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The accounting graduate made some calculations, turned her back on a corporate career, and embarked on an exciting journey of fashioning her new-found passion for baking into an enterprise all her own.
For Singapore-born and bred Melissa Lim, it is all a game of numbers. You see it in how she handles an interview—how answers are broken down into compartments or bullet points, presented as an organised thought. She is, after all, an accountancy graduate from Singapore Management University, with a career in corporate cut out for her. However, the family business in the Philippines required her attention and she found herself in the country, during the pandemic, trapped inside like everybody else. She turned to baking, and this would turn out to be the catalyst for a new career path.
Chef Melissa is the founder and chef at Melc Patisserie, the sleek and airy French-style bakery she opened at The Shoppes in Ayala Triangle. Quite a turnaround from what she was predestined to do, but to her mathematical mind, it all made perfect sense. “There are several elements of baking that really speak to me. It is somewhat like a calling if you will that is not for everyone. The science, precision, and technicality of baking appeals to me, given that everything has to be measured to the gram. Once you make a mistake, there is almost no way of troubleshooting a recipe and turning back. This is a challenge that I wholeheartedly embrace.” She explains further: “At the same time, baking is very tactile in nature, more so than cooking, in the sense that you have to make use of your hands to knead doughs, your eyes to check the consistency of your components, and so forth, which is a skill that cannot simply be imparted through reading books. Lastly, I love the meditative aspect of it. The nature of the trade demands your sole focus and attention. That means, no gadgets, no other distractions, just pure execution.”
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Her culinary education is far from traditional, perhaps the complete opposite of her university experience. After having competed in Masterchef Singapore, the franchise has exposed her to the Michelin-starred pastry chefs of the world which allowed her to stage in some of their restaurants. She would also attend masterclasses as much as she can to stay abreast on global trends. Travelling to her is also a great educator, and she does it when she can to visit fresh concepts. “I have a very unconventional culinary education,” she admits. “It's premised on the fact that time is money and I do not have the luxury of time to pursue a full-fledged culinary education, so in a sense I've ‘growth-hacked' my way around amassing the skill set required of a patissier.”
When deciding to open a patisserie, she took a good look at her local market. “People in the Philippines generally love their sweets,” chef Melissa explains. “We believe the market is sophisticated enough to appreciate elevated pastries. We're priced slightly higher than the average in the market but we firmly believe that those discerning enough will be more than willing to pay the premium.” She compares her laminated breads and pastries to those of French pastry chef Cedric Grolet (Le Meurice) and she believes that what they offer at Melc have “good value.”
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Chef Melissa wants to be heads and shoulders above the rest by adhering to the best ingredients available in the market. “The chocolates that we use are coverture, and the butter is AOP, which is the highest quality that can be offered in the market. We offer a full range of tea-based beverages and cold brews that come in reusable bottles and cups. We consider ourselves to be quite experimental and come up with pretty interesting flavour profiles, such as the mentaiko tart which is truly an original concept. I try my best to weave in aspects of fine dining and modern cooking techniques into the pastries we serve.”
Just like her hero chef Nicolas Lambert, chef Melissa prides herself on her humility and “the ethos of continual learning” which she holds close to her heart. Perhaps these are some of the qualities that draw many to want to work with her or would want her brand to be a part of their developments. “There have been many established malls and developers who have approached us to open up with them. We find this very flattering and are humbled by the fact, but we wish to take a slow and steady approach when scaling the brand,” she explains. In the coming years, she sees herself establishing a consultancy arm for hoteliers, restauranteurs, and aspiring cafe owners. She also wants to grow Melc's B2B and catering business, as well as establish an e-commerce store so that more can easily order their cakes and beverages. Melc Patisserie is also expanding to Tagaytay in 2024 where it will be more of a “full-fledged restaurant” in which chefs from all over can conduct masterclasses for culinary enthusiasts.
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This might be daunting to some, but clearly not for someone who has done the math and has laid out a plan. Chef Melissa reassures: “It looks like I have a lot on my plate and a lot going on, but I am excited and optimistic about the future.”
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Jaclyn Clemente Koppe is a food and lifestyle writer, as well as a consultant to some of the country’s beloved food and beverage brands. Her passion for food and drink is only surpassed by her devotion to her family, most especially to her soulmate, Pepa the poodle.
