Baking Dreams and Bridging Cultures : The Sweet Story of Subhashini’s Malaysian Pastries in Mauritius

From Malaysia to Mauritius, Subhashini Tharmaraju Chinien has carried her passion for pastry-making across borders. Driven by a longing for the familiar flavours of home and encouraged by her loved ones, she decided to turn her love for Malaysian cakes and pastries into a business. The devoted baker shares her inspiring journey with News on Sunday.

It starts with the smell of pandan leaves, freshly plucked from her own garden. The gentle hum of a mixer. The rich aroma of Gula Melaka melting into a drizzle. In a quiet kitchen in Mauritius, Subhashini Tharmaraju Chinien is busy at work, crafting cakes that tell a story - her story.

She never imagined she would one day be here, living on an island far from where she was born, bringing the taste of Malaysia to people who had never heard of pandan before. But life, as she would come to learn, has a way of surprising us in the sweetest ways.

A Childhood Filled with Laughter, Travel, and Big Dreams

Subhashini’s story begins in Malaysia, where her childhood was filled with joy, family gatherings, and a love for exploration. “Growing up with a big family, lots of cousins, and traveling around Malaysia every school holiday - it was amazing,” she recalls with a smile. “I wouldn’t exchange it for anything.”

Her biggest dream as a child was to see the world. She was always fascinated by different cultures and wanted to experience life beyond the familiar streets of her hometown. But she never imagined that one day, she would be living on a small island in the Indian Ocean, far from the bustling life of Malaysia.

Her path seemed to be set in a different direction. She was pursuing a BSc in Biotechnology, a field far removed from the art of baking. But fate had other plans. It was during a semester break that her life took an unexpected turn. She travelled to the UK to visit her cousin, thinking it would be just another adventure. Instead, it became the trip that changed everything.

That’s where she met the man who would become her husband - a Mauritian. Love has a way of rewriting our plans, and before she knew it, she was packing her bags for Mauritius, ready to begin a new chapter.
When she arrived in 2008, the reality of her new home hit her hard. “I had culture shock,” she admits. The pace of life was different. Mauritius was slower, quieter. And though she grew to appreciate its beauty, she couldn’t shake the longing for the vibrant energy of Malaysia. But what she missed the most wasn’t just the fast-paced city life - it was the food.

Finding Comfort in Baking

Food has a way of connecting us to home. For Subhashini, that connection started long before she moved to Mauritius. As a child, she and her mother would bake cakes and cookies for Deepavali, filling their home with the warmth of butter, sugar, and spices.

“I always loved to bake,” she says. “My mother and I would make special treats for festivals, and I loved watching baking and cooking programs on TV.” But back then, baking was just a joyful hobby. It wasn’t until she moved to Mauritius that it became something more.

Missing the familiar tastes of home, she started baking Malaysian treats for her family. Soon, she was sharing them with friends. They were fascinated by the flavours, asking her to make more. Encouraged by their enthusiasm, she began taking small orders for birthdays, holidays, and special events. That’s when Cream of Paradise was born.

Bringing Malaysian Flavors to Mauritius

Starting a baking business in Mauritius wasn’t easy. “There are so many home bakers here,” she explains. “At first, I wondered how I would stand out. But then I thought - why not introduce something new? Why not bring the flavours of my roots to Mauritius?”

She decided to focus on Malaysian cakes and pastries, flavours that were unfamiliar to most Mauritians. To her surprise, people embraced them with open arms. Her Pandan Cake with Gula Melaka and toasted coconut became an instant hit. “I grow my own pandan plant, so I use fresh and natural pandan flavour in my cakes,” she says proudly. The rich, aromatic taste of pandan, combined with the deep caramel sweetness of Gula Melaka, quickly became a customer favourite.

“I was shocked at how much Mauritians loved it,” she laughs. “Even my Malaysian, Singaporean, and Indonesian friends here say it tastes just like home.”

Keeping her recipes authentic was important to her. “I do my best to use local ingredients that match what I would find in Malaysia. That way, I can maintain the same taste and texture.”

Ramadan: A Special Time for Baking and Memories

For Subhashini, Ramadan is more than just a busy season for business - it’s a time of nostalgia, tradition, and reconnecting with her roots.

“In Malaysia, Ramadan is such a special time. The bazaars, the community, the food - it’s an experience,” she says. “The streets are lined with stalls selling fragrant nasi lemak, murtabak, kuih, and pandan-infused treats.” Now, in Mauritius, she brings a piece of that tradition to others. Her kitchen becomes a Ramadan bazaar of its own, filled with the smell of pandan, coconut, and spices. She receives countless orders for iftar, especially for pandan pastries.

“I don’t overwhelm myself,” she says. “I only take the number of orders I can handle so I can ensure the same fresh quality every time.”

Balancing Family and Business

Being an entrepreneur is challenging. Being an entrepreneur, a wife, and a mother? Even more so. But Subhashini has found a way to make it work.

“Balancing all three roles is tough, but it’s possible with the right mindset,” she explains. “Time management, setting priorities, and self-care are key. But most importantly, having a supportive husband and kids makes all the difference.”

Her family is her biggest support system. “My husband and kids help whenever I need a hand,” she says. And when it comes to food, they are her biggest fans. “They love Hainanese Chicken Rice and Nasi Lemak,” she laughs. “And because my Mauritian friends kept asking, I now take orders for Nasi Lemak Mauritius as well!”

As she looks ahead, Subhashini has big dreams. “In five years, I’d love to open a restaurant, bringing more Malaysian flavours to Mauritius,” she says. “Not just cakes - full meals, the way we have back home.”
She also sees herself teaching others, passing on the secrets of Malaysian pastries through baking classes. “That could be an amazing idea! Teaching people would not only introduce more people to Malaysian flavours but also connect me even more with the community.”

Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs - especially expatriates starting in a foreign country is - “Build a support network, embrace the local culture, and stay adaptable. It’s not always easy, but if you believe in what you do, people will believe in it too. And most importantly? Trust the journey. Even when it feels uncertain, it just might lead you somewhere sweeter than you ever imagined.”

For Subhashini, that place is here - in Mauritius, in her kitchen, surrounded by the smell of pandan and caramelized sugar. Home is not just a place. It’s a taste, a feeling, a memory - one that she’s sharing with Mauritius, one cake at a time.