BLISS BAKERY

Bliss Bakery is one of those places that grows on you, in a good way. Nestled in the back alley of GK1 M Block market, it is a quaint, alfresco cafe where head chef and proprietor Mahak Malik whips up sumptuous guilt-free savouries, cakes, pastries crafted with the finest ingredients and… home-made, eggless, gelatine-free ice-cream that I fell in love with at first scoop! Why me… anyone would fall for the love, passion and conscience laced with the ingredients. What am I talking of? Mehak left a promising career in engineering when she developed a passion for baking, earned a patisserie diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, London and worked with Chef Sabyasachi Gorai to get hands-on experience of the business. In '16, she opened Bliss Bakery.

Coming back to the formal review, my first impression of Bliss Bakery was one of a quintessential Parisian cafe with its sidewalk tables shaded with umbrellas, its mint and ivory interiors, its shelves packed with whole wheat breads, cakes, macarons and ice-creams. As Mehak and I sat down at a table, I realised Bliss Bakery is not just another cafe — it embodies a nutritional philosophy that emphasises wellness. "I take pride in preparing everything fresh, from scratch; you will never find chemicals, preservatives, dairy cream, butter, refined sugar, dalda-based artificial creams or margarine! My core focus is on premium ingredients; I provide nutrients the body craves for" Mehak told me over cappuccino and the softest slice of sugar-free "Eggless Vegan Moist Chocolate Pound Cake" that was strong on flavour.

People who have dined here appreciate the straightforwardness of guilt-free goodies and it's easy to understand why they are attracted to a culinary experience they consider to be wholesome, nutritious and sumptuous. I appreciated this when I sampled the hot-seller, "Dark Chocolate Sorbet" — with seventy per cent dark chocolate and water! A dark, decadent treat, velvety in the mouth, with a long chocolate-ii after-taste. A must for dark chocolate lovers! Though this was the crowning glory, I also loved "Burnt Strawberry Sorbet" which teased my palate with the wholesome goodness of smoked strawberries.

Reminiscing of the lovely afternoon with Mehak, my overall impression is that the bakery- with- a- conscience gives you an invaluable opportunity to indulge in guilt-free flavourful goodies. It's food in which you can believe. And I highly recommend a visit if you haven't been there. Bon Appetite!

— JASMEEN DUGAL