LANGUIDLY, the dog tilts his head in curiosity, his eyes trained unblinkingly in my direction. Soon, he's joined by a few more of his fellow strays, creating a lazy huddle in the middle of this deserted street in an industrial part of Bandar Sri Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
It's the weekend and all around me, shutters are down on the businesses that make their home in this neighbourhood. The sound of wood sawing and lorries noisily unloading their goods have been replaced by the lonely howling of dogs and the occasional hum from cars slowing down to park.
I REALLY need that coffee, I muse aloud, alighting from the cool shelter of my car and into the searing heat of the midday sun to make my way to my regular coffee haunt. But an unusual bustle in one of the buildings across the road compels me to stop in my tracks.
"Wait a minute? There's a new café?" The question flits through my mind as I spy a procession of women emerging from the building, their hands gingerly balancing what appear to be small cake boxes. Curiosity piqued, I inch nearer, eyes furtively scanning the façade for a signboard that might reveal the nature of the business inside.
Nothing. But there must be something, I argue silently with myself. Hastening my steps, I eventually find myself pushing open the door to the nondescript building only for my senses to be accosted by the heavenly smell of pastries mingling with the aroma of coffee in the air.
"Hiiiii, welcomeeeeeeee!" The cheerful chorus that serenades my entrance takes me by surprise. "It IS a new café!" I silently exclaim, my eyes dancing in excitement at the sight of rows and rows of pastries — croissants, pain au chocolat, apple Danish, et al — and freshly baked breads lining the wooden shelves.
Oh my, what a lucky find!
HIDDEN HAVEN
"I know it's a bit odd having a café in the middle of nowhere, but that's my dad for you, lor!" The words, followed by a hearty chuckle, pierce into my reverie and I'm immediately whisked back to the present, looking into the bemused eyes of Teh Pin Xian, or better known as Eda, owner of The Dough Factory.
I'd just shared with her my early memories of stumbling onto her café those many months ago. Today, barely six months later, renovations are completed, the signage is up, the crowd is unceasing, and the pastries run out far too early.
Suffice it to say, the strays can no longer enjoy their moment in the sun undisturbed with so many cars now making their way to this hidden part of the world and jostling for parking. The opening of The Dough Factory has changed the landscape somewhat.
"There were other locales in the picture but we were hit by hiccups after hiccups. In the end, we decided to open in this area even though some might say it's not ideal considering that it's smack in the middle of an industrial area," elaborates Eda.
But her father, according to the bubbly 27-year-old, welcomed the challenge. "My dad's the sort of person who enjoys carving up something and luring people to us. For him, setting up a café in an established area wouldn't be as thrilling."
Well, his gamble seems to have paid off. Against the grey backdrop of the industrial surrounds, the constant challenge of parking spots, and the uncertainties wrought by the current pandemic, The Dough Factory seems to be thriving.
"When we first got this place in April of this year, it was in a very bad state. It was just a mess," recalls Eda, adding: "The building was previously used for a wood supply business. We renovated extensively and spent a lot to do up everything."
Pointing to the split-level seating arrangement, she shares that in the original structure, everything was just on one level. But they carved everything up during the renovation stage. The café is now divided into four sections — the ground floor, where the pastries and breads are showcased, the coffee is made, and where the hot and cold kitchen are; a terrace of sorts in the second tier leading to the next level where there are more tables for dining; and finally, another set of stairs leading to the upper-level seating.
The upper tier is my favourite part of the café. Large windows line the bare grey cement wall, allowing for sunlight to filter in. Sitting up here also accords one a great view of the bustle outside, and inside the café.
"I was here throughout the whole renovation process," shares Eda, the eldest of four siblings, before confiding that they didn't hire any interior designer to help them with the design of the space. "We'd already spent so much so we thought we'd just do it ourselves," says Eda, adding that they took their cue from their industrial surrounds by infusing that rough cement look for the café.
What about the name The Dough Factory, I couldn't help asking, in between mouthfuls of my buttery pain au chocolat. Eda beams before happily launching into the story. "That name was my brother's idea. Initially, I wanted to call the café Oven Company, the name of my online cake business, which I started when MCO 1.0 began. But someone said that it (the name) didn't have enough 'oomph'!"
So, The Dough Factory it was. The young proprietor, who cites playing online games as her way of destressing, is very clear on what she wants her café to be about.
Confides Eda: "I just want to create a happy space where people can come for great pastries, cakes, coffee and food; where they're served by a young and fun team. I also want to encourage people to come and get their pastries in the morning and enjoy that breakfast culture."
ON THE MENU
The Dough Factory is synonymous for its delectable selection of pastries. Their Sea Salt Kouign Amann — akin to a denser version of a croissant, and caramelised with lots of sugar and salted butter — is a best seller. It goes beautifully with a cup of piping hot coffee.
The fluffy butter croissants and pain au chocolat are also popular and these items, along with other fancy incarnations of the humble croissant, do sell out fast. Eda admits that being artisanal bakers, the team doesn't make a lot of pastries in a day.
Tone understanding, she concedes: "We do run out pretty fast. Sometimes people come in very early and buy boxes of pastries. Other customers come from afar and they see empty shelves, of course, they're left disappointed. But, you can always pre-order the day before and pick up the next day."
The pastries aren't the only crowd-pullers. I have to admit that initially I was skeptical when I clapped eyes on the menu and saw the limited items under the "mains" section. But, don't let that dissuade you from ordering. Because what they lack in quantity, they certainly make up for in quality.
Don't leave without trying their mains, of which there are currently 10 items to choose from. Eda, whose other passion is travelling, recently introduced several rice bowl and big brunch offerings, which include Salted Egg Chicken Rice, Butter Milk Chicken Rice, and Tomato Chicken.
My top picks from the selection of mains are the Squid Ink Aglio Olio and Chili Crab Pasta, which are truly rich and flavourful. And, closely in the running for top pick too is the crispy and juicy Buttermilk Chicken Burger.
Oh, and do check out the exciting selection of Bombolone, essentially Italian filled doughnuts. The dough is pillowy soft and the filling — pick from custard, cinnamon cream cheese, blackberry cream cheese, chocolate waffle, coffee mascarpon — is generous and simply oozes "divine"!
FAMILY AFFAIR
The family already have a few cafes under their wide belts, namely Touche Pastries located in Sect 17, Petaling Jaya, Ground Coffee in Damansara Uptown, run by Eda's younger brother, Derry, and now The Dough Factory, which is Eda's baby.
Meanwhile, Eda's younger sister is currently learning pastry-making at an institution. Her youngest brother, Dave, is studying engineering. Or rather, was. When the MCO hit, he had to press the pause button on his studies.
But rather than sit and wait for things to change, he decided to learn how to bake and make pastries from his father. It took him two weeks to master all the skills and currently, Dave's the one in charge of baking everything.
"Do you know my father is actually a hairstylist by training? He's been in that field for the last 20 years." Eda's sudden question, and subsequent revelation, takes me by surprise. Chuckling at my baffled expression, she continues proudly: "Dad isn't only an artisanal baker but he's also a trained hairstylist."
The patriarch's foray into the F&B business, she continues, was triggered by his desire to have something to fall back on when he can no longer continue with his hairstyling business. It was sometime in 2012/2013 that he decided to learn all about pastry-making and baking.
However, he didn't go for classes or attend any special courses; instead, the driven 50-something simply decided to do his own research from books and hone his skills by diligently following online tutorial videos.
Eda's mother is also a hairstylist but when her husband decided to venture into the F&B line, she followed suit, lending her support behind the scenes. Today, she looks after the operational side of the business, including finance and accounting.
Meanwhile, the KL-born Eda studied culinary arts at KDU College, Damansara, "… because dad wanted me to help him later with the food business," she shares, before confessing that she didn't actually complete the course.
"I stopped halfway due to personal reasons," admits Eda sheepishly, adding: "But two years later, I returned to KDU again, but this time to a different campus to pursue a diploma in Business Administration."
Grinning widely, Eda confides that she's also a hairstylist but decided to step out of her comfort zone to try her hands in the F&B industry. "Both are about creativity. But I just wanted to upgrade myself," she shares, adding that she loves talking to customers, working closely with her team and trying out new things.
Does she have plans to expand her "kingdom", I ask the spirited Sagittarius, picking at the crumbs left on my plate.
Eda shakes her head. Expression earnest, she replies: "Not really. Actually, I'd like to try my hands at different industries and own different businesses, not just the café line. At one time I wanted to open an ingredients shop, like the House of Ingredients. I'm still working on that!"
The Dough Factory, W.P, 32, Jalan Gangsa SD 5/3B, Bandar Sri Damansara, KL
Check out their IG page for details @thedoughfactory.my.
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