By Wilfred Pilo
A young dessert maker, Sherlly Wong, 34, has successfully realised her dream of crafting Japanese daifuku mochi, with her creations gaining growing popularity among local dessert lovers.
Wong set out to create daifuku mochi with a soft, bouncy texture and rich sweetness in every bite—an ideal she says she is now close to achieving. Her sweet ambition became a reality about two years ago, after her two toddler children grew older and were cared for by her supportive parents-in-law, allowing her to focus on honing her craft.
Originally from Miri, Wong moved to Kuching with her husband in search of better job opportunities, a journey familiar to many young couples with children. There, she secured a position at a bakery, where she met her business partner and began developing her pastry skills.
Over more than two years, Wong refined her expertise in pastry-making, focusing particularly on mochi before progressing to daifuku mochi with sweet fillings.
“This trade gives me a respected profession, and my partner trusts me to lead our bakery in the right direction by making and serving desserts that are well received and loved by locals,” she told DayakDaily when met at a Christmas vendor market recently.
“My dream of becoming a pastry chef has come true, and I’m proud of the delicious and flavourful daifuku that I create.”
Despite their growing appeal, Wong noted that daifuku mochi is not an easy dessert to master.
“Achieving the perfect texture, colour, whipped cream filling, and balance of ingredients is essential. With its rising popularity, this dessert has become one of the greatest challenges in my pastry journey,” she said.
She added that she is currently focusing on flavours with strong demand and appeal, offering varieties such as strawberry, mango, blueberry, caramel Biscoff, and chocolate.
As a newcomer to the Japanese dessert market, Wong said she and her partner continue to actively promote their products by bringing them directly to the public, adding that she was grateful for the opportunity to participate in local vendor markets.
“As small and relatively unknown pastry makers, we truly appreciate the vendor market organised by Woo Woo Whimsy. I hope the government will continue to support such efforts to ensure the future of the cottage industry and people like us,” she said.
She explained that vendor markets provide valuable networking opportunities and help foster relationships among vendors, encouraging the exchange of ideas and potential business collaborations.
Wong also shared her excitement at meeting many young entrepreneurs who are continuing their family culinary legacies while introducing fresh ideas of their own.
“This is very healthy for small vendors like us. People appreciate innovation, and at the very least, we are here to show that we have the culinary skills to satisfy local palates,” she said.
Looking ahead, Wong hopes to one day have her own space and build a better future with her partner, who helped turn her dream of becoming a pastry chef into reality in a relatively short time.
“For now, I’ve found my niche in culinary skills and hope to continue improving,” she said with a smile.
Those interested can check out Wong’s daifuku mochi on Instagram at @jjpastriesstory or contact 011-1129 8721 for more information. — DayakDaily
