Seven chefs who have helped place Malaysia at the epicenter of haute pâtisserie

When in 2019 the Malaysian team consisting of Wei Loon Tan, Otto Tay, and Ming Ai Loi won the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, it was not by chance. This beautiful Southeast Asian country has become a true epicenter of haute pâtisserie not only in Asia but around the world. Malaysian pastry talent is not only concentrated in hotels and restaurants, but especially in what we know as workshops and pastry shops, a European-style business model that has been highly developed in Japan for decades, and in recent years also in Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Petaling Jaya, and other cities in this country known as Truly Asia.

Here we look at some chefs who stand out due to their vocation, passion, and even obsession with making pastries of the highest quality in terms of ingredients, with a marked personal touch.

Discover So Good #32

Wei Loon Tan. Malaysian accent

Wei Loon Tan, the most renowned Malaysian pastry chef worldwide, was part of the team that won the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in 2019.

A teacher for a period of time at the Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia (APCA), he is in charge of Enchanté, a pastry shop with its own accent in Petaling Jaya. In this establishment he is helping to create a patisserie which is more concerned with expressing itself through indigenous idiosyncrasies.

Discover the full interview and the recipe for these three creations in so good.. magazine 32.

Jeffrey Tan. Being a pastry chef to be happy

Jeffrey Tan is the owner of JT Patisserie and one of the leading advisors in the sector throughout Southeast Asia.

Inspired by Iron Chef, he wanted to become a professional chef until he discovered that he had hemophobia and a fear of handling livestock. With the idea of being able to spread happiness to people, he finally dedicated himself to pastry.

Discover the full interview and the recipe for these three creations in so good.. magazine 32

Jer Yenn and Jia Yi. Two in equilibrium

United by their devotion and their experiences around French pastry, Jer Yenn and Jia Yi opened the pastry workshop JY Food Lab in 2016, located in Petaling Jaya, where they combine French-based pastry techniques with ingredients from their Asian environment.

JY Food Lab started its activity in a small kitchen in which they prepared both sweet and savory dishes. In 2021, especially after the pandemic, they focused their activity on the sweet side, with creations intended for all kinds of events as well as for individuals, and working in a new, better-equipped workshop. Today they enjoy a popularity that is on the rise, based on a growing interest in Malaysian society for French-style pastry.

Discover the recipe for these three creations in so good.. magazine 32

Photos: Debic

Ming Ai Loi. Blessed coincidence

Ming Ai Loi discovered pastry by accident. Although his youthful dream was to be an interior designer, Ming Ai Loi changed his career path when he discovered the artistic potential of pastry making while working in a bakery. He traveled to Kuala Lumpur to study at APCA and learned the function of each ingredient, among many other technical aspects. It was only a few years before he climbed to the top of the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie podium in 2019.

In 2022, he opened Voilà in central Malaysia alongside Otto Tay, where he looks back on his childhood memories and on the rich Asian culinary culture for new sources of inspiration to connect with his customers through a pastry with a solid French base.

Discover the full interview and the recipe for these three creations in so good.. magazine 30

Photos: Debic

Otto Tay. The strength of the new Asian pâtisserie

The victory of the Malaysian team he led in 2019 at the Pastry World Cup served as the culmination of a career of constant improvement and enhancement.

Coming from Muar, a small historical town from South Peninsular Malaysia, Otto Tay has demonstrated his great artistic skills and versatility both in the world of hotel pastry, consulting, and product development for brands, as well as training of new professionals, first at the APCA in Malaysia and then in Vietnam. In 2022, he opened Voilà alongside Ming Ai Loi, his partner, friend, and former teammate. Here he specializes in modern, innovative, and premium French pastries with a twist, commonly influenced by the chef’s own backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.

Discover the recipe for these three creations in so good.. magazine 29

Photos: Debic

Niklesh Sharma. The founder of APCA, the ‘pastry school of champions‘

With a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management, Niklesh Sharma started his career in the field of Pastry & Bakery. With more than 20 years of work experience in hotels, he is an award winning Pastry Chef with a great record of opening hotels, renovations, and upgrading pastry kitchens.

In 2010, he founded the Academy of Pastry Arts (APCA), a finest group of international pastry schools in Asia, known worldwide as the ‘Pastry School of Champions’. Thanks to this entity, professionals from this region have made significant progress in a short time, surprising everyone with their level in various international competitions, both at the Asia Pastry Cup and the Coupe du Monde. Sharma is also responsible for another important annual pastry event, Asia Pastry Forum.

Check out the full interview with Niklesh Sharma in so good.. magazine 22