The joy of chocolates apart, Chocosophy is beginning to get sweet new acquaintances into my life. I got in touch with
Baking Magic through my dear friend, Reema, and was asked to come over and review the place. Although Khargar was far and I did curse the traffic on my way there, my tryst with Baking Magic was worth all my time and effort.
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| L-R: Dorothy, Yuga Sreejeev and Nalini Sreejeev |
Baking Magic, a cafe & bakery in Khargar, Navi Mumbai, is the kind of place where people go for a quick bite or to satisfy their sweet cravings. The business is a joint venture by Nalini Sreejeev and her partner, Manju Daryanani. It started out as a hobby for the two women, but as orders grew, they decided to turn it into a full-fledged business. The first outlet was opened in Bandra in 2007. They eventually moved to Seawoods in Navi Mumbai and finally to Khargar, where they are currently located. Daryanani moved to Dubai in due course, where she runs a sister outlet called Cake Story. In Mumbai, Sreejeev not only handles the business, but even does some baking firsthand. She is, of course, helped by her lovely daughter Yuga, who helped design the space and looks after some of the marketing. A design student, Yuga also designed the cafe's lovely logo.
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| The pastry showcase and the wall shelves with breads |
I was met by these lovely people at the cafe and then some wonderful sights. A shelf full of desserts greets a customer up front, to the left are shelves of breads and savouries and to the right are specimens of cutomised cakes and boxes of chocolates. I couldn't help but admire the handiwork on the cakes, imagining the possibilities. There were wedding cakes, baby shower cakes, themed birthday cakes, festival cakes... you name it!
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Custom and themed cakes
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These cakes are the superstars of Bakin Magic's repertoire, but Sreejeev also takes up a lot of corporate orders for chocolate. They've delivered to companies like Jet, Wipro, and Ernst & Young among others. They also make custom chocolates for private events (in bulk orders, obviously). A specimen made for a bridal shower is seen here. Inventiveness is the key word for Nalini and her peers at Baking Magic.
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| Custom chocolates |
After a while came the difficult task of choosing goodies for the review. Trust me, a chocolate reviewer's job can be a hard one when it comes to making choices. Undecided, I threw down the gauntlet to Nalini and Yuga and asked them to pick their bests for me. Over a cup of some lovely hazelnut coffee (a Baking Magic specialty), and a tasty chicken roll, they suggested I try their Chocolate Cup Mango Mousse, the Chocolate Overload Pastry, Chocolate Waffle and Chocolate tarts.
The Chocolate Cup Mango Mousse was one of the most interesting-looking things on the menu, so I went for it first. The mango mousse is served delicate rose-shaped chocolate cups, which need to be inverted to be served. Interestingly enough, Baking Magic serves only eggless desserts at the cafe. They include eggs in their recipes only if a custom order so specifies. The mousse was quite fluffy and delicious by itself, but with the chocolate, it acquired a different, more brilliant personality. 'Embellished' with edible glitter, the mango mousse-filled chocolate rose makes for a very tempting dessert.
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Mango mousse in chocolate cup
Next up was the Chocolate Overload, a chocolate pastry true to its name. Made from alternating layers of chocolate cake, chocolate cream and chocolate icing and topped with chocolate bars like Kit Kat and 5 Star, this one sure is the right indulgence for chocoholics like me. Soft textures and rich chocolaty flavours make this one great dessert.
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| Chocolate overload |
I was almost dying of overeating at this point when Nalini suggested I try their chocolate waffles. And who can say no to chocolate waffles? Since the chefs had left for the day, Nalini herself whipped up a waffle for me and boy, was it lovely! Filled in with chocolate and topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, the waffle was a decadent treat. The waffle itself was a tad thick (I like mine much thinner), but when there is so much chocolate to go with it, who cares?
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| Chocolate waffle |
Since I was almost dead from a chocolate OD, I decided to take the chocolate tarts home rather than stuffing my face some more. When I tried them later, I found the chocolate filling to be creamy and not-too-sweet and the tart crust nicely crumbly. I was one happy girl at the end of the day. :)
Baking Magic is making magic with its baked goodies and confections in Khargar and if you are any place near, it's a must-go-to place. Chocosopher recommends.
RATING: 3/5
Baking Magic
Shop no.9, Regency Gardens,
Sector 6, Kharghar,
Navi Mumbai
9819819932
9769619932
