BANGKOK (THE NATION / ANN) - It has taken good-looking pastry chefs Nontawat Rojanasakchai and Chairat Kueanpho of dessert bar Brix just one year to beat down the competition from Japanese cheese tarts and put their sweet offerings at the forefront of Bangkok's dessert scene.

Proof of their success can be found in the opening of new outlets at Siam Paragon and Siam Discovery just 12 months after launching the first Brix at the Common mall in Bangkok's Soi Thonglor.

And while their pleasing in appearance probably contributes to drawing in customers, Nontawat and Chairat also take their business very seriously. The two are alumni of Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School and they are good at whipping up creative sweets with premium ingredients, beautiful presentation and quirky gimmicks.

One of the most pleasing factors is the duo's effort to please couples - the lady to indulge in a sweet treat, the gent to relax with his own cocktail/mocktail.

The Brix outlet at Siam Paragon's Gourmet Garden zone is decked out in contemporary vibe with a marble counter, cube-shaped tables in black and white with brass legs and chairs upholstered with marble-like artificial leather. It can accommodate about 30 people.

"Non and I were classmates at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School. After graduating, I worked at Mrs Field Thailand's R&D department for several years. When Non decided to open a dessert bar, he invited me to join the business and I thought it would be a challenge. We want our treats to be much more than desserts and we achieve that by adding a creative twist," says Chairat or Jo as he's known to family and friends.

Jo initially graduated in communication arts from Naresuan University but his passion for cooking pursued him to further study Asian cuisine at Suan Dusit University. He also trained at a Thai restaurant in Oregon in the US for one year before taking a pastry diploma at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit Culinary School.

Brix's signature delicacy is the Brix Box (280 baht, S$11.34) a brioche cube with a choice of chocolate, matcha and Thai tea fillings which combines the current fads for Shibuya honey toast and lava bun. If you opt for Thai tea, the brioche is filled with warm Thai tea ganache and comes with two scoops of Thai tea ice cream and slices of fresh strawberries and berries on the side. When the cube is torn apart, the warm ganache inside oozes but only slightly, so you don't lose too much to the plate. The chocolate version is filled with gooey Belgian dark chocolate ganache and vanilla ice cream, while green tea from Japan is used as the ganache stuffing and ice cream for the Matcha choice.

"For the Thai tea ganache, we needed a flavour, a taste that wasn't too sweet and a tempting fragrance. The brioche is rich with butter and baked so it's crisp on the outside but soft inside," says Jo who's in his 30s.

The creative twist is Open Face Ice Cream-Banana Salted Butterscotch (240 baht) - a brioche toast topped with caramelised banana, vanilla ice cream, salted butterscotch sauce and chantilly cream.

Granita (240 baht) is also a popular choice as it's presented in a fog of dry ice, begging to be photographed.

"The refreshing Lychee Raspberry Granita is made with lychee-flavoured granita stuffed with raspberry ice cream, with panna cotta as the base. Another option is the Mango Granita comes with mango-flavoured granita filled with coconut ice cream on a bed of panna cotta. On top are diced fresh mango and a slice of passion fruit to give a zesty kick. To welcome summer, we're offering a new flavour - Japanese yuzu and local fruit mayong chid (Mariam plum)," adds Non.

Dessert lovers can also feast on Hotto Keiki Original (220 baht for small, 270 baht for large) a freshly baked souffle pancake with vanilla ice cream, maple syrup, banana slices and almond crumble all served separately. Other options include Nutella, strawberry, Thai tea and matcha.

Daddy's Backyard (240 baht) is a steamed, moist dark chocolate cake dressed with chantilly cream with chocolate ice cream, chocolate crumble and slices of fresh strawberry and citrus on the side.

More refreshing is Joy (280 baht) a mango passion fruit mousse stuffed with raspberry jelly served on a feuilletine disc with raspberry sauce, raspberry sorbet and fresh berries.

For drinks, check out the Brixton (175 baht), a butterfly pea flower tea layered with lychee, white grape and lemon juice. It's also served as a cocktail with gin for 295 baht.

Playing with the story of Adam and Eve is the Adam's | Apple - a glass of apple juice, mixed spices, cinnamon and camomile tea dressed with edible gold dust in a glass infused with wood and spices smoke. For gals, there's the Eve's Rose - a concoction of lychee and rose juice, lemonade, and edible copper shimmer infused with berries smoke.

Brix Dessert Bar on the ground floor of Siam Paragon is open from 10am to 10pm, daily. Call (02) 129 4836 or go to the Brix Dessert Bar page on Facebook, or http://www.brixdessertbar.com/

Brix also has another two branches at the Common on Thonglor Soi 17 and at My Kitchen on the fourth floor of Siam Discovery.