The term Madeleine de Proust refers to the powerful and evocative sensory trigger that elicits vivid memories and emotions, often associated with Marcel Proust's literary exploration of involuntary memory in his novel "In Search of Lost Time", in French A la Recherche du Temps Perdu. This phenomenon highlights the profound connection between sensory experiences, such as taste or smell, and the retrieval of deeply buried memories, creating a nostalgic and introspective journey through time. Proust’s narrator bites into the little scallop shaped teacake he has dipped in his tea and is transported back to his childhood, resulting in seven volumes (it’s the world’s longest novel) where Proust, through a semi-autobiographical narrator seeks to make sense of his memories. Hiyoju Park wants to bring up good memories and create a sense of shared nostalgia and belonging through her delicate little cakes, so calling her shop, Madeleine de Proust was the obvious choice. Ju, along with partner Rong Yao Soh are creating incredibly intricate as well as delicious desserts, but all in the form of the madeleine and all representing particular memories and connections. From the simplest classic, unfilled madeleine hot from the oven, through to the prestige line and Tipsy Arabica, which combines the robust flavours of coffee and whisky in a dark chocolate ganache and from start to finish tales three days to make, these little beauties will certainly transport you. We actually got so caught up in the goodness of it all and other aspects of making it as a chef that we didn’t even mention the four years Ju was head chef at Attica. Maybe that’s for another time. It was good to dwell entirely on her own creations. When I went in to talk to Ju, I tried the SSUK, which is a mugwort madeleine filled with mugwort cream and recalls Ju’s own childhood and her grandmother’s rice cakes in Korea. It was soft and light with a creamy, slightly earthy and delicious flavour. I can’t wait to go back and try the other flavours.