A Creamy Slice of Paris in Bombay
A Creamy Slice of Paris in Bombay
We're hooked on to cream cheese these days. Blame it on Karl Kothavala, cheesemaker extraordinaire, and his au-naturel assortment in Food Tree. There's more thrown into the mix and we're all for it
Text: Lyle Michael
Photographs: Farzana Contractor
Lactose-intolerant folks, this is not for you! For these luscious cream cheeses are filled with unadulterated dairy, creamy good and addictive by the spoonful. There’s also a whole lotta love whipped into the six flavours of cheese, sour cream and creamy yogurt by none other than the gregarious Karl Kothavala. He’s got nothing but love to give! The coterie at the UpperCrust Food & Wine Show (2019) can surely testify as Karl debuted at the Young Entrepreneurs gallery, where he was unofficially crowned Star of the Show by organiser, Farzana Contractor.
“What an experience!” exclaims Karl, the food entrepreneur with a larger-than-life personality. “I was thrilled with the response to my products at the Show and really miss interacting with people face to face.” Similar to the rush he would feel when he used to run his pop-up, Universal Kebab Kona (UKK), around five years ago next to Bhatia Hospital in Tardeo, replete with a music box and jazz tunes every evening for the universal experience. Or Pick-A-Pocket – the pocket sandwich outlet – he ran for a year in 2018, yet again in Tardeo, before he threw in the towel owing to an unpropitious location. So, Karl’s been there, done that, but cheese has always been his predilection, coursing through his veins, the butter to his bread today.
“It all started in 2010 with a crazy urge at 3.00 am to make cheese,” recollects Karl. “It ended disastrously, but I was determined. I worked tirelessly with grandmum’s recipes and YouTube videos as my aides until I successfully created my first flavour – similar to a Boursin. It was only in 2020, after a long spell of making cheese – and dabbling in all sorts of foods – that I launched my unit close to Worli Naka (dedicated to cheese).” It took him six months to get things in motion but along with his right-hand man, Prashant Patil, today they can produce five tons of cheese from the 500 sq. ft. unit. Prashant has been groomed in the art of cheese-making and nurtured by Karl like a mother does her child. All about the love you give! The duo stick to doing what they do best – producing natural cream cheese in six variants (at Rs 220 for 180 g), along with sour cream (Rs 150 for 180 g) and the original malai dahi (Rs 150 for 180 g). Karl has set expansion plans to include a Mediterranean flavour with babaganoush, hummus and muhammara soon, and hard cheese in time.
For now, we’re spoilt for choice with the Cheddar, Paprika & Herbs; Chive & Onion; Dill, Onion & Garlic; Lemon & Pepper; Peri-Peri; Philadelphia. We believe the DOG – that’s the dill, onion, garlic – is a hot favourite and an indulgence, might we add. “All my products have lot of love and some other secret ingredients that make my cream cheese special,” avers Karl, “It’s very price valuable in comparison to big brands in the market and a must for every foodie out there. It also gives the Jain community a bang for their buck as I use stronger flavours in place of onion and garlic and make it enjoyable for everyone.”
Cream cheese that’s customisable, you ask? Why yes, beams Karl. No minimum quantity and all that jazz. And it’s the Real McCoy. Not hung curd, not sour cream, the all-in-one. A dinner date with Pasta Alfredo on the menu and the sauce didn’t turn out right? A salad dressing to add a little mischief to the greens, maybe? Perhaps a dip for the veggie sticks or the lavash? Sauce for a burger or a roll that’s anything but tomato, why not? Let’s say the dinner date turns to breakfast, then you know what’s going into that omelette to make it all fluffy and pillowy soft, don’t you?
Smiles Karl, with pride, “I worked hard on stabilising the cheese, making it versatile and flavourful. My favourite is infusing my scrambled eggs with the Chive & Onion, divine. Even the sour cream is delicious and you can infuse it with any ingredient you like. And the malai dahi, my ‘yogurt extraordinaire’! You have to try it to believe it!” Bring it on, says the yogurt lover in us.
When it’s time to entertain, the cream cheese lends a sincere hand to a Mac n Cheese, Pasta Alfredo, quiche, cheesecake, even brownies. “Oh, I love to cook and bake,” shares Karl who’s been hooked on to his air fryer ever since his kitchen began sporting one. “Since 2007, when I decided I didn’t want to carry on with the family business of international air cargo, I’ve always known I wanted to do something with food, and I didn’t look back.” Fate then dealt a fair hand to Karl, the 1997 BA graduate from St. Xavier’s College, Bombay – son of the yesteryear Bollywood dame, Erica Lal (take a look at Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu of Waqt) – who started off working with his dad and today, wears his own toque fabulously well.
With that, Karl leaves you with a few instructions worth noting down: consume within 45 days and store in the fridge, do not freeze. And relish!
Paris Parsi – the company – delivers to 50 locations across the city as of now and is available online at www.parisparsi.com; at 100 retail stores, spread from South to North, to name a few. Institutional selling and tie-ups with Big Basket and Amazon listings are on the anvil.
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