A Boutique French Bakery in Bali? Oui Monsieur!
Taking Bali’s sweet-toothed visitors by storm, Monsieur Spoon is the bakery that everybody’s talking about, the place with the legendary croissants, the creamiest eclairs and the totally unique “Takesumi” charcoal baguettes.
With the sun forever shining, the sea forever glistening and the locals forever smiling, it’s hard to believe that Bali has its drawbacks. But for dessert lovers, the ones who have dined on true French pastries, tasted distinctively Parisian macarons and licked sticky Fleur de Sel caramel from their lips, being in Bali means sacrificing these one-of-a-kind French delicacies for humble imitations.
Well that was until Parisians Rafi Papazian and Greg Guerguerian decided to swap views of the Eiffel Tower for Tanah Lot, and when they realised that leaving behind their crispy croissants, flaky Apple Chaussons and creamy eclairs was too much to bear.
Voilà! Monsieur Spoon was finally born, Bali’s authentic boutique French bakery built on a true love for pastry, an overwhelming craving for artisanal French desserts and a passion to share these treats with fellow sweet fanatics.
We managed to speak with Executive Pastry Chef, Director and Founder of Monsieur Spoon, Rafi Papazian in between his busy schedule. It’s busy because, in just 15 months, he and Greg opened three Monsieur Spoon outlets in Canggu, Oberoi and Umalas, as well as a Monsieur Spoon Kitchen where they host regular pastry cooking classes.
He tells us about Monsieur Spoon’s whirlwind rise to fame with the island’s yummy mummies and hoteliers alike, and he reveals the secrets to his legendary croissants. But most importantly, we find out how Monsieur Spoon has done what no other has done before – brought real French desserts to Bali.
Exquisite Taste: Since launching, you’ve opened three Monsieur Spoon outlets and a kitchen in Bali – all within fifteen months. What’s it been like?
Rafi: Well, I must be crazy, or very passionate, or maybe a bit of both! It’s been an energy that’s been impossible to stop – like a wheel down a hill. I was busy inspiring staff and sharing my passion for pastry with the kitchen team, while Greg was out selling our beautiful creations, regularly texting me saying, “we’ve been asked to do this or that, can we do it?” It was impossible to refuse, so this pure, exciting energy led us to today serving more than 400 recipes with more than 90 people in our team.
Exquisite Taste: So your staff have really taken to your passion for pastry?
Rafi: When Monsieur Spoon first started up, I didn’t want to just share my recipes, I wanted to inspire and transmit my passion. I quickly understood that the Balinese are motivated more by visuals than just explanations and instructions, so, for instance, when one of the team created a new pastry, I would take a photo of them with the dessert and put it on the wall. The other team members were so excited by it that they were desperate to learn something new and also get on the wall. And it never stopped! The Balinese are curious, they are artisans and they are very talented, so I also learnt a lot from them too. This mutual exchange left us both greedy to learn more. They’ve become bakers and I’ve become Balinese.
Exquisite Taste: It’s no secret you’ve also become one of the most popular bakers on the island, but what was your vision when you first started up?
Rafi: I actually came to Bali to relax, to enjoy a bit of down time, but very quickly I missed my Apple Chaussons and croissants. There was raspberry jam available to buy at grocery stores, but no good croissants and no bread – what’s the point of having jam with no croissants or bread?! So I started baking at home, understanding how to work in these new conditions and writing recipes all over again – at first my girlfriend complained, saying I was getting too much flour all over the place, but of course she was soon hungry for mini Apple Chaussons freshly baked for breakfast each morning! So I rented a place in a French neighbourhood in Umalas and opened there. I was so excited. I simply wanted to share my morning moments with the world – at first with the French, so that if they say, “this is the best”, then the rest of the world would believe them!
Exquisite Taste: You mentioned you’ve had to rewrite recipes – does the climate here in Bali affect the way you make certain desserts?
Rafi: Absolutely, it minimises the possibilities and affects how flexible you can be with pastries. When I learned about pastry 12 years ago, I learned it through a book by Hervé This; the inventor of molecular food. He was a chemist, working in a lab, excited by why our grandma’s taught us to add eggs two by two, instead of altogether. He wanted to understand why chocolate crystallised at certain temperatures, how we make mayonnaise and generally why things act the way they do in the kitchen. So I really learned how things work from the inside out, which has definitely helped me naturally adapt my recipes to the climate.
Exquisite Taste: You’ve been jam-packed (no pun intended) with expats, tourists, yummy mummies, restauranteurs and hoteliers alike. What’s your secret to pleasing all types of customers?
Rafi: As a baker, my vision is simple: make good food that I would enjoy myself. So I’ve never made any concessions when reaching that goal. Another important factor has been taking my time and really listening to people. The biggest mistake would have been to come to Bali to simply start a business – it becomes money-oriented and things become rushed. So the first 6 months I just baked at home, invited people over, met new people and gathered feedback from different nationalities. It was really important for me to know there was room for my pastries in this environment.
“My Takesume Baguette is a highly digestive, antioxidant, cleansing bread. in my opinion, it is just the best baquette ever made”
Exquisite Taste: Really great French ingredients are usually key to creating really great French desserts, but are there any local ingredients you’ve discovered since being in Bali that you now love to use in the kitchen?
Rafi: Definitely! Take the salt for example. When I first came to Bali I joined almost every tour going, and while I was in Amed, I began watching the locals collecting sea salt. I was so intrigued, I decided to join them. We would take the water, 40kg at a time, and filter it using natural, half-open bamboo structures. After four days of drying, we’d be left with beautiful, natural salt. So anytime I needed salt, I would go back up to Amed, tell this kid playing guitar in the street to bring me to his family, and we’d continue to collect salt together. After a while, I sent him a text asking him to bring the salt to Canggu, and today, two years on, he still brings it all the way from Amed and I use it in all Monsieur Spoon pastries.
Exquisite Taste: You’ve just launched your charcoal-like “Takesumi” black pastries and breads – a mix of Japanese and French techniques. What’s the story behind this?
Rafi: Well it’s a long story, but I’m really into combining the best of both worlds, mixing cultures and enjoying the different effects. So when I met a Japanese lady here in Bali who said she had a traditional Takesumi oven built over 20 years ago, I just had to try it out. After that, nothing could stop me from mixing the French know-how of bread with Japanese ancient traditions. Hence, the Takesumi pastries and breads were born at Monsieur Spoon. My Takesumi Baguette is a highly digestive, antioxidant, cleansing bread. In my opinion, it is just the best baguette ever made.
Exquisite Taste: We agree! We also love your coffee eclair – we’d go as far to say it’s better than any we’ve tried in Paris. But what’s your favourite treat at Monsieur Spoon and why?
Rafi: It completely depends on the moment and the time of day, and I love to forget flavours and rediscover them all over again. For example, I will enjoy my Apple Chaussons for an entire week, then I’ll ask myself, is the Raison Roll still as I remember? Does it still have the silky feel of vanilla cream, the syrup-dipped raisins and the generous, flaky dough? That will last another week, until I crave my lemon tarts…
Exquisite Taste: Your croissants are also legendary in Bali, some say they’re the best in Asia. What do you do that makes them so scrummy?
Rafi: Like with all my desserts, I make them with passion and love, respect for the French know-how of pastry, and I make them with no concessions, whatever the cost.
Exquisite Taste: So are there any key components you think all desserts simply must have?
Rafi: Not at all, I don’t think we should ever unify things. I believe in variety and glorifying people’s senses when they approach the dessert counter. I love watching people when I’m in the shop, swallowing as they get nearer. Their steps are guided by their senses, and at that time, they’re not thinking about answering their phones, checking their Facebook or fretting about their daily duties or concerns – at that time, they’re simply answering to themselves, their desires and they feel so good it shows.
Exquisite Taste: You’re making us drool! Ok, so what’s your ultimate philosophy when it comes to baking? What does it all come down to at the end of the day?
Baking with your senses, hand making always and never rushing anything.
Monsieur Spoon Salty Caramel Tart Recipe
Salty Caramel Recipe:
Ingredients
200g fine Almond Flour
880g Icing Sugar
880g all purpose Butter
20g Sea Salt (from Amed)
7 whole Eggs
2kg multi-purpose Flour
Method
Mix the fine almond flour, salt, icing sugar and flour together and spread on the table.
Make a hole in the middle and crack the eggs into the whole.
On top of the flour mix, place small pieces of butter and rub them together with your fingers. You want to soften the butter but not melt it!
Put two fingers inside the eggs and start stirring, slowly, adding the flour mix to the eggs until you get a nice pastry.
Rest in chiller for 1 hour before using.
Inside a pastry ring, shape a tartlet.
Pierce the dough with a fork to make holes, then leave in chiller at least 2 hours.
Bake for 14 mins at 170C until golden brown.
Sweet Crust Pastry Recipe
Ingredients
150g Caster Sugar
150g liquid Cream
33g Salted Butter
Method
Pour the sugar into a pan and heat slowly until you have a dark amber color.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, bring the cream to the boil and then set aside.
Once the sugar is completely melted, take the pan off the heat and add the butter, stirring with a spatula.
Pour in the cream, stirring constantly, and cook for 4 mins.
Then, turn the head down low and continue heating until the cream reaches 108°C.
Poor the salty caramel into the tartlets.
Chill until set. Enjoy!
Makes 6 tarts
