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\\brds: SaraBunny
Vive LaVaniv6
J
An authentic patisserie brings Parisian chic to Parnell
Dessertchef SoniaHaumonteexpertly
pipes an elaboratemixtureof green tea,
almondsand red fruits into petite baking
moulds,her hands hoveringdeftly above
the bench and her eyes sparklingas she
describesher love of fine Frenchfood.
"lts
not just baking,it'sart. You have to
eat it slowly,savourit and reallytaste it."
Parnelllocalshave been quietly enjoying
delectabledessertsand sumptuous
baguettesfrom their neighbourhood
patisseriefor months. Now the word
is getting out and foodies from further
afield are following their nosesto the
unassuminglittle shop on Wlndsor Street,
just off ParnellRoad.
At Vaniy6,Soniaand her husbandLaurent
enjoy introducingcustomersto the rich
flavours,inspirationalculinarycombinations
and a way of trulyunderstanding
and
appreciatingfood that is so uniquelyFrench.
"These
lovely
they see at the patisserie.
Kiwi guys come in and often they have
finishedtheir dessertsbefore l've had
time to come back and pour their water,"
"The
saysSonia.
Europeancustomerswill
s i tf o r a n h o u ra n d a h a l f . "
W i t h m a n y K i w iw o m e n h o l d i n ga s o f t
spot for chocolateand sweet treats,a
decadentdessertfrom Vaniy6could be
just the ticket for Mothers Day earlynext
month. Chef Sonia'sornate creations
i n c l u d et r a d i t i o n am
l a c a r o n sg, a n a c h ea n d
entremets,featuringexotic flavourssuch
as chocolatewith sesameand Japanese
yellow soybean,and raspberrycouliswith
b a l s a m i cv i n e g a r .
"One
dessertwill havethree or four different
compositionsin it," she says."lt'sniceto
open people'spalatesto differentthings."
"On
a Sundayafternoon in Parisyou
might go to a patisserieand have a
"Food
is about
dessert,"saysLaurent.
sharing,you sit and talk about it, you take
y o u r t i m e a n d y o u e n d u p e a t i n gl e s s . "
On her OE in Paris,Soniafell in lovewith the
city'spatisseries
and decided to train as a
dessertchef at the prestigiousinternational
culinaryschool,Le CordonBleu.At the
Parisianschool,the samekitchenwhere
renownedchefJuliaChildtrained,Soniawas
dedicatedto learningas much about French
bakingas shepossiblycould.
The couple laugh good-naturedlyas they
recallthe differenttypes of customers
"lt's
a tough kitchen.You work hard, but
its good preparationfor the real world."
I n P a r i sS
, o n i am e t h e r F r e n c hh u s b a n d
Laurent,who jokes about how easilyshe
showshim up when it comes to French
"l'm
baking.
from the Eastof France,
and worked in Parisfor ten years.Then
I m e t S o n i aa n d s h e k n e w s o m u c n a n o
wasn'teven French!So I had to take some
"
eveningbaking courses.
T h e p a i rr u n t h e p a t i s s e r ia
es a t e a m .
Laurenthas anotherjob away from the
kitchen,but puts an apron over his suit
e a r l yi n t h e m o r n i n gt o m a k et h e d a y s
baguettesand croissants.
After work
he goes back to the kitchenand works
a l o n g s i d eS o n i at i l l a b o u t 1 O p m ,w h e n
tl'reyfinallyhead home.
"We
don't get muchsleep,"laughs
"But
when I do get home l'm
Sonia.
a s l e e pa s s o o n a s m y h e a d h i t s t h e
p i l l o w .I a l w a y sf e e l s o h a p p y a n d
satisfiedwith my day'swork."
For more information visit vaniye.com
Lctt to right:
Laurent, hard at work making bread (left) and
decadent desserts from the patisserie cabinet (right)