I have a Creative Advertising background from RMIT in Melbourne. Not long after graduation, I got retrenched twice, from my Copywriting jobs, right in the midst of the Asian Economic Crisis in 1998. Quite disheartened with the economic situation in Kuala Lumpur at the time, I decided to pursue my passion in the culinary arts. I enrolled in the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Sydney, with much disagreement by my father. But I was determined to become a chef. I embarked on my journey to Sydney, with no blessings from my father, and without a cent from him. My uncle, lent me everything I needed to survive for 6 months on my own. By the end of the 6 months, I decided to continue for another 3 months in Patisserie and with AUD$54 in my bank account. By then, I was already over my head in debt to my uncle, and had to give up my apprenticeship at a well-known fine dining restaurant in Cockle Bay Wharf.
The apprenticeship wage was not enough to keep me afloat, so I had no choice but to quit and find other work. I graduated with distinction after 9 months in LCB, and headed back to Kuala Lumpur, eager to start cooking! My first job, was to cook for Dr. Mahathir and all his Cabinet Ministers at a special luncheon, showcasing Malaysia’s exotic meats! It was thrilling and challenging, at the same time, being able to do that, at age 24. Then, I returned to Sydney and started my career in pastry, in some of Sydney’s top restaurants and hotels for 8 years. Cake decorating was still upcoming at the time and with my industry connections, I managed to land a job in a cake decorating position in an Italian Pastry Shop. I learnt everything on the job, for 2 years. It was difficult in the beginning, as it was quite slow compared to working in pastry kitchens. But I pushed on, and eventually, I fell in love with it. Miss Shortcakes was born in 2008, and word spread of my work and I got busier and busier. In 2009, I was voted Number 2 for Cake Design in NSW, at the Australian Bridal Industry Awards. And my wedding cakes were featured in many Australian Bridal magazines such as Bride to Be and Cosmopolitan Bride. During this time, I paid my uncle back for the loan he generously gave me, and I am proud to say that I have built my business entirely on my own, to where it is today. I moved back to Kuala Lumpur in 2011 and brought Miss Shortcakes with me. Since then, my work has been featured in countless magazines, newspapers, TV, social media sites, blogs, and on the radio! My regular clientele include Malaysia’s Royal families, Ministers, celebrities, and high profile businessmen and business women. In 2015, I was voted as the Number One, Best Cake Specialist in Malaysia by Tallypress and also invited by a group of International Cake Artists to be part of JK Rowling’s 50th Birthday Celebration. These days, I also teach whenever possible and have gone, as far as New York to share my craft.
