The inside story of Malaysian victory in World Pastry Cup – a win for team spirit, coach says

Winning team combined expertise in different aspects of pastry making – there was a point man for sugar, one to focus on chocolate, and an ice-carving expert

Coach credits team’s work developing new techniques and flavours, and collective decision making, for Malaysia’s first gold medal in contest in Lyons, France

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The Malaysian team competes during the Pastry World Cup in Lyon. Photo: Jean-Philippe Ksiazek/AFP

Published: 8:15am, 2 Apr 2019Updated: 8:26am, 2 Apr 2019

Since Team Malaysia became world champions at the World Pastry Cup 2018 in the French city of Lyons, low-key chef and team coach Patrick Siau Chi Yin has been thrust into the limelight and hailed as a national hero back home.

The team took the gold prize in January with their whimsical but meticulously executed vegan pastry design of monkeys dressed like Elvis Presley.

However, Siau, who is a teaching fellow and head chef at the Sunway University School of Hospitality in Selangor, Malaysia, has his feet firmly on the ground. Saying he has no wish to take any of the glory away from his team, he has declined individual interviews.

“The win is not about me alone but about Team Malaysia,” he tells the Post, sitting with team members Tan Wei Loon, Otto Tay and Loi Ming Ai. All went through a gruelling test of competency and stamina, having to work at breakneck pace for 10 consecutive hours to accomplish entries in six categories for the annual contest, he says.

The Malaysian team celebrates after winning the Pastry World Cup. Photo: Jean-Philippe Ksiazek/AFP

Sixty-three contestants from 21 countries earned a place in the final round of the World Pastry Cup, or Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, on January 27 and 28. Team Malaysia was very much the dark horse going into the competition, but took home gold with 11,904 points. Japan and Italy were runners-up, with 11,862 and 11,083 points each.

The Malaysians also took home the Vase de Sevres prize, a French presidential award conferred on the country that scored the most points in the tasting.