Sugar and Structure: Finding French Precision at Concu, Hyderabad
Sugar and Structure: Finding French Precision at Concu
By Shashi Bellamkonda | CarryOnCurry.com
There is a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from navigating Hyderabad. It is a sensory overload of traffic horns, the relentless sun, and food that is unapologetically heavy on spice and oil. Stepping into the Green Park Hotel and finding the Concu display counter felt less like a pitstop and more like entering a decompression chamber. The air was cool, the glass was spotless, and the desserts sat in silent, geometric perfection.
The Visual Silence
In a city famous for the chaotic abundance of Irani chai cafes and overflowing plates of Mandi, Concu offers a stark, curated contrast. The desserts here don’t look like food; they look like design objects. I found myself staring at the Midnight Sonnet (₹310), a dark chocolate and French biscuit creation topped with a dehydrated banana chip. It was almost too pretty to eat—a common grievance I have with modern patisseries. Does the architecture serve the flavor, or is it just for the photograph?
But then I looked at the jars. The Strawberry and Apricot Tres Leches sat in neat rows, breaking the "fancy French" facade with something that looked genuinely comforting. The apricot, in particular, caught my eye—a nod to the localized palate, perhaps, or just a smart seasonal choice. It’s these small details that tell you if a bakery is running on autopilot or if there is a chef behind the glass who is actually thinking.
Taste vs. Technique
The Midnight Sonnet is a study in texture. You expect the snap of the biscuit and the yield of the mousse, but the banana element adds a funkiness that cuts through the sterile sweetness of white sugar. It is sophisticated, yes, but is it satisfying in the way a hot double ka meetha is? That depends on what you are hungry for. If you are seeking comfort, this might feel cold. If you are seeking clarity of flavor, it is precise.
I was surprisingly drawn to the holiday collection. A neatly packed box containing a miniature gingerbread house, jam cookies, and chocolate-dipped digestives (₹900). It felt like a distinct departure from the traditional mithai boxes we exchange. It represents a shift in how Hyderabad celebrates—expanding the vocabulary of "festive" to include European traditions, executed with high-street precision.
The Cost of Cosmopolitanism
At ₹310 plus taxes for a single portion, Concu is asking for a commitment. In a city where you can get a full meal for that price, these desserts are positioned as luxury goods. And frankly, that is fair. The labor involved in tempering chocolate, balancing mousse, and constructing these layers is immense. We often undervalue the sheer man-hours that go into pastry arts compared to the visible flame of a grill.
However, the setting inside the Green Park Hotel does sanitize the experience somewhat. You miss the bustling energy of a standalone cafe. It feels a bit like a transit zone—transient, efficient, but lacking the sticky, lingering soul of a place where you'd sit for hours.
A Sweet Pause
Concu at Green Park isn't trying to replace the local sweets; it's offering an alternative dialect. It’s for the traveler who needs a break from the spice, or the local who wants to travel without a passport. The desserts are technical triumphs. Next time, I just hope to see a little more chaos on the plate—a little less perfect geometry, and a little more of Hyderabad's messy heart.
Concu (at Green Park Hotel)
Greenlands, Begumpet, Hyderabad
Recommended: Midnight Sonnet, Apricot Tres Leches
Price: Approx ₹800 for two people
What’s your take on the rise of French-style patisseries in traditional food cities? Do you crave the precision, or do you miss the rustic charm? Let me know in the comments.
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