If there’s one thing that Malaysians do best, it would be food! Our nasi lemak is world-renowned, and our rendang is definitely not crispy.
Even though we have kuehs as desserts, it still lacks the creaminess that western pastries give us. By taking this into account, Chef Otto Tay and Chef Loi Ming Ai have decided to create French pastries with Malaysian flavours.
From left: chef otto tay in black and chef loi ming ai in white.
If you’re wondering who these chefs are, here’s a little refresher. Do you remember that in 2019, 3 talented pastry chefs made a name for Malaysia by winning the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie (Pastry World Cup) in Lyon, France?
Well, 2 out of 3 of the pastry chefs, Otto Tay and Loi Ming Ai, have banded together to create Voilà Pâtisserie.
The showroom.
Speaking to WORLD OF BUZZ, the chefs have said that Voilà Pâtisserie is an online brand where you can pre-order pastries for different occasions. Their showroom in Kuchai Lama is a place that will offer masterclasses in the future and also where people can visit to marvel at their intricate pastries.
This set of 4 is made up of pastries with different taste profiles. The pink one is named parfum that is a zingy raspberry taste with floral hints. The yellow one, jaune, is a mango-based pastry that resembles a cheesecake while the green one, pandan lily, is pandan and pulut hitam! Lastly, the grey one is a mesh of sesame, orange and raspberry flavours and it’s named le sesame noir.
They have also clarified that their showroom only carries a very small number of pastries daily, and they are only available for takeaways. You can look at their website for a full list of goodies that they are offering.
Behind Voilà
The powerhouses behind Voilà (pronounced wua-la) are the chefs Otto Tay, 34, from Muar, Johor and Loi Ming Ai, 33, from Sibu, Sarawak, who have been in the pastry-making field for 13 years.
Chef loi ming ai putting the finishing touches on a goldie.
Reminiscing on the World Pastry Cup win in 2019, they said that at that time, they were in disbelief.
“When the flag was rising, and the national anthem was playing, I only registered that this is real and this is my time.”
They added that when they won the championship, most French people on the streets recognised who they were, but there was a stark difference in reception when they returned to Malaysia where pastries are not as celebrated here.
Chef otto tay decorating a madame rose.
After noticing that French pastries are not exactly the average Malaysian’s favourite dessert, the duo decided to make the pastries uniquely Malaysian by incorporating some of our favourite flavours such as black sesame and calamansi.
“We try to make what Malaysians are familiar with, and from there, we improve it and present it to them. This is why we’re called Voilà, which means ‘here it is’ in French.”
“We have also been preparing for a long time, and we’re finally ready to serve you.”
This entremet named calamondin is a citrus-based one where the star of the show is definitely the calamansi. The tanginess is balanced with a hint of ginger.
After tasting some of their pastries, we can vouch that their pastries are top-notch and evoke a sense of nostalgia in us.
Their products were made with ingredients that are halal-certified and do not contain any pork or alcohol.
A beautiful entremet named charlotte’s symphony that champions both strawberries and yuzu flavours.
If you want to taste their creations, you can pay them a visit (open 11am-5pm daily) or order from their website! If you have any enquiries, you can Whatsapp them at +6016 416 6569.
Address:
Voilà Patisserie
14 & 16, Jalan Indrahana 1, OFF, Jalan Kuchai Lama, Taman Indrahana,
58200, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Also read: Team Malaysia Crowned Champion at World Pastry Cup 2019 in France, Beat 20 Other Countries
