3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
As mango season enters its last phase, a look at global mango desserts still going strong in Pune eateries
Written by Aarushi Prakash
Mango season brings a global twist to Pune's dessert scene. Popular international treats like Korean Mango Bingsu, Thai Mango Sticky Rice, Japanese Mango Mochi, and French-inspired desserts such as Alphonso Noir, Bavarian cream, and Mango Millefeuille have been delighting food lovers with authentic flavours and fresh mangoes. Here is a closer look at the city's top spots serving these global mango delights before the season wraps up.
Where Else Diner in Viman Nagar has introduced Mango Sticky Rice, a traditional dessert from Thailand, to its menu.
'The dish is made with glutinous rice sourced from an authentic Japanese brand online, served with coconut cream on the side, topped with sesame seeds, and accompanied by fresh mangoes. It is inspired by my multiple visits to Thailand, where this is a classic dessert, and I wanted to bring that experience to Pune. The best part is, we have access to a mango farm, which allows us to maintain top-quality mangoes, so you are guaranteed a fresh and authentic dish,' says Ardesh Rustomjee, 35, owner of Where Else Diner and an MBA graduate with a deep passion for cooking, sparked by the time he spent cooking with his grandmother growing up.
Alphonso Noir, inspired by French pâtisserie, gets its name from 'Noir,' meaning black, due to the rich dark chocolate in the dessert. Odette Pâtisserie at Koregaon Park has added a twist to the Noir pastry with Alphonso mangoes.
'The dessert wraps silky Alphonso mango crémeux and fresh mango chunks inside a chocolate sponge coated in 55% dark chocolate mousse. It is finished with velvet spray and mango drizzle, a perfect balance of indulgence and freshness,' says Shariq Jaferani, 28, founder of 'Odette Pâtisserie'. Opened in 2022,
Odette Pâtisserie uses 95 per cent of imported European ingredients. Trained in Paris, Jaferani says, 'I wanted to bring what I learned in Paris and create an authentic experience for those in Pune.'
Mango Bingsu, a popular Korean dessert, is now available at Amato Dessert Café in Koregaon Park. 'It is made using a special Bingsu machine that shaves ice cream into a soft, snow-like texture. We use a traditional milk-based mix blended with mango pulp and condensed milk, then top it with fresh seasonal mango. During my visit to Japan in 2022, I tried a variety of Japanese desserts and realised how rare they are in India. That is when I decided to bring these unique flavours here, and I finally opened the café in October 2023,' says Atul Mishra, 36, founder of the café and a software engineer.
Bavarian cream is a classic French dessert known for its smooth, silky texture. French Window Pâtisserie in Koregaon Park has been serving their version of it with mangoes since 2015. 'We call it 'the Charlotte'; It is made with sponge fingers wrapped around mango and vanilla Bavarian cream inside and topped with fresh mangoes,' says Babita Karkaria, 49, founder of the pâtisserie.
After leaving her corporate career, Karkaria completed her pastry course in France in 2010. She started the pâtisserie as a cloud kitchen in 2012, expanding to a café model by 2017, focusing on authentic French desserts.
Yokoso – The Bake House, in Wakad, is owned and managed by the Khedkar brothers and offers Mango Mochi, a traditional Japanese dessert. Mochi is made from soft, chewy rice flour dough filled with a sweet filling. 'Our Mango Mochi is made with seasonal mango, rice flour, milk, and a mango-cream cheese filling. The recipe is authentically formulated just like in Japan, which Mohan, my brother, learned from a Japanese chef,' says Bhushan Khedkar, 22, co-owner.
Paul Café, located across Pune, is a French bakery-café chain in 47 countries that offers delicious French mango desserts. Two that stand out are the Mango Tres Leches and Mango Millefeuille, says Munendra Yadav, assistant general manager of the Koregaon Park outlet.
'Tres Leches is a sponge cake soaked in flavoured milk for a soft, creamy texture, and our version uses cardamom syrup, topped with mango cream and fresh mango. Millefeuille is a classic French pastry made of layered puff pastry and cream, and ours features caramelised puff pastry, mango cream, compote, and a dusting of snow sugar,' explains Yadav.
(Aarushi Prakash is an intern with The Indian Express)
