WHEN Lartizan first opened its doors in Bonifacio Global City’s Serendra in 2014, BusinessWorld wrote that it “had an air of a dollhouse that had grown up around the young girl who once played with it.” We said that due to its decidedly feminine decor, what with rose-colored chandeliers and other marks of a look the kids now call “coquette.” Since then, even the dollhouse has grown, with branches in Century City Mall, Ayala Malls The 30th, and boulangeries located in The Marketplace (EDSA Shangri-La, Opus Mall, and Uptown Mall), as well as the Clubhouse Corinthian Hills.
Lartizan was born as the coquettish younger sister of The French Baker, which has been around since the 1980s. During a fete on Nov. 17, Lartizan celebrated its new flagship shop at S Maison, the upscale mall located at the SM Mall of Asia complex.
Showing off an expanded menu past the initial offerings of Mariage frères teas and Lartizan pastries, new items include Fresh Oyster and Truffle Rockefeller, Salmon Mousse, Raclette, and Chicken Liver Pâté with Foie and Apple Compote.
“It’s a culmination of our 36 years of travel, and being in the industry, and how it continues to shape up,” said Jonard Koa, the company’s chief digital officer, and son of The French Baker founder Johnlu Koa, in an interview with BusinessWorld. His photographs of Paris now line the S Maison branch.
While they’re both founded on the same lines, Lartizan takes a bit more time and tradition than the mall-driven crowd of its older sibling. For example, Lartizan’s sourdough takes 36 hours to ferment, while The French Baker’s breads take a fraction of the time. Still, The French Baker, now found all over the country, plays a huge part in supporting Lartizan’s structure: “I think it’s because we started out as a bakery, and it’s just a natural evolution of the brand,” said the younger Mr. Koa.
“It grows from experience,” he said. “Since French Baker has been around for 36 years, we were able to use that experience to elevate Lartizan and really home in our French traditional baking skills.” — JL Garcia