French Toast, Patisserie and Tea Lounge' announces the board in delicious shades of white and sunshine yellow. The board is partially hidden by a shady tree so you have to keep your eyes peeled on the Kaloor-Kadavanthra road lest you drive past it.
The decidedly-desi bun tikki (Rs. 28) was the chance introduction to French Toast. A delicious tikki sitting snugly between two halves of a bun, the tang came from the green chutney on which the tikki has been placed. No butter, no mayonnaise, no cheese…straightforward bun and tikki. Haven't some of us tried this at home with cutlets and ketchup? The bun tikki and the bun kebab have similar stories, says Ayaz Salim of French Toast.
The French feel
And bun tikki isn't the only thing. Ayaz set up French Toast with his wife, Fatima and younger brother, Salman Salim. A passion for food and a family background in the food business led to the patisserie, he says. He and Fatima quit their respective jobs in West Asia, pooled in their savings and set up the place.
Why French Toast? Even the white furniture has a French café feel. “We wanted to take in the best that things French stand for.” Chic, for instance. The idea, initially, was to call them ‘French Toast, Patisserie and Boulangerie', but they didn't want to push the French connection too much and settled for the present version.
A few months into the business and they already have their dedicated followers. It has taken a few cups of free tea but he has won over fans. The sundried tomato sandwich, for instance, led to a conversation over tea and a convert. “This woman stepped in and asked ‘where were the tomatoes sundried?'”, he says. Suffice it to say that she is now among the regulars.
That conversation took place because of the prices. Which, Ayaz agrees, some might consider a bit on the higher side. “But look at the ingredients that go into our products.” Indeed, the sinfully delicious chocolatey-gooey ‘Double Fudge Brownie' (Rs. 88) and there are pieces of walnut that taste fresh…a must try. “The chocolate that we use is imported and the real thing not a compound of chocolate.”
Or there is the chicken pie (Rs. 90 per piece) or chicken puff (Rs. 64) which has a deliciously generous filling of chicken flavoured with herbs…you don't have to peel off tiny pieces of chicken from onions and potatoes which comprise the ‘chicken' filling. This place is for people who love their food and in a healthy way. And that does not mean the dreaded tasteless health food variety. “I would rather die than go on a salad diet. We are talking food that is cooked the healthy way,” says Ayaz. For instance no reheated oil.
The portions are generous, for a moderate eater. We are not even going to get into the delectable almond peach tart or the beautifully crafted lemon meringue or the delicious butter cream cupcakes (Rs. 60). Some of the eats are not the kind that are easily available in town and they taste different. Besides his regular staff, there is a consultant pastry chef who comes every three months and helps out with planning the menu.
As one is about to exit after longingly looking at the tiny white peaks of the lemon meringue, the passion fruit tartlet (a mini tart with pulp of passion fruit (Rs. 15) beckons…delicious!
