When Swiss-born, Indonesian-bred Lilian Wanandy-Perez headed to college in London, her mother made her a book of family recipes. “Back then, I didn’t love cooking at all yet,” she recalls. But with the stress of her studies in biochemistry, she took to the kitchen to relax. One favorite recipe was the poffertjes her grandmother made for her as a child.
Poffertjes are tiny Dutch pancakes, often prepared on the street so diners can see the process. But when Wanandy-Perez opens Poffy in Mosaic District, the poffertjes will be anything but typical. Since many of the Poffy’s flavors are filled, they’re round, more like Danish aebleskivers. The other major difference? Because Wanandy-Perez’s children, whom she shares with husband and Poffy co-owner Kevin Perez, live with multiple food allergies, the couple have become masters at allergen-free cooking. Poffy’s poffertjes are free of seven of the nine major allergens, including dairy and eggs.
Flavors are inspired by the family’s travels. Following a trip to Japan last year, the couple created a matcha flavor. Trips to Indonesia to visit family influenced Wanandy-Perez’s favorite flavor, pandan filled with gula jawa, a palm sugar common in that part of the world. Other flavors include jam-filled, apple-cinnamon-filled, red velvet, pumpkin and chocolate.
Pending permits, Wanandy-Perez hopes to open Poffy in May or June. The next step? World domination. She says that franchising is a possibility, but will probably do popups first. “Our concept is simple and elevated. It’s easy for us to translate in so many different places,” says Wanandy-Perez. While we’ll have to wait for a Poffy on every corner, the first taste is coming soon. // 2985 District Ave., Suite 170, Fairfax
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