Forbidden Love and all things chocolate

In an atmosphere where the LGBTQ minority is often cold shouldered and ignored, there is a pair of gay men who runs a bakery in Pune while rejecting the rigid binaries of life. Samreen Khoja converses with Khuzaan and Taha about Le Flamington, Pune; on their love story and the associated stigma, and of course, of their drool-worthy desserts!

In the shadows of Pune’s chic locality, Kalyani Nagar, lies the little bakery named Le Flamington. Its décor, which include iron sconces, Eiffel Tower chairs and tables, can simulate that of a Paris patisserie on Champs Elysees.

What sets it apart from the hundreds of Frenchinspired cafes strewn across the country is the fact that this café is owned by a pair of gay men who are in a longterm relationship. One of them a Parsi; the other a Muslim. The very existence of this café in an atmosphere where this minority is often cold shouldered or ignored makes this café an obelisk wherein there is love, food and all things chocolate.

Khuzaan Dalal, who manages the business, and Taha Khan, who is the Chef, are full of smiles and good cheer. As I sipped on my hot mocha and eyed their modern black forest dessert, Taha quipped, “People who love to eat are the best people, so when in a bakery, eat the goodies.”

Bollywood Style Romance

When asked about how the two met, Taha said, “We have different versions of how we met, but Khuzaan’s version is better than mine.”

“I am an introvert so dating apps were difficult to find, keeping the sexuality aspect in mind. There was this dating app called Planet Romeo and we matched there in 2011, following a small conversation. Thereafter, I ghosted him out for a year. Fast forwarding to 2012, I wanted to fall in love and I forgot that I ever spoke to Taha, but he remembered as he has a sharp memory. That is when I decided to meet him. Our meeting was typically Bollywood. It was mid-July, raining and I knocked the window of his red car to see him for real,” recalls Khuzaan.

Khuzaan thought I was joking when I said I would like to meet him. So, he literally asked if it was a prank or if I was coming for real,” informs Taha.

“We never asked each other out. I think it was just mutual and we got to know each other on a daily basis. There has been no proposal as yet,” says Khuzaan, while looking at Taha from the corner of his eye.

Rejecting Rigid Binaries

Taha who studied in New York, said that he never wanted to do business together. “When I came back to Pune in 2015,  I wanted to start something with chocolates. Khuzaan was working with some other company then, but after much thought, we decided to work together for this brand,” he says.

“I always wanted to work with Taha, but he was completely against it. Our love for food and this brand brought us together professionally. We do have strong arguments but we are completely in tandem when it comes to work,” observes Khuzaan.

“In 2017, there was a café boom in Pune, but what set us apart are our products and ethics. We were the first ones to bring a modern twist to your traditional desserts. Initially we did struggle, as we belonged to the LGBTQ community. We faced a lot of heat, whether it was customers or fellow café owners and even from people who wanted to work with us.

So, then we put a disclaimer that we don’t discriminate when it comes to sexuality and mental health. We have employees from the LGBTQ community and also people suffering from mental health issues,” adds Taha.

The Stigma Lingers

“We come from diverse backgrounds and I belong to a staunch Muslim family. My family signed me up for conversion and electrocution therapy when I was 19. I have been out for the past 10 years but my family is still in denial. They only think of Khuzaan as my business partner. I still live with my family and we are cordial. However, Khuzaan’s family has accepted our relationship.” says Taha.

Khuzaan adds, “It has been very tough for Taha. Today, when I go home, I may not have the best equation with my parents, but I am not forced to wear a mask. That pain has made us what we are today, and our love of food gets us together every single day.”

50 Shades of ‘The Grey’

Talking about his signature dish, Taha says, “Our signature dish ‘The Grey’ and it is based on the theme of ash. One day I had an argument with my family and Khuzaan, and while I was walking around, I noticed some ash. That is when I realised that there is beauty in ash too. The dish resonates with 50 shades of grey; it is sweet smokey and dark. It has a flourless chocolate cake, activated charcoal jelly, smoked chocolate cream and a raspberry milk chocolate. We also have a five textured brownie that is the first one in Pune.”

Future Happy

Talking about future plans, Taha says, “The future of desserts is huge. Soon, all the flavours will be encased in something that is the size of your thumb. We already have two stores in Pune and we have plans of opening up one store in Bengaluru too. But, Covid-19 has stalled these plans for now.”