IN - HOUSE CHEFS

As the Creative Director and Executive Chef at La Folie, Sanjana helms the luxury chocolate boutique La Folie Du Chocolate and La Folie Lab – the brand’s café bistro in Bandra. Having graduated in Food Management from London and Chocolate Technology in Germany, she was selected at École Grégoire Ferrandi in Paris, a reputed pastry and chocolate art school.

At 22, Sanjana started as an apprentice at Pierre Hermé. After stints with talents such as Jean-Charles Rochoux, Patrick Roger and Olivier Bajard, she donned the role of the Chief of Chocolate Production under Chef Camille Lesecq at Hotel Le Meurice. She moved on to Hotel Plaza Athénée in the Dorchester Collection, under Chef Christophe Michalak and Chef Alain Ducasse.

Sanjana’s passion for her craft and expertise as a flavour artist resonates in every creation at La Folie. Over the years, she has received national and global accolades. She was crowned India’s Pastry Queen in 2015 and ranked as the 4th Best Pastry Chef globally at the World Pastry Queen Competition in 2016.

Now, she has embarked on a journey to create chocolate from its origin – the bean. She travelled to cacao farms across four continents to source the best beans for creating the finest blends of couverture chocolate. She shares her adventures at La Folie’s Factory Café and the small batch Bean to Bar Factory in Mahalaxmi, Mumbai, which also houses The Classroom.

A graduate from The Culinary Institute of America, he has worked with some of the best Michelin-starred restaurants such as Le Bernardin, The Modern and Tamarind in London. On return to India, he consulted for leading hospitality brands while working on his own projects. Nirvaan is the co-founder and chef at Za’atar, a Middle-Eastern Quick Service Restaurant with two outlets in Mumbai. At The Classroom, he teaches Lebanese and Italian cuisines, Brunch Spreads and Healthy Eats.

Zahabia graduated from IHM Mumbai where she obtained degrees in both Hospitality and Hotel Administration. She began her culinary career as a kitchen associate at The Oberoi, Dubai in 2013. Gaining ample experience in this stint, including a promotion to production chef, Zahabia moved to New York in 2017 to further hone her skills. Her talent and passion was recognised by the fêted Chef Dominique Ansel. He offered her the opportunity to work at Dominique Ansel Bakery specialising in sweet and savoury offerings. Zahabia returned to India in 2018 and has been working under Chef Sanjana’s guidance at La Folie ever since. She conducts full-time workshops and intermediate classes specialising in French Pastries, Travel Cakes, Plated Desserts and Petit fours.

A Commis 1 Chef at La Folie, Omkar works in our chocolate division. He began his apprenticeship at La Folie while studying BSc in Culinary Studies from DY Patil, Mumbai. With strong multi-tasking skills, he gained experience across patisserie, bakery and chocolate divisions. He went on to secure a full-time position at La Folie and specialises in handcrafting chocolate. He assists in Basic and Intermediate Chocolate courses at The Classroom.

She can teach you how to craft a croquembouche tower and take its Insta-worthy shot while at it. An alumnus of Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, Krishna works as Pastry Commis in the patisserie division of La Folie. Her CV features an internship at La Patisserie Cyril Lignac in the French capital and stints at The Taj Mahal Palace and Slink & Bardot in Mumbai. For a short while, she also worked at Schbang, offering digital content solutions to F&B brands. She brings her impressive experience to La Folie and assists in Basic Pastry classes.

She has written a cookbook, hosted a food show and managed events. As a Chef de Partie, Anmol now manages the cuisine division at La Folie Lab. While pursuing BA in International Hospitality and Tourism Management, she interned at The Trident, BKC and gained experience in different functions from food production to human resources. She went on to work at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai before joining La Folie Lab. She assists in the Basic Cuisine courses at The Classroom.