After six years of playing professionally – with Selangor FA, PKNS (now Selangor FC II), and Mifa FC (now Petaling Jaya City FC) – he decided it was time to try something new.
Darshen pursued a career in the pharmaceutical industry but found himself itching for more. Then he remembered how, when he was younger, he used to watch his mother bake.
“I would always be in the kitchen helping her and annoying her at the same time,” he laughs, adding that this memory provided the inspiration for what he would do next.
Today, he straps on his football boots every weekend and puts on an apron at other times. The 27-year-old juggles his pharmaceutical job and passion for football with two side ventures – one of them being DashKLBakes, an online baking business.
Darshen tells FMT that he started out by baking 10 containers of chocolate chip cookies, which he gave to his friends. To his surprise, everyone loved the treats – the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy – and wanted more.
Spurred on by this, he got to work. After several months of experimentation in the kitchen, he officially launched DashKLBakes in February.
Even as the movement control order (MCO) came into effect in May, the business continued to expand. “I’ve begun selling brownies and cheese tarts, and am even taking requests for cakes,” Darshen shares.
“I’m very glad to see DashKLBakes progressing even during these difficult times. The pandemic has hit all of us hard mentally and physically, but I hope I am able to put a smile on my customers’ faces through my baking.”
Darshen currently runs DashKLBakes on his own but hopes to bring in more helpers in the future. In the meantime, his love for football remains unabated as he continues to play semi-professionally.
“I usually wake up at 6am on weekends and bake till about 1pm, then head out for football,” he says.
Although it can be extremely tiring, he has learnt to manage his time and always plans ahead to ensure he is able to complete his tasks with ease.
At the end of the day, he says, he is happy and motivated when he sees customers enjoying his baked goods.
And because he clearly doesn’t have enough on his plate, the ambitious young man decided to do even more.
“I opened up my very own barber shop just a few months ago,” he reveals, acknowledging it was a risky step to take during the MCO but he is grateful they were able to pull through.
“Ace of Fades”, located at Tropicana Avenue in PJ, provides men with a fresh cut and shave. “My intention has always been to put a smile on someone’s face in any way I can,” Darshen says of this hairy venture.
“Watching men walk out of the barber shop with confidence and a smile on their face after a new look keeps me going.”
Get your fix of choc chip cookies at RM25 per container or RM40 for two. To order, check out DashKLBakes on Instagram.
For your haircutting needs, visit Ace of Fades’ website.