After three years of being a home-based florist, the 28-year-old decided to open a florist studio last year so she would have a place to conduct workshops.
While designing it, she thought of designating a section of the studio for a small cafe where her students could indulge in coffee and cake.
The prolonged lockdowns, however, meant Melanie had to delay the workshops, but she didn’t let this stop her. She went ahead and launched CC by Mel in January, despite the onset of another movement control order that meant she could only do takeaways and deliveries.
The cosy cafe, located in a residential neighbourhood in Bukit Jalil, is more than your average brunch stop. The dishes are colourful and come with Melanie’s trademark of being garnished with edible flowers.
“I wanted my food to be different and hoped it would bring a smile to my customers’ faces,” she tells FMT.
Being a big fan of Japanese cuisine, Melanie knew she wanted to sell Japanese food. “But after surveying the area, we realised there were many Japanese restaurants around, so we had to do something else to be different.”
After extensive research and experimentation, she and her chef eventually decided on Japanese fusion food. “We started by taking dishes like nori taco (seaweed wrap) and infusing other elements to see if it would work,” she explains.
They also added a spin on nasi lemak by incorporating karaage, or Japanese fried chicken, and edamame.
Having studied food science and nutrition at university, Melanie uses premium-quality ingredients and all dishes are prepared only upon ordering to ensure freshness.
Melanie says she has been pleasantly surprised by the warm response to CC by Mel.
When dining-in was permitted in March, “we noticed many customers who had previously ordered takeaways had come to eat in person”, she says, adding that the positive growth in sales led to desserts and pastries being added to the menu.
“We used to sell panna cotta as our main dessert but, unfortunately, it is difficult to deliver to our customers,” she shares.
To make up for this, CC by Mel began selling eclairs. The Triple-Clair box, which features three different flavours, quickly became a bestseller.
Like many, Melanie is eagerly waiting for better times and with all her staff fully vaccinated, they cannot wait to greet customers once again in person.
“I am grateful people continue to support us and that we are able to grow even during these difficult times,” she says.
“Once things get better, I want to move CC by Mel to a bigger place, and use the current space to reopen my florist studio and conduct workshops again,” she adds.
Check out CC by Mel on Facebook and Instagram to satisfy your fusion-food cravings.