La Baguette Magique to bring Mauritian sweet magic to Canberra

Posted on 9 August, 2019

Canberra foodies can look forward to sampling traditional Mauritian sweet treats when La Baguette Magique opens next month.

What happens when a certain food-obsessed HerCanberra correspondent spies a new shop sign that has appeared overnight on Lonsdale Street in Braddon, as if by magic?

Well, naturally, she has to find out more.

“‘La Baguette Magique,’” the correspondent murmurs, squinting at the pretty pink lettering and testing out her French accent. The magic baguette. Quelle intrigue.

Lurking at the doorway only draws suspicious glances from other Braddon purveyors.

An aggressive Google search also proves futile, unless this shop is an import from Belgium, Mauritius, or West Chester, Pennsylvania (population 18,461) where other thriving pâtisseries of the same name exist?

And the new, possibly secretive owners aren’t on Facebook or Instagram. Who are they? No one seems to know.

After an in-depth investigation involving secret sources and at least one clandestine rendezvous, the correspondent’s phone pings with an essential piece of information. The new owner’s name is simply “Jay.” The mystery deepens. Only celebrities go by their first names: Madonna, Cher.

Is Jay a celebrity chef? A first phone call goes to voicemail. But after a text is sent, the correspondent’s phone rings. Success!

A meeting is arranged but as Jay sits down for a coffee at Kith and Nosh, across the road from La Baguette Magique, his phone pings. A man in demand. Very interesting. But it just turns out that he is deep in renovations of the shop fit-out.

Over the next few weeks, a coffee machine will be delivered, and the walls will be painted pink and gold pendant lights installed, in keeping with the “industrial” theme. But at the moment the space is strewn with ladders, drills, wires, offcuts of wood, stacks of plasterboard, a large, scary-looking Makita portable drop saw, and a “Connoisseur market umbrella” still in its skinny narrow box.

Jay disappears across the road to deal with whatever tradie is there currently.

When he returns, somewhat sheepishly, 15 minutes later, he explains that the latest addition to Lonsdale Street is a pâtisserie, but not just any pâtisserie… A Mauritian pâtisserie.

The correspondent starts to tremble with excitement. She has been to Mauritius and has fond memories of sampling delectable delicacies.

Jay is from the town Quatres-Bornes in Mauritius, a small tropical island in the Indian Ocean. In 2007 he arrived in Australia, where he did a diploma in hospitality in Sydney.

He says that in all his time in Australia he hadn’t seen the cakes or sweet treats that were part of his childhood.

He and his wife Sabrina now have three daughters—Angel (11), Amelia (five) and Annabelle (four)—and he wanted them to experience what he had.

“We have grown up with those cakes in Mauritius, and for twelve years now, since I’ve been in Australia, I haven’t seen any,” he says.

“I missed those ones, and I said, we should probably try to bring them here.”

True to his word, Jay Pandoo (yes, it turns out he has a last name) and Sabrina will open the pâtisserie and café in mid-September.

Canberra foodies can look forward to sampling traditional and wildly popular Mauritian sweet treats.

Puits d’amour are mini tarts that roughly translate as “wells of love,” in French—but will come with a Mauritian twist at La Baguette Magique.

“It’s a pastry shell with a shortcrust base, filled with cream that’s a mix of almond cream and fresh cream, and then topped up with coconut and a glaceé cherry,” Jay says.

“It has a shiny texture, and the flavour is quite creamy, nice and soft.”

The pretty banana almond tart is another Mauritian speciality. Shortcrust lattice pastry is filled with Mauritian vanilla-infused, caramelised mashed banana that has a “real caramel flavour.”

While the tarts usually come large, La Baguette Magique will make “small individual” tarts—the perfect size to discreetly pop in a handbag.

Napolitaines are another Mauritian melt-in-your-mouth indulgence best enjoyed with a cup of Mauritian Bois Cheri vanilla tea—and which tea drinkers will be able to try at the café.

“Napolitaine is a shortcrust biscuit infused with strawberry jam and glazed with a sugary icing,” Jay says.

“But we add two tablespoons of Mauritian rum, which gives it more flavour, and a bit of a kick.”

French mille-fueilles, traditionally made by sandwiching crisp layers of puff pastry with custard cream filling, and decorated on top with glossy royal icing, will no doubt entice anyone with a sweet tooth.

But the Pandoos will also be dishing up a savoury Mauritian version.

“We will probably have gravy and beef mince, and tuna or some kind of fish filling,” he says—instead of the usual custard. 

Resplendent wedding, birthday or special occasion cakes will be available to order at the pâtisserie, with a cake decorator on hand to make them fancy.

Canberrans can choose from two traditional Mauritian cakes. A pâte d’amande cake is an “almond-based” cake that’s “close to a butter cake.” And cake genoise is another Mauritian style of cake that uses a madeira cake as a base.

“It’s kind of like a sponge cake, but in the middle we put fruits and cream, and syrup on top,” Jay explains.

La Baguette Magique will also sell sourdough bread, baked fresh on site.

The pâtisserie will double as a café that’s open for breakfast and lunch, and will have an alfresco dining area.

Granola parfait, traditional big breakfasts, Byron Bay coffee, “a full diversity of teas,” and hot chocolate should satisfy hungry brunchers.

While for the lunch crowd, tartines—or open sandwiches—will have “five to six different toppings,” with meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans catered for.

“We will have toppings like chicken, avocado, ham, and other cured meats,” Jay says.

Jays says pâtisserie are part of life in Mauritius.

“In small towns, you will have three or four bakeries, and it’s handy for people…on their way to work to get a pastry already made and take it for lunch or a break,” he says.

“It’s a traditional thing in Mauritius for people to bring home cake or pastries for their kids after work, and even on Sunday it’s a tradition that you go to the bakery with the kids and buy all those cakes for them.” 

While Jay can’t quite bring the sapphire waters and powdery white sand of Mauritius’ famous beaches to Canberra, its rippling fields of sugarcane, or its vibrant markets, the trained chef can bring what he knows best.

“The Mauritian culture is food,” Jay says simply. “I miss the food so that’s why we are trying to bring the food tradition to Canberra.

“Because I’m in Australia for twelve years now, and we have to import [foods] from Mauritius, so why [do that] when I can make it, and people can have it fresh here?”

Why indeed. Mystery solved.

the essentials

What: La Baguette Magique
Where: Ground level, 27 Lonsdale Street, Braddon
When: Opening mid-September and will be open every day from 6 am – 5 pm