ANOTHER success story in Visakhapatnam is that of Abha and Rajan Chauhan. She is from Delhi, he from Calcutta, and they have been in Vizag for the last 20 years. But their enterprise came to the fore only when Abha�s talents at making Chocolate Brownies for her children�s entire dorms at boarding school were truly recognised and appreciated.

She has no formal training in pastry-making and baking, and what she knows, is from cookbooks and recipes handed down by her mother. But yet, she was asked by eager friends to supply them with Chocolate Brownies for private parties. Then, progression took her to setting up a catering business, and a small counter at the Waltair Club. Until one day, the couple got up and launched Pastry, Coffee �n� Conversation.

The quaint and cheerful little eatery is not yet one year old, but it is already the talk of Vizag, and Abha is besieged with offers to expand and people wanting franchises. They have no explanation for the dear name, except that Abha was known for making pastries, so Pastry had to figure somewhere in the name of the eatery. But Pastry, Coffee �n� Conversation lives upto its image. It is the place the young and trendy of Vizag choose to hangout over a Cappuccino or Mocha coffee.

She does most of the baking from her production kitchen at home and Rajan, who is quite a charmer and an easy salesperson, mans the counter of Pastry, Coffee �n� Conversation at Dutt Island, Siripuram Junction. Abha can cook everything on the surprisingly large menu. And the range of food extends beyond Chocolate Brownies and Cheesecakes. It goes to all kinds vegetarian and non-vegetarian sandwiches, burgers, pizzas with a choice of toppings, and a vast range of pastries.

Before Pastry, Coffee �n� Conversation, Vizag already had small little cafeterias like Music Cafe, Four Seasons and Hot Breads. But the Chauhans�s place is different purely because of Abha�s expertise at bakery. �My products have the home touch about them,� she explains. �I never use commercial flavours and essences in my cakes and pastries, but make everything on my own at home.�

According to Rajan, who knows the clientele of Vizag better, the crowd-puller certainly is the Chocolate Mousse and Death by Chocolate pastry. �People swear by them,� he says. �And what is strange is that they get hooked onto one thing and stick by it.� The other popular pastries are the Mississippi Mud Slice and the Brazilian Surprise. Pastry, Coffee �n� Conversation also does a pretty awesome Apple Pie too.

They have a Nescafe coffee machine that makes all kinds of coffees. And they have a cosy interior with wooden furniture that encourages lazy afternoons and long conversations. Rajan opens the eatery at 10.30 every morning and shuts it down at 11.30 in the night. In between which, a quarter of the city comes by for pastries, coffee and conversation.