Cover Croisserie Artisan Bakery aims to offer a range of pastries and breads that run the gamut (Photo: Fady Fox Photography)
Croisserie Artisan Bakery aims to offer a range of pastries and breads that run the gamut (Photo: Fady Fox Photography)
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Ken Jay Lim shares how one of Kuala Lumpur’s most popular bakeries began
“We may not be the fanciest of bakeries, but we are strong in our technique,” smiles Ken Jay Lim. I met the amicable chief baker of Croisserie Artisan Bakery at its original location in Damansara Heights (it now has two other outlets), and he is busy in the kitchen. He towers over me and most of his team, but his cheery and well-natured disposition is the opposite of intimidating.
When I arrive, operations are unsurprisingly at full capacity—it is a weekday morning, and regulars are lining up for coffee and pastries before work. Gingerbread men and Christmas stollen decorate the shelves, an indication that the festive season has begun.
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Above Ken Jay Lim, chief baker of Croisserie Artisan Bakery
Ken Jay Lim, chief baker of Croisserie Artisan Bakery
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When Lim sits down opposite me, he bears a slice of freshly baked galette de rois, which he explains is a French pastry typically enjoyed on Epiphany, which falls on January 6. It is my first time trying the almond cream-filled pastry, which is delightful, and this novelty applies to much of the bakery’s selection.
“Malaysian bakeries typically focus on viennoiserie, but we offer all kinds of pastries and breads,” Lim explains. “From the very start, we wanted to offer a wide range from European and French breads to even petit gâteau and goûter.”
Above Galette de rois is also known as the king cake as it celebrates the day the Three Kings went to visit baby Jesus
Galette de rois is also known as the king cake as it celebrates the day the Three Kings went to visit baby Jesus
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More unusual boulangeries are inspired by the baker’s travels to countries known for their pastry industry, such as Japan, France, and Taiwan. “I recreate desserts or breads I have tried overseas that are less common here, such as the brioche feuilletee (laminated brioche),” he says.
Other items not typically found in local bakeries include the kouign-amann (buttery Breton cake made with laminated dough) and, for Christmas, stollen (German fruit bread).
Above Kouign-amann
Kouign-amann
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However, when asked about must-try items, Lim remains adamant that the basics are best—the baguette, pain de mie (sandwich bread), and croissant. The baguette also appears in a selection of tartines topped with locally-sourced vegetables.
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Above Croisserie’s baguettes
Above The team of bakers are busy in the kitchen
Croisserie’s baguettes
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While baking is now Lim’s bread and butter, he originally wanted to be a Chinese chef. “My father passed on when I was 16, and it fell on me to support my family,” he muses. “I used to watch a lot of Hong Kong dramas and wanted to become a cook, but was terrified of killing fish and chicken.”
Lim’s mother encouraged her gentle-natured son to try baking, and his first job was at Four Leaves Bakery at Sogo, one of the first Japanese bakeries in town, which happened to be near his family home. “The first item I ever baked was a white loaf, and I realised this was what I wanted to do instead of cook,” he says.
Above Chocolate, fig, and orange brioche feuilletee
Chocolate, fig, and orange brioche feuilletee
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Lim spent time cutting his chops at a handful of other bakeries, but it had always been his dream to open his own bakery. “Croisserie Artisan Bakery was founded at this very location in 2012, originally called Wheatfields, with the hope to bake everything pastry-related without any constraint of a theme,” he says.
Wheatfields was eventually rebranded to Croisserie Artisan Bakery, a name referring to the combination of croissant and viennoiserie.
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Above Croisserie Artisan Bakery first opened as Wheatfields in 2021
Croisserie Artisan Bakery first opened as Wheatfields in 2021
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Now, ten years later, Croisserie Artisan Bakery has three outlets, the other two in Atria Shopping Gallery and KL Citywalk. From four members, the team has grown to over thirty within the Damansara Heights outlet alone. “I hope to be able to improve constantly, sharing my love for bread and pastry both on a local level and internationally,” Lim ends.
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Photography: Fady Fox Photography
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About
Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
