‘My mission is to make French patisserie loved among a broad Asian clientele.’

Specialising in chocolate and sugar creations, pastry chef Loi Ming Ai’s Instagram page is filled with photos of beautiful French pastries and boasts over 20,000 followers. He works as an Executive Pastry Chef at the Academy of Pastry Arts in Malaysia, conducts masterclasses for young pastry chefs and is active as a consultant around the world. ‘My mission is to make French patisserie known and loved among a broad Asian clientele.’ This seems to be working out quite well considering how popular the Asian pastry chef has been since he was crowned world champion at the 2019 Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie (World Pastry Cup) in Lyon along with Otto Tay and Wei Loon Tan as part of team Malaysia. But that he would become a pastry chef was a completely unexpected career choice. In fact, Loi Ming Ai had been working as an interior designer when he accepted a part-time job at a traditional bakery. ‘I was given a lot of repetitive tasks there, which did not appeal to my creative instincts at all. Until I had to cover a cake with fondant. Suddenly, my artistic side emerged!’

‘There's a personal story behind every bite.’

The desserts and cakes created by Chinese-born pastry chef Loi Ming Ai almost always contain a link to his childhood or culture. ‘I try to combine memories using tastes and textures. This evokes a sense of nostalgia that my customers understand and appreciate. There’s a personal story behind every bite they take.’

After being awarded the World Cup in Lyon, Loi Ming Ai and Otto Tai opened a pastry shop in Kuala Lumpur in July 2022: Voila Patisserie. The name is both a reference to the French pastries they make as well as a welcoming invitation that says ‘Come see what we’re creating here!’ Loi Ming Ai also opened a shop in his native Sarawak. ‘That shop is called Louise Patisserie. I desperately wanted to sell my pastries in my hometown, so that people there would have a chance to get to know these. I feel very privileged to be able to use my hands to make the most wonderful treats for everyone. My hands conjure up creative works of art!’

Loi Ming Ai is certainly fond of creative flourishes. One of his collaborations is with the well-known sneaker brand Norway. ‘I love their colourful designs. The shoes are great for when you’re working in the kitchen, but I can also wear them when I go out. This brand makes fantastic prints for their shoes.’ Making a sports shoe as beautiful as possible or presenting a dessert creatively on a plate: it’s not that different. Loi Ming Ai also thinks about various colour combinations. And of course the taste aspect is important too. For this, he draws on his international knowledge and experience, although he also likes to lean on his Asian roots. ‘In Malaysia, I immerse myself in flavours, textures and the nuances of each ingredient. I’ve discovered how even the smallest variations can make a difference in the final product. Together with Otto Tai, I combine and perfect our signature flavours and styles at Voila. We see that people are drawn to modern designs and minimalist interiors. This applies to our pastries as well as our interior design and packaging.’

Loi Ming Ai has developed a Pitaya parfait for Debic. ‘The main ingredients are raspberry, lychee and pitaya. Pitaya is a superfood with a very high nutritional value. Also known as dragon fruit, it is a very popular fruit in Southeast Asia. I also developed a pomelo cheesecake. Pomelo is a local fruit that I source from a place called Ipoh in Malaysia. I combine this citrus fruit with strawberries, grapefruit and cream cheese.’ Loi Ming Ai enjoys using Debic’s products in his kitchen and bakery. ‘One of the products I use is Debic Stand & Overrun, with which I can create endless variations. For example, the whipped cream blends perfectly with other flavours. I also use various spray piping techniques in my kitchen. To do this properly, it is very important that the cream is stable. The stability of Stand & Overrun is really excellent: this also helps my staff to do the piping perfectly.’