“It was always the same: creme caramel, fruit salad and chocolate mousse,” says Paris-based gastronomy expert Bernard Boutboul. Something had to change.
In the early 1990s, a shockwave rippled across France’s restaurants. In the country that has given the world desserts such as creme brulee, Paris-Brest and tarte tatin, diners were turning away from the sweetest course on the menu.
“There had been no innovation in the dessert menu; it was always the same: creme caramel, fruit salad and chocolate mousse,” says Paris-based gastronomy expert Bernard Boutboul., or the bite-sized desserts that finish a meal at Michelin-star restaurants, Boutboul, who has spent his career working with some of France’s leading restaurants, had an idea.“Why couldn’t we do something similar,” he recalls thinking. “We could offer two or three mini-patisseries alongside a hot drink – a coffee or tea.
For diners, the attraction is clear: why decide on just one dessert when you can have a taster of three or four – or sometimes more? “It’s also dessert when you don’t want to have a dessert,” says Alain Fontaine, owner of Le Mesturet bistro in Paris. “Plus, you get something sweet and coffee at the same time, all included in one price.”
It’s also the go-to dessert for Owen Huynh, a Sydneysider who lives on the French border near Geneva. Yet Huynh knows from experience that the quality can vary wildly.“In a Parisian cafe or brasserie-style restaurant, or more touristy areas, I often find pre-made biscuits, such as a madeleine, with a chocolate mousse that’s made from a ready mix,” he says. “The best are when the desserts are made from scratch and are more intricate, like a homemade tarte au citron.
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