Hyemin Torroll was working as a pastry chef for Royal Sonesta Hotel when the pandemic hit. Torroll, who previously worked as the pastry chef for Hotel Monteleone, Ritz Carlton and Hyatt, found herself at a crossroads. She decided to take the opportunity to make a longtime dream a reality, by opening her own café.
“Opening my own café was a dream, but I always thought it would happen in maybe 10 years,” Torroll said. “Since I was no longer working at Royal Sonesta, I decided to just go for it.”
Le Café Eblouir, a coffee and pastry boutique, opened at 2112 Belle Chasse Hwy., Suite 1, in Gretna, on April 2nd.
Originally from South Korea, Torroll studied pastry arts at Delgado Community College and, as she described, “learned a lot on the job”. She’s worked as a pastry chef for 15 years and everything that she sells at Le Café Eblouir she makes herself, in house.
“I’ve always done everything,” she explained. “Cake is my specialty and I make custom cakes. I also make a variety of French pastries, including croissants- chocolate is the most popular, and scones. I’m also known for my macarons.”
Eventually, Torroll wants to offer brunch and lunch options such as sandwiches, but for now her focus is pastries and coffee, which comes from New Orleans favorite, Mojo Coffee Roasters.
Torroll said, “It was important to offer a local coffee and Mojo is a favorite. We get the coffee delivered regularly, so it’s always fresh and our baristas are trained by Mojo.”
The café is also proud to offer ceremonial-grade matcha, which means that it’s made pure and not from a powder. The café also offers black tea and iced tea.
Even though the café is still in its “soft opening” stage, business has been good. A grand opening is planned in a few weeks; in the meantime, Torroll is happy to be in the area and hopes that more businesses like hers consider opening on the Westbank.
“The Westbank doesn’t have a lot of options, when it comes to places like this,” she said. “I considered opening in the city, but I live in Terrytown. I wanted to open around here.”
Another one of Torroll’s priorities is offering a good product at a reasonable price.
“I want to make something that is good and affordable,” she explained. “I want to offer something that everyone can enjoy. Also, since I do it all myself, I limit my orders so that the quality doesn’t suffer.”
On my visit, I treated myself to an iced coffee, one of those delicious crusty croissants and a couple of macarons. I personally love the fact that a café offering Mojo coffee is in the area, as good coffee options are limited on the Westbank. The croissant was perfection with a crispy outside and a soft, pillowy inside. The macarons are delicious and make for that perfect little bite of sweetness.
So far, Torroll said that all of her business has been thanks to word of mouth and she’s excited to be open.
“We already have some regulars and I appreciate all of the feedback we’re getting,” she said. “We’re happy to be in the area.”
Le Café Eblouir is open Monday through Saturday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. And Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. There is a plan to expand hours in the future.
