On June 10, 2005, Fatima celebrated the grand opening of Natas Pastries, the only Portuguese bakery in L.A.  Named after its signature pastry, the shop has quickly become the talk of the Los Angeles Portuguese community and the latest neighborhood favorite on Ventura Blvd.

For customers who are new to Portuguese pastries, the shop’s sample tray provides a delicious introduction. “Once our customers taste the natas, they know they’ve never had anything like it.” Fatima said. “Each nata has an exceptionally crisp puff pastry shell that is perfectly balanced by custard filling resembling crème brûlée. You’ve got the yin and the yang.”

Early each morning, Fatima and European Executive Pasty Chef Michel Bal make an array of pastries by hand, using the highest quality European ingredients. By 7 a.m. the pastry cases are fully stocked with traditional Portuguese favorites, including natas, queijadas, pasteis de coco, bolas de Berlin, and Portuguese sweet bread, and more contemporary European pastries such as strudels, Napoleons, éclairs and petit fours.

Fatima and her husband Tyler spent more than seven months transforming a former insurance office next to the famed Casa Vega restaurant into an authentic, walk-in Portuguese bakery similar to the shops she frequented during her childhood. She strived to attract customers to Natas Pastries for the whole European experience.

For the shop’s interior, Fatima found inspiration in the blue and white glazed tiles characteristic of Portugal and the rich, dark woods found in European cafes. Outside, there are tables, chairs and umbrellas for customers to enjoy as they linger over dark Italian coffee and rich hot chocolate.

For the Portuguese of the greater Los Angeles area, a trip to Natas Pastries is like a homecoming. “It’s an honor for the Portuguese to have their own bakery here in LA,” said Fatima, who has found great motivation in the positive feedback she has received from the community. “The natas aren’t easy to make and the Portuguese people know it.”

Prior to signing a lease and fully committing to bakery ownership, Fatima spent three years perfecting the art of the Portuguese pastry. She left behind a career in marketing and music and devoted herself to her newly found passion.

“I grew up eating natas and knew exactly how they should taste. My research was all about replicating the traditional baking process that originated in the 17^th Century in my hometown. Anyone can go online and get a recipe, but I had to go home and learn the time-honored methods. Only then could I truly claim to be reproducing the real pastel de nata,” Fatima said.

Once Fatima mastered the technique, her next task was to find the right equipment, including an original Portuguese oven and imported pastry molds.

With the trials of opening a business behind her, Fatima is optimistic about the future. She is adding wholesale accounts to her quickly growing retail business and customers are already inquiring about savory Portuguese dishes beyond pastries.  For now, Fatima takes sheer pleasure in sharing natas, her favorite childhood treat, with her customers.  Fatima concluded, “The smiles I see on their faces are truly rewarding.”