WNING and operating a cafe is a dream for many. To them, the dream of running their own business is not just about the excitement of entrepreneurship or the perks of being one’s own boss.
It is about the simplicity of taking life at a leisurely pace, indulging in a passion for food and coffee, and savouring the joy of creating a warm, inviting space for the community.
Take Sharifah Nuril Barieyah for instance. It was her love for baking that spurred her to open Damai Patisserie in Cyberjaya.
But the journey to becoming a proud cafe owner was anything but straightforward for her. It was a winding path that began far from the world of culinary arts.
How it started
According to her, her love for baking was what drove her to pursue her current career.
“Every Hari Raya season, my mother, my sisters and I would be in the kitchen, baking cookies and cakes.
“It was sort of a tradition where it was just us in the kitchen baking together. It got to the point where I loved it so much that my mother encouraged me to bake a cake on my own,” she recalled.
However, she added, at that time, it never crossed her mind to be a baker.
This is because growing up, she dreamt of becoming a scientist. With this dream in mind, she pursued biomedical science but upon starting the course, she realised it wasn’t the right fit for her.
This realisation then prompted her to explore a new passion — criminology, inspired by her fascination with crime series such as CSI.
This has led her to complete a master’s degree in criminology, where she studied the psychology of criminal behaviour and social policies.
“When I started taking up criminology, I really enjoyed it. After graduating from my master’s degree, I went back to Malaysia to get a job.
“I worked with the civil service in Kuching for about two years and was in charge of mental health awareness and also drug policy. It was something I really enjoyed.
“However, unfortunately, there was a little bit of office politics and things going on. On top of that, my contract also ran out. So I thought, I might as well see what else I could do,” she said.
Following the end of her contract, Nuril was offered a job in Cyberjaya at UNIKOP College.
The college, she explained, focused on bringing in students who were eventually wanting to go into policing or any of the fields within policing.
“There, I taught forensic science, criminology and English. I became a lecturer during the COVID-19 pandemic, unfortunately.
“I have to admit that it was a little bit difficult for me and I can’t imagine what it was like for the students,” she said.
During the pandemic, she found herself spending more time at home due to the lockdowns.
Therefore, like many others, she started to bake to fill up the time.
“I remember during that time, people were experimenting on making bread, sourdough and whatnot. My sisters and I were also experimenting and baking something new every now and then,” she said.
Soon after the lockdown was lifted, she moved back to Kuala Lumpur.
“Being there, I had my own space, therefore, I was able to experiment a little bit more.
“That’s when I remembered at the back of my mind, when I was 16-years-old, I had this dream of wanting to open my own cafe. This, to me, is sort of my retirement plan as at that time, I have a career to focus on,” she said.
The turning point
As a lecturer, over time, Nuril shared that her work started to take a toll on her.
“I did not really enjoy being a lecturer because I didn’t really want to come home after work to mark a thousand papers. It was just not my cup of tea.
“Eventually, I told my husband this wild idea of wanting to study culinary. For me, it was something that I wanted to do in the past but I know that it is not really what I should do. Despite the indecisiveness, my husband told me to give it a try and I did.”
From thereon, she made a bold decision to leave her teaching job and enrol in a culinary programme at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu (LCB) in Kuala Lumpur.
Described as a ‘culinary bootcamp’ by her friend, she admitted that the rigorous nine-month course was indeed intense.
“We would start at 7 am and finish at 6 pm, standing on our feet the entire time. There was even a time when they had to cramp our schedules into two weeks.
“I literally didn’t see my husband in those two weeks. Throughout the day of those two weeks, I only saw him once. So it was quite intense and I did not expect it to be that challenging,” she said.
The birth of Damai Patisserie
After completing her training, the idea of opening her own café began to take shape.
According to Nuril, settling in Cyberjaya was a natural choice, as both she and her husband were already living there due to their jobs.
Moreover, they found an ideal spot at Tamarind Square, a charming area that aligned perfectly with their vision for a cozy and aesthetically pleasing café.
Named ‘Damai Patisserie’, the cafe opened its doors to the people in Oct 2023.
She stated that its name was a tribute to her roots in Sarawak.
“Damai means ‘peace,’ and it’s also a reference to Damai, a place that holds special memories for me. So that’s what I really wanted to tie it back to,” she explained.
But why cater French pastries specifically?
According to her, she actually did not intend to focus on French patisserie, however, it was something that she ended up falling in love with while studying culinary.
“When I was in LCB, I started to learn about the little biscuits inside the cakes, the little layers and different textures of a cake.
“I wouldn’t say that French pastries are my absolute favourites but I do love how they incorporate so many different kinds of textures. They must be crunchy, have nice moist layers, and all these things,” she explained.
Nevertheless, she said that the cakes that she made were all connected to her memories.
“A lot of the memories are of what my mother would teach me or the cakes that I would make for her. A lot of the flavours that I use, I tie it to the memories that I had,” she said.
Moreover, being a Sarawakian, she said that it really inspired her to infuse it into her cakes.
Taking gula apong as an example, she said that in her creations, she would choose to use the palm sugar from Sarawak instead of gula melaka.
“The flavour of gula apong is a little bit more diverse compared to gula melaka. It is not too sweet and has an earthy and a little bit nutty flavour whereas gula melaka is just sweet,” she said.
Workshop for everyone
Apart from its amazing pastries and cakes, a standout feature of Damai Patisserie is its array of baking workshops, which have become a core part of its identity.
For Nuril, these workshops are more than just a business offering — they are a way to share her passion and connect with the community.
“The idea for workshops came from my childhood experiences. Growing up, my mother used to send me to baking classes on how to make cookies, cupcakes, and even to classes to decorate cakes and so on.
“I really enjoyed them. I believe that they were really good activities and I wanted to create similar experiences for others,” she said.
Catering to all age groups, she said that the workshops were also one of the ways for her to understand what the community in Cyberjaya actually wanted.
“We’ve had sessions where parents join in with their children, making it a family bonding experience,” she said.
One of the most popular workshops is the children’s cupcake decorating class.
“The best thing about the children’s workshops is they get to decorate the cupcakes that they made. They absolutely love it when I bring out the big box of sprinkles. Their eyes light up, and they get so excited to decorate their cupcakes,” she said.
In addition to that, she said that Damai Patisserie also offered private, one-on-one workshops tailored to individual needs.
“We’ve had some aspiring bakers and single mothers who want to learn more than just the basics while there are also those joining just to have a fun activity,” she said.
Challenges faced in the cafe business
It is undeniable that starting and running a cafe is not something that one can go through without challenges.
For Nuril, she admitted that the early days before she started her business were among the biggest challenges that she faced.
“My biggest challenge throughout this journey is setting up the business itself. As someone new in this field, I did not know the steps needed before I could actually open my cafe but luckily, everything worked in my favour,” she said.
However, despite the smooth process of applying for her business, she recalled that the major bump she faced was the delays during the shop renovation.
“My contractor paused the renovation halfway through just before the fasting month. Due to this, the renovation could only be continued after Hari Raya. On top of that, I also needed to wait for the equipment I needed for my cafe to be in stock.
“Despite these hurdles, I am glad I persevered through it all,” she said.
Like any other business owners, she shared that she too had unique customers that she had to deal with.
“We do have the occasional customers who question the methods that we have and whatnot. Obviously, there are a lot of bumps in the road where we can’t accommodate everybody, unfortunately.
“However, I’m still very grateful that a lot of the customers that we’ve had have been very level-headed and considerate. A lot of them have trusted me with their orders and they are very happy with the outcome. This, for me, is rewarding,” she said.
Looking ahead
As Damai Patisserie continues to grow, Nuril has big plans for its future.
In addition to expanding the workshop offerings, she envisions launching a series of short courses for serious hobbyists and those looking to start their own baking ventures.
Other than that, she also plans to introduce her cafe’s own line of merchandise.
“Because even while I have experience baking with all the equipment that we have, I feel like we could have better equipment.
“So that’s definitely one thing that I wish I could do in the future,” she said.
Advice for aspiring pastry chefs
For a professional baker such as herself, Nuril advised aspiring pastry chefs to be patient and embrace the learning process.
“Baking is as much about failure as it is about success. It’s about understanding your ingredients and being willing to experiment,” she emphasised.
For instance, she said, although it seemed simple, the process of how one mixed butter and sugar could be the reason why the cake did not come out the way it was supposed to be.
“So I would say whatever you’re working on, try and try again. And then you will eventually get to the point where your cake will be perfect just like that.
“It’s a lot of trial and error and it’s a lot of understanding the ingredients you’re using,” she said.
