It's raining desserts

It is almost an initiation ritual for the girls of Mount Carmel College to eat at ‘Desserted’, which stands opposite the college. Unlike all the other vagrants who roam those roads, the concept cafe has been welcomed with open arms. As one enters the gate to the cafe, they are transported to a space that is free of the hustle bustle of the City, right into the lap of freshly baked pastries and warm-smelling savouries.

Started by Swetha Kurada, who also masks as the head chef, it has sprung from a young venture to one of the biggest cafes in the City. And with the help of her partners-in-crime, Sid Yerra and Swati Dandotiya, she has managed to get the attention of quite a few foodies.

While most eateries push you out once your wallet runs dry, ‘Desserted’ has customers who spend a good part of their day lounging there. Either they work, oblivious to the world around, on the granite seats, while sipping on the various brews, or they take time to play board games and read books. One could also visit the ‘Travel Room’, where seasoned travellers talk of their experiences, or shop at ‘Fancy Chilli’, which occupies the top floor. Swati is also planning to host regular flea markets there.

According to Swetha, the French-style cafe is not just about the food. “I planned for it to be a concept cafe, where people can spend hours lounging and relaxing.” It is the daily interactions she and the team have with the customers that make it worth it. “We recently had a girl who came all the way from Koramangala for our red velvet cake. At the time, we didn’t have cream cheese so there wasn’t any. But she insisted for some, so we made her wait for an hour and a half and baked some using buttercream instead,” she says. It is this personalised relationship that makes ‘Desserted’ popular.

Many of their pastries are a product of such improvisations and suggestions. The buttercream red velvet cake, although a tad bit sweeter, melts in one’s mouth just as easily. For the season, they have a mango tart, which has the perfect balance of flavours. Dishes like ‘Maggi burger’ and ‘Pizza waffles’ are other such creations. Ironically, the French fries are one of their best sellers. “We have different variations, like ‘Desi fries’, ‘Mexican fries’, ‘Italian fries’ and more,” says Swati. The other favourites are ‘pesto pasta’, ‘pesto mushroom sandwich’, ‘khara biscuits’, cookies and masala ‘chai’. At the moment, they serve only vegetarian food (eggs not counted), but soon plan to expand next door, where Sid will take care of the meaty dishes. And they change their menu every four or five months. With an all-day breakfast, they have qualms about delivering. “It’s free within a two-kilometre radius. Delivering wedding cakes is the worst because we are afraid they won’t survive Bengaluru’s roads,” sums up Swetha. ‘Desserted’ is located at No 42, 8th Main Road,
Vasanthnagar.