"There are a lot of things to consider with just one cake recipe," Melbourne-based store owner Sonya Nguyen tells SBS Food. "It's about the right temperature and humidity. It's the way you whisk, how strong you mix. It's understanding your batter and feeling what's right."
Even though Nguyen's desserts are about the method and feeling, her decision to pursue a culinary path was paved with hard work, intuition and nostalgia.
Give up to give in
In 2011, Nguyen left Vietnam to join her sisters in Australia. "My parents stayed behind because they had to take care of their business and my grandparents," Nguyen says.
After finishing university and pursuing a career in finance, Nguyen admits that she didn't really see herself in the industry indefinitely. What she did see was a career shift.
"Baking always felt right. There was one time I made kouign-amann. It's like a croissant. The pastry is a tricky thing to make; but at that time, it came so easily to me."
KOUIGN-AMMAN RECIPE
Kouign-amann
When she was was 24, she told her parents that she wanted to quit her job and pursue baking. "They were hesitant at first, but I had the luxury to follow my dream."
Following her dream meant studying again and training under some of the best chocolatiers and pastry chefs in Melbourne.
"Chef Arno Backes of was kind enough to train me for three months. Those months confirmed to me how much I wanted to become a chef. I decided to enrol in [cooking school] Le Cordon Bleu. I was part of the first batch of students here in Melbourne," Nguyen says.
After her studies, Nguyen worked at the Om Nom Dessert Bar at the Adelphi Hotel in Melbourne's CBD under the mentorship of pastry chef of MasterChef Australia fame.
Little things mean a lot
"Baking is my happy place," Nguyen says. "When the pandemic hit, my partner, Aaron, and I thought of creating pastries you can send to your loved ones to let them know you care. That's how [my food store] A Little Something Cake was born."
Initially, Nguyen sold her goods online; but after the first lockdown was lifted and things started to ease, she decided to open a physical store.
"We thought everything was going to be okay," she says. "Then the second lockdown happened."
With a professional kitchen she could utilise, Nguyen fully committed to growing her business during the second lockdown.
"We grew organically because of our loyal customers and the food blogger community. Having an online presence and being able to deliver our goods helped us grow."
Proof in the choux
The sweets Nguyen is most known for are boba cakes (milk-tea cakes with tapioca balls) and choux au craquelin (crispy cream puffs).
"When I was in culinary school, one of the very first tests I had to undergo was creating choux pastry; so for me, it's quite personal. It takes me back to how I started."
Boba cakes are also quite personal.
"I was in search of the perfect sponge cake recipe. It's something I grew up with. We used to eat lemon sponge cakes as a snack, but I found that they dried easily." She learned from her mistakes and decided on a cake that stays soft.
"The taro boba cake, in particular, is very sentimental to me. Taro was something we always ate. In Vietnam, we have a very purple taro soup called canh khoai môn that I have so many fond memories of.
"I plan on adding more Vietnamese and other Asian flavours to our desserts, like Vietnamese coffee. For me, the foundations of food and baking are my memories and my culture. They are what I value."
334 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria
Mon-Sat: 9am-2pm
