#ELLEGourmetCoverStar: The Sweet Life Of Pooja Dhingra

Pooja Dhingra’s personality is as vibrant and sweet as her macarons. I can say so after meeting her in person and chatting with her while on set for our inaugural cover series for ELLE Gourmet India. Just before the camera begins to roll, I hop into her vanity room for a quick chat about her journey so far. 

The Path To Pastry

Growing up in a household where food was both passion and livelihood, it seems almost inevitable that Dhingra would end up in a kitchen. Her mother ran a home business, crafting chocolate mousse that still lingers in Dhingra’s memory, while her father dabbled as a silent partner in restaurants. One of them, a Mexican spot called Sheriff in Bandra, became her playground at 13. “I was always running around the kitchen,” she tells me. “That was when I knew this world was for me.” 

At 23, while training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, she stumbled upon the confection that would change her life – the macaron. “It was something that I had never experienced or tasted before,” she explains. “I think it was the newness of something because I lived in Switzerland for four years before that, and I still hadn't seen a macaron. Being in Europe, you've pretty much tried everything, and then something just comes and surprises you. So, I think I liked that, and also how much flavour was packed into such a small bite. I feel that ratio of like flavour to size was just what really got me.”

That love for macarons led her to open Le15 Patisserie in Mumbai, named after the 15th arrondissement in Paris – her favourite neighbourhood and a source of inspiration during her pastry school days. The rest, as they say, is history.

Building Le15 And Finding Her Voice

Today, Le15, which has completed 15 years, has grown into a household name, bringing French-style desserts to an Indian audience and positioning Dhingra as one of the country’s most influential culinary voices. Looking back on how far she’s come, she says, “Sometimes I feel like what was I even doing? I was 23 when I started. When I meet 23-year-olds today, I look at them and wonder, ‘Oh, this was the age that I started.’ 

She reflects often on the girl she once was – fearless, naive, brimming with ambition. “There’s so much to still learn from her… she thought she could do everything, and that was a nice place to be in.” Today, she feels more grounded and intentional. “I do things that I genuinely love to do and not to prove anything to anybody. It’s a nice blend. I think Le15 has kind of helped me come back to myself a little bit.”

But as much as her journey has been sweet, it hasn’t been without struggle. “Le15 was my MBA,” she laughs. “It taught me everything – how to scale, how to fail, how to pick yourself up again.” She openly acknowledges the closures, experiments that didn’t pan out, and the constant tightrope walk of entrepreneurship. “People don’t like to talk about their failures, but I do. Because it’s been 15 years of ups and downs, that’s what makes the story real.”

The challenges extended beyond business. As a woman leading in a space still rife with gender stereotypes, Dhingra was subjected to scepticism and bias. Vendors asked to speak to her father, landlords to her husband. Government officials refused to believe she could be a business owner. “It shocked me,” she admits. “I've seen male colleagues be assertive. They can run a kitchen a certain way, and it will be accepted and admired. But on the flip side, if I had to do anything similar to what my male colleagues do, I would be written off as a witch,” she says, adding that even today, women in leadership get labelled difficult for behaviour that men get praised for. “I’ve learned to pick my battles and focus on what I can control.”

Through it all, Dhingra’s voice has only grown louder. An early adopter of Instagram, she documented her journey at a time when “influencers” didn’t exist. “I call myself an accidental content creator,” she says. Today, her platform is as much about macarons and cakes as it is about pickleball games, half-marathon training, and the joy of showing up authentically.

The Icing On The Cake

Her milestones continue to inspire. This year, Dhingra received the La Liste Pastry Game Changer Award 2025 in Paris, becoming the first Indian and first female chef to receive this prestigious global honour for her groundbreaking work in French-style patisserie in India, a homecoming of sorts. 

“When you've had a 15-year career, where you've doubted yourself and seen so many ups and downs, it's easy to lose sight of what you do. LaListe was a great pat on the back that saw and recognised me.” She points out that last year’s winner was Chef Dominique Ansel. “To be in the same category as someone whom I so deeply admire felt great. And then to be in Paris and in the same room as everyone that I look up to and get the award was something that I'm extremely grateful for.” 

Life Today

Fifteen years in, Dhingra has grown from the fearless, naive 23-year-old who believed she could do everything into a woman who knows what’s worth doing. “I think the best thing Le15 gave me was helping me come back to myself,” she reflects. “Today, I do things because I love them, not because I need to prove anything.”

These days, balance is key for Dhinga, who has enough time between work and outside activities. “I start my day every morning either with a gym session or yoga. Then if I have to catch up with anybody now, it's always over breakfast. After that, I get to work and I’m there until about 6-7 pm. I come back home, and in the evening, there's always either a pickleball game, a run, or some kind of sport. Then, I'm exhausted, which is why I say no to everything now. And then on the weekends, I see some friends or I meet my parents and see my niece.”

Whipping Up Next

As she looks to the future, her plate is as full as ever – a half-marathon in Bangkok this November, a children’s book (Arya and the Magic Apron), which is about a girl who loves to bake, and new developments at Le15 that she promises to reveal soon. Meanwhile, the dessert scene she helped pioneer continues to evolve – specialised patisseries, experimental Indian mithai, and nostalgic throwbacks like Black Forest cakes are making a comeback. Pooja is watching it all with equal parts curiosity and delight.

Quick Fires:

Kitchen Nickname: I don’t think I have one; people just say ‘Hi, Chef,’

Comfort Dish After A Long Day:Dal Khichdi

Favourite Ingredient Right Now: Chocolate 

First Dish You Ever Cooked: Not a dish, but chai, with my dad

Favourite Drink: Old Fashioned 

Food Trend You Wish Would Disappear: Leave croissants alone

If Not A Chef, You Would Be: A lawyer

Dream City To Open A Restaurant In: Tokyo, Paris

If You Were A Dish, You Would Be: Dark chocolate salted caramel macaron

Favourite Song On Loop:Dermot (see yourself in my eyes)by Fred Again

Favourite Movie:Cool Runnings

Your 3 A.M. Speed Dial Person: Rhea Kapoor 

Editorial Director: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi; Digital Editor: Isha Mayer; Photographer: Meetesh Taneja; Stylist: Idris Nidham; Jr Graphic Designer: Radhika Trivedi (Cover Design); Set Design: Purnima Nath; Food Stylist: Nikhil Bendre; HMUA: Daniel Bauer Academy; Claire Carmelina Gil (rep by Anima Creatives) for Suvir; Creative production: Anushka Patil and Rishith Shetty; Assisted by: Aafreen Anjum, Ishan Sharma (styling), Sneh Lad (creative production), Vaishnavi Rana; Production: Cutloose Productions.