine Driversquos Bachelorrsquos iconic fruit cream the truffle ice cream adds an umami twistWHERE ToshinrsquosCOST Rs 450 onwardsCALL 67982298Caramelised white chocolate and cheeseThe basque cheesecake in an ice cream tub at Burma Burma comprises caramelised white chocolate with cheese and folds of raspberry compoteWHERE Burma BurmaCOST Rs 550 for 500 mlCALL 240036601Sicilian orange sliceA fluffy orange sponge cake infused with homemade orange marmalade and topped with a velvety cream cheese frostingWHERE La Poz Place Kala GhodaPRICE Rs 550CALL 7009000246