What inspire you to start baking? What motivates you to keep baking?

I was inspired to start baking French products by  Adriano Zumbo  and Australia MasterChef. I was initially into cooking rather than baking and worked for several Cafés in Sydney, spending most of my time in the kitchen.

I think seeing my former boss Jackie M so successful in food in Australia motivated me to keep baking and have my own business. She was in IT back in London before moving back to Sydney to pursue her dream for culinary arts. I can see myself in her journey.

When I decided to change career, it was not an easy task, but rather a major risk, considering I was not born in a wealthy family and had been through hard times when I grew up. I believe these small things made me stronger and motivated me to become a successful person.

What is your signature creation and why do you like to make them?

I have a few signature cakes, the simplest being "tarte aux fraises" (Strawberry tart). When I was in Paris, Spring and Summer were my favourite seasons for pastries hunting because one got to see so many fruit-based pastries in shops.

My favourite has always been the delicate wild strawberry tart. Since you cannot get wild strawberries in Malaysia, I use the normal one. I think I like simplicity. I focus on flavour and not so much on decoration.

For me, my strawberry tart is so French, simple and tasty, well balanced in terms of sweetness and sour. It is perfect for someone who loves strawberries as much as I do.

Share with us how did you come out with the idea of your  Houjicha creation for this project?

Since I am not a green tea person, the difficulty for me was in not knowing how strong the flavour should be. I tried a few recipes with different pastries. I love to play with texture and taste. I tried few different things. But I was also inspired for my creations by French literature.

Marcel Proust is a renowned French writer from the beginning of the 20th century. His novels consistently revive the nostalgia of this period and the remembrance linked to everyday life. In one most famous part, he is in a tea room, having tea with madeleines and this instantly brings back memories and nostalgia of his joyful youth when visiting family in Normandy. 

As such, the madeleine episode is for French people a major reference for remembrance of a golden past. I thought making a green tea-flavoured madeleine was a way to both honour this author and also the beginning of the 20th century for which I am very fond of. Yet madeleines, as well as butter cookies (a slightly different version from the sablés we sell) are - as I like- simple and yet tasty pastry. And so French.

What do you think of TSUBAKI / Houjicha? How did TSUBAKI work well with your creation?  (Handling, taste, texture etc.)

After my batch of YURI / Matcha powder was finished, I started to play with TSUBAKI / Houjicha. In comparison to matcha, I like this one better. I love the texture, the taste and the smell. When I created the madeleine, I thought this was perfect for me. I like it very much and so does Marc, who is attempting to create Houjicha-based macarons too.

Motivational message to inspire people out there to start baking.

Baking is real fun!. When I started baking, during my Uni years back in Sydney, it was just to release my stress, then it became a hobby. I slowly developed my interest and passion towards baking. I love to experiment things- perhaps due to my training in Science. Just enjoy yourself. Try different recipes, attend baking classes and never ever give up. If you are afraid of burning your cakes, try to bake the simplest one first.  The first successful one surely will make you bake even more.

Bon courage...