“I was baking from home, and I would post photos of what I made daily on Instagram. I started growing a following,” Tan, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, told FMT Lifestyle.
“I soon began receiving invites to teach cake decorating, and travelled around the world teaching in places like Indonesia and China, and even Europe and the US.”
After about four years, Tan returned to Melbourne, where he has been living since 2006. He originally intended to open a teaching studio but had to pivot when the pandemic hit.
As the first Melbourne lockdown ended in 2020, Tan adapted his space into a bakery-café and christened it “Raya”. Its name bears multiple meanings: it is a nod to “Straya”, a slang term for Australia; his name Raymond; and, of course, the Malay word for “celebrate”.
Raya.Melbourne offers a variety of sweet treats with Malaysian and Southeast Asian flavours, including everyone’s favourite kuih.
This cosy spot, nestled away in Melbourne’s central business district, is a haven for homesick Malaysians, with local delights such as teh tarik, kaya toast and bingka ubi kayu served alongside Aussie fare such as sandwiches, cakes and pies.
“I wanted to champion Southeast Asian and Malaysian flavours. Savoury Malaysian food is quite accessible here, since we already have several Malaysian restaurants. But we didn’t have many selling Malaysian sweets.
“So I think our kuih resonated with a lot of people, especially those with a nostalgia for it,” Tan said.
Even Melbourne locals have been fascinated with his offerings. For newbies, he recommends starting on foods with flavour profiles they might be already familiar with, such as onde-onde or sago rolls.
Some of Raya’s most popular offerings are the kuih lapis and kuih talam – Tan believes customers are drawn to their vibrant colours. Indeed, many of the eatery’s luscious pastries are infused with homemade flavours: there’s even kaya toast and Ribena cakes!
Operating an F&B business is always challenging, especially in Melbourne’s highly competitive café landscape. Tan recalls business being particularly tough in the first two years, especially given the pandemic.
Thankfully, Raya withstood this difficult phase, and Tan believes it has carved out its own little niche in the city’s culinary scene. He credits the outlet’s central location as a major factor in its success.
Business especially booms during festive seasons such as Chinese New Year and Aidilfitri, when Raya’s festive cookies are in high demand.
And just last month, Tan opened his second eatery in Melbourne named Dua Bakehouse, located in Collingwood. He also plans to open a smaller coffeeshop in the future.
“Overall, I hope to create an experience that will help you cure your homesickness or offer you something totally new,” Tan said.
“We will keep trying to do new things at Raya and Dua, and I look forward to more people trying what we have to offer.”
Follow Raya.Melbourne on Facebook and Instagram. Also learn more about Dua Bakehouse here.