The name Gatoh for a confectionery concern is puzzling. That is till the feisty, young proprietor Shanaya Dastur (pictured) explains, "I opted for the phonetic version of the French delicacy gateaux (cake) to ensure that it will not be mispronounced!”
The boutique patisserie was inaugurated on October 8, 2019, the auspicious day of Dashera and specializes only in authentic
French classic desserts. Chef Dastur, with a state-of-the-art setup on the premises, including separate cold room and baking areas, has three chefs working under her as well as three other staff members. She chooses to put out around a dozen varieties of the confections each day, rotating the items "so that customers do not become bored.” To cater to the Indian market she has experimented with and developed three eggless variants, as "the French use eggs and gelatin in almost every item,” she smiles.
The pricing is premium, but so is the product, with rates ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 300+ per piece/slice for the more elaborate items. Opera, a layered light almond sponge cake with coffee, butterscotch and chocolate ganache plays a libretto on the palate with its many flavors, while the lemon tart is like nothing the average Bombayite is accustomed to, its cool, sharp lemon crème created out of imported lemons. Each large éclair d’or is packaged in an individual carton. Flourless almond and orange cake and intense chocolate pastry are sinfully rich and delicious. French staples like madeleines, palmiers, banana cake (by the slice or loaf) are available. She is looking forward to incorporating fresh berries, when they are in season, in her culinary creations.
Hailing from a family of prominent doctors in Rajkot, 34-year-old Dastur schooled in that Gujarat city before moving to a boarding school in Bangalore for the final two years. After obtaining her BSc in mathematics from London, she studied Actuarial Science, the discipline that applies mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk in insurance, finance and other industries and professions before she changed direction to qualify as a chef. "My parents Gulshan and Darius (both well-known surgeons) have always been very supportive and encouraged me to pursue my interests.” So she returned to London where she completed a one-year course at Le Cordon Bleu followed by another year at Paris’s prestigious Ferrandi Paris, School of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management where she specialized in French patisserie. Dastur says, "My mathematics background has proved very helpful as calculations are involved in every aspect of my work.” She moved to Bombay one year back, doing extensive ground work before launching her niche business.
A sampling of Dastur’s desserts
Though the patisserie opens to the public at noon, Dastur’s working day commences around 9 a.m. and rarely ends before 8 p.m. The pastries are created in-house every morning before the doors are opened. Asked whether there have been many footfalls, though it was only four days after the launch when Parsiana visited Gatoh on October 12, Dastur said that most people working in the building at New Marine Lines where the shop is located had already visited, and that there was demand for her products via home delivery platforms like Swiggy, Scootsy, etc.
Breaking even will take time, but Dastur is confident she will make her mark. The confectioner acknowledges that younger brother Shahen was helpful in creating the elegant but understated frontage and décor of Gatoh. He is involved in the construction of low cost housing in Rajkot.
Proud to be a Parsi, Dastur states that we are peace-loving and people respect us for this. She believes in the tenets of the religion, but is not ritualistic and expressed unhappiness at the gender bias against outmarried women and their children, as well as some archaic rules and practices.
Gatoh is located at Dalamal Chambers, Shop no G-2, 29 Vithaldas Thackersey Marg, New Marine Lines, Bombay 400020. Phone: +91 8657520055; email:
gatohmumbai@gmail.com. It is also on Facebook and Instagram.
SHERENE VAKIL