PEAKLIFE

Chef Neha & Chef Ashay bring French twist to traditional sweets

ARQ is a renaissance in Indian luxury mithai. Launched by Neha Lakhani and Ashay Dhopatkar of Troublesome Duo, the Chefs own twists to the traditional artisanal Indian sweets, serves unique flavour combinations that bring together two diametrically opposite cultures in one delicious blend. PEAKLIFE explore more about their journey of being pâtissier.

1. Tell us about your journey in the industry, and how did the concept of ARQ Mithai came?

We set off on our journey, inspired from the world of European Cuisine & French pastry., a decade ago. We observed that India is soaking all the influence of French patisserie and is ready to experiment with age-old traditional mithai.

At Arq Mithai, we wanted to create a product that is innovative and indigenous at the same time. The intent is to make people taste & experience the history of India with every bite.

Chef Neha:  “I was really young when I got in Le Cordon Bleu, Ottawa and my expertise from Cordon Bleu lies in French pastry skills and now we set off on our journey inspired from the world of European Cuisine & French pastry amalgamated in the ancient art of mithai making. I am proud to be the Chef Ambassador of Le Cordon bleu and owe it all to them.”

Chef Ashay: “After graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management in Goa, I moved to the UK for my post-graduation in Hospitality Administration, following which I honed my skills in the fundamentals of European Cooking at the Hammersmith & West London College of Culinary Arts. During this time, I got a chance to work alongside legends like Chef Gordon Ramsay, Chef Herbert and Chef Mark Hix”.

2.     How did the concept traditional sweets came-up?

ARQ Mithai is a never-before-seen amalgamation of desserts infused in the ancient art of mithai making. We wanted to create a perfect balance of French and Indian palettes, and infusing that thought with our expertise is what lead to the birth of Arq.

3.     What are the specialties one can taste at ARQ Mithai?  

• Malterine Marmalade, “The distinct sweet & citric flavours of tangerine and malta orange folded into gurmandi almond paste to create his tangy delight”
• One of our signature and best seller includes Besan truffle, “Dark belgian chocolate Truffle encased in a classic grandma style Besan Laddoo made with pure Gir Cow Ghee”
• Parfi, “Rich blend of Pure Peshawari Pistachios and homemade Khoya made with sustainable granulated sugar”
• Eden rose, “Nutritious gurbandi almond paste folded in Gulkand and rolled in dehydrated rose petals”
• Chenna Jalebi “An indulgent chenna jalebi stuffed with mushy dates and figs and an assortment of mineral rich nuts, a mouthwatering delight for the season Ramadan.”

4.     What do you enjoy most about being a chef pâtissier?

Chef Neha: “Being a Chef Patissier is an extremely creative vertical hence there is always a score for innovation. It is a job that keeps me happy and makes everyone around me happy. Being a pastry chef is being a part of the celebration for so many families as nothing is complete without a cake ever”

5.     Tell us about your favourite flavour combinations?

Our absolute favourites are firstly; Malterine marmalade that has a distinct sweet & citric flavour of tangerine & malta orange. Secondly; Besan Truffle that is Dark belgian chocolate Truffle encased in a classic grandma style Besan Laddoo.

6.     What are the future plans of expansions?  

We do have multi city expansion plan in the coming few years and some new variants in the pipeline. We are overwhelmed with the initial response received of our product.

7.     What advice would you give to amateur chefs dreaming of taking their passion to the next level and perhaps going professional?

I would advise every passionate budding chef to work hard and work enough. Both are very important before they think of running their own business. It’s important to love your dream but it’s also important to not rush it up and do it step by step by enough learning.

It’s very very important to try, fail, try again n then achieve. Failure is a good thing; it takes you closer to your goal and makes you realize how important that goal is for you. Failure gives motivation to the people who are really passionate. So never fear and never give up. Keep going