GEORGE TOWN, June 11 — Dainty, delectable and visually delightful, the array of petit gâteau (French for “little cake”) entices from within the glass display counter.
Set against all-white interiors in a well-lit space where shelves are lined with tins of Harney & Sons teas, the colours — of the glossy glaze, shiny tempered chocolates, macaron shells, textured creams, and other cake embellishments — are even more vivid.
If it’s true that we eat with our eyes first, dessert lovers will undoubtedly fall head over heels with one look at Métisser Pâtisserie & Tea Room’s spread.
The word métisser means a blend or mix in French and it sums up not only their creations, each a work of art that involves multiple techniques and separate components, but also their overall approach of bringing different cultures and people together through a shared love for sweets.
What you get is the elegant setting of a modern tea house within which to savour refined French desserts, some of which are made unique with the incorporation of local flavours.
“The question we always ask ourselves is, what can we do more of in Penang?” says co-owner Andus Yeap, and the answer was to blend French techniques with ingredients that Penang is known for.
Nutmeg is one of them, enjoyed in many forms, from fresh slices to pickles and juices. At Métisser, pastry chef Jeffry Tan has skilfully incorporated it into their handcrafted French macarons, and the whimsical but aptly-named Caterpillar.
The latter is a striking red and brown confection of nutmeg mousse, lychee slices, nutmeg marmalade, citrus sponge, and pâté sablée. In both, the nutmeg flavour is discernible but not overpowering.
It actually gives the macaron a lovely lift of spice while in the Caterpillar, it complements the other ingredients to create a well-rounded taste profile.
For foreigners, it’s a particularly unexpected find. “Many of them think that nutmeg is a spice rather than a fruit,” Andus explains, “so they’re surprised to see it in macarons and cakes.”
Toasted sesame and toasted coconuts are the other local ingredients that they have successfully worked with; both feature in their chocolate series that was launched at this year’s Penang International Food Festival.
Coconut also stars in the Petit Blanc, which looks like a cake pop on a stick. One of the newer items on their menu, it’s also one of their most complicated recipes to date: Coconut mousse, coconut brûlée, hazelnut feuilletine, pineapple jam and lime joconde, finished with a white chocolate coating with almonds.
Every single component is made in-house, which adds to the complexity, but chef Jeffry takes pride in making everything from scratch so that customers always get the freshest and the best.
“The only ingredient we don’t make ourselves is the rose jam,” Andus reveals. “We source it from an organic rose farm in Taiwan. Their roses smell of lychee and so does the jam.” Jeffry, who was trained in Taiwan, had visited them and even stayed with them and observed how they work.
While Andus manages the operations and front of house, he leaves the kitchen completely to Jeffry and in fact, thinks of the latter as a shareholder rather than just an employee.
They have an agreement: Andus and his business partner won’t interfere with Jeffry’s creative vision, as they believe in his talent.
It’s obviously paid off. Since opening last April, Métisser has steadily earned a following for their aesthetically- and palate-pleasing cakes.
The Mango Charlotte Royal is one of the easy favourites, combining mango jelly and mango mousse with pineapple coconut citrus marmalade and vanilla sponge into a cheerful tower topped with cubes of fresh mango.
Rose Pine, on the other hand, is their most challenging creation yet as it’s composed mostly of cream; pâte sucrée, almond cream with berries, rose marmalade, strawberry mousse and rose Chantilly cream come together in this stunning “flower” covered in soft pink cream petals.
“Our chefs must soak their hands in ice water prior to piping, as it melts very quickly… hence this is one cake that is not available for takeaway,” says Andus.
If you’d like to sink your teeth into the dreamy concoction, you’d have to eat it on the spot. Pair it with one of over 60 types of teas and chamomile-based tisanes available, all from American brand Harney & Sons.
Can’t decide? Their staff will help you choose, based on your caffeine tolerance — black and green teas have higher caffeine levels — and also what you ordered.
If you’ve chosen a cake with bold flavours, they will suggest a lighter tea. Or you can opt for a cup of Malongo coffee, a French brand that roasts their own beans using traditional methods.
Their signature Afternoon Tea is just as popular, a presentation of finger sandwiches, savoury canapes, Lescure butter scones, artisan chocolate truffles, and two choices each of their petit gâteau and macarons.
But while the response has been positive, Andus is actually considering taking it off the menu. “We’ve noticed that many customers who order the Signature Afternoon Tea spend a lot of time photographing it. My chefs are always looking out through the kitchen window, worrying that the scones and savouries will get cold by the time customers tuck in, whereas they’re meant to be eaten warm. It’s stressful for them!”
Indeed, the team’s dedication to their craft is evident in every single canape, scone, macaron and petit gâteau they roll out, and they’re constantly coming up with new and exciting offerings.
Next, Andus reveals, they hope to work with a Nyonya kuih master and learn her recipe for gula Melaka. “It won’t be easy though, as traditional chefs tend to go by ‘agak-agak’ measurements whereas we are all about precision,” he says. “But imagine being able to turn a kuih into a cake or pastry?”
Métisser Pâtisserie & Tea Room
140, Jalan Pintal Tali, George Town, Penang
Tel 04-251 9739
Opens 2pm-9pm, Thu-Tue; closed Wed
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Vivian Chong is a freelance travel and lifestyle writer. Read more of her stories at http://thisbunnyhops.com/more of her stories at http://thisbunnyhops.com/
