Mallika Tandon
Big Bobo’s Delivery Kitchen, Delhi
Did Big Bobo’s Delivery Kitchen start as a passion project or had it always been planned to be a full-blown business? Do you bake at home, or do you have a separate kitchen?
I started a commercial kitchen in September 2020, a project long delayed because of the pandemic. We focus on making small-batch weekly savouries and bakes with ever-changing menus.
This is, and always will be, a passion-fuelled project with the goal of feeding people quality food. I think there is an aunty hidden inside of me, the kind of relative who likes to feed children till they’re full to the brim and can’t eat anymore!
Where did you learn baking? What or who inspired you to be a baker? How did this influence your baking style?
I’ve been obsessed with food for the longest time; I remember when I was a child and my parents were away at work, I would pretend to be a food show host. I would put leftover kheer on biscuits and describe the process of making that fancy dish to my imaginary audience.
I did a communication design course as my UG course. In 2018, I was travelling in the mountains with my partner, and we met some beautiful cooks who exposed us to a style of cooking that we were not aware of. We were also watching a lot of food documentaries at the time and discussing the scientific aspects of bread making while always being fascinated by the different food cultures around the world. I was doing a nine-to-five job that made me feel unlike myself, and I was looking for something refreshing in life. I think it all collated after my sister suggested that I do some professional course related to food and I decided to pursue patisserie. Looking back, I think it has been the most fulfilling shift in my life so far.
How does your baking style connect with your fashion sense?
I think my food presentation (in terms of plating, colour combinations, packaging) and my design aesthetics go hand-in- hand. In both streams, I love pops of colour, fussy intricate detailing and precision. Talking about pops of colour, I love chrome yellow, and I use the colour everywhere – from my logo to my packaging ribbons to my food backdrops. If I could, I would colour everything chrome yellow….
What are the clothes and shoes you prefer to wear when you’re baking?
I can always be found in track pants, a plain, solid-colour tee and kitchen-grade Crocs.
What are some of the misconceptions people have about baking and bread making in particular? Since it’s more scientific and tedious than cooking.
I think people like to compare baking to cooking. Sugar, butter, flavourings etc. can’t be adjusted according to one’s whims and fancies. Baking involves very precise measurements and techniques. A few grams here and there can change the end result.
Tell us something about the ingredients that you use. What is the most important ingredient in your kitchen?
I’m currently using imported couverture chocolate and French butter for my bakes, but I wish to find sustainable Indian-origin substitutes. For my weekly savoury specials, I focus on making small-batch, artisanal dishes with locally sourced small-batch breads, condiments and veggies. I wish to promote small businesses like mine for a truly special dish and experience.
The most important ingredient in my kitchen is not something edible but a tool; it’s my precious kitchen weighing scale.
What are some of your specialities? Which has been your most popular creation?
Owing to my design background, I’ve always had an inclination towards, in a way, “fusing” art and food.
I’m making couverture chocolate terrazzo “tiles” with a variety of colours and flavourings. I’ve been experimenting with different colour palettes, natural food-derived coloured powders and nut combinations. I hand-temper the chocolate, stain it, hand-cut the tile “chips” and then set them in a chocolate slab with fillings. My favourite is the dark chocolate terrazzo with crispy feuilletine, hazelnut praline, cacao nibs, toasted hazelnuts and caramel mou bits.
I’m also making couverture chocolate barks with pressed edible flowers and gold. My favourite is the white chocolate bark with pistachios, rose, candied mango and raspberry.
What unusual flavours, ingredients or pairings have you experimented with? Any strange cake or pastry requests that you might have custom made?
I’ve randomly been asked to make bachelorette cakes with fondant penises (lol) to which I politely respond by saying that I don’t do fondant work.
I once made a chukku and sukku malli spice mix chocolate cake with filter kaapi buttercream and a rice crispy and jaggery layer for a pastry school exam. Luckily, my judge was Tamilian and said my cake reminded him of home.
What new pastry are you working on that you are most excited about?
I’m very excited about working on chocolate bonbons with different designs and fillings. I’m keen to design 3D-printed moulds for chocolate slabs and cakes in the future. I’m also coming up with a luxe brunch box or picnic box just in time for the Delhi winters.
Which are the pastries and desserts that are trending?
In general, I find people gravitating towards conscious, sustainable, organic and local produce.
Is the day of the elaborately decorated cake done? Are people looking for great taste but visual simplicity?
For me, the perfect cake is one that is too beautiful to cut and is too tasty to share. I think everyone wants a balance of the same.
Did you bake through the lockdown? What was the demand like? Were people ordering more since they were at home?
I didn’t bake for business, but I had a lot of fun making intricately iced shortbread cookies with royal icing. My favourites were the mini Mondrian cookies I made during lockdown. I’m obsessed with all things Mondrian.
What are your plans for the future?
I wish to continue exploring the fascinating practice of overlapping and fusing the spheres of food and design. I also want to continue making edible art and treat food the way an artist treats her materials.
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