BY GILLIAN NESSLYN
FROM mouth-watering desserts to unique perfumes, Isekai Pixel World Market at CityOne Megamall in Kuching offers a plethora of surprises from small entrepreneurs with big dreams.
Open from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm, the pop-up market held over five days, from April 30 to May 4, has brought together local vendors who are eager to share their creations with the public.
Among the standouts is ‘Eunice Bakes’, owned by Eunice Teo Ee, a recent Hospitality Management graduate.
“I’m actually just a home baker,” she said.
“It’s more of a hobby right now because I want to pursue my Master’s degree, but after I graduate, I want to turn this into a serious side business.”
Teo specialises in making Choux au Craquelin – a cream puff with a crispy layer-like polo bread.
Made fresh daily, the puffs come in three flavours: dark chocolate cream, vanilla cream custard, and matcha white chocolate.
“Dark chocolate is my best-selling, and I would say lots of people go for the chocolate flavour because it’s a safe zone when trying something new,” she said.
What sets her cream puff apart, she believes, is the rich filling.
“I make it a 50-50 mix, 50 per cent cream and 50 per cent pure chocolate or custard.
“I don’t like the taste of plain whipped cream, so I make something I would enjoy eating myself,” she said.
Her first experience opening a stall was a learning curve.
“There were a lot of things to think about, like how to promote the brand, design posters, and interact with customers.
“It’s been a valuable training ground,” she said.
Another standout stall is ‘Dolce’, an ice cream shop from Saradise that Vincent Ngui has been running for six years.
Dolce offers more than 30 flavours of gelato and soft serve, with their dark chocolate made from 70 per cent Belgian chocolate as the top choice for customers.
“For me, it’s bitter but customers love it,” Ngui says with a laugh.
Dolce started after Ngui stopped running a Western restaurant.
“Restaurants were too time-consuming, I wanted more time with my family and ice cream gave me that balance,” he said.
Although there was no official social media team yet, Dolce’s reputation spread through word of mouth and events like this.
“I once made a joke flavour like broccoli for April Fools’ Day.
“Some people didn’t want to try it, but some said it was delicious.
“I like playing around with flavours – some worked, some didn’t, but I’m always open to learn from feedback,” he said.
Ngui also said that one of the challenges that he faced during the pop-up market is definitely the weather because the unpredictable rain disrupts everything.
For miniature perfume lovers, the ‘Melia’s Pop Up Store’ stall owned by Amelia Lee Pei En is a must.
Their main product is a collection of small-sized perfumes that use original perfumes but are bottled in travel-friendly sizes.
“Very easy to carry, especially when travelling and many customers come back to buy,” said Lee.
Lee has been running this business full-time for the past two years because of her passion for mini-items and fragrances.
“We will be doing a DIY perfume workshop in the future.
“And if you follow our Instagram, you can play the gacha machine at the stall and win free prizes,” she said.
One unique thing about Lee’s stall is that you can try the perfumes beforehand.
“You can try everything before you buy as we offer a lot of options,” she said.
According to her, one of the challenges she faces when doing a pop-up stall is the weather.
“Hot weather can cause the smell and colour of the perfume to change,” says Lee.
Next to the stall is another sweet sensation – ‘Burnt & Bliss’, also owned by Lee along with Miko and Renee.
Miko, who’s in charge of baking, shared that they offer tiramisu and burnt cheesecake in up to 12 different flavours.
For tiramisu, popular flavours include original, oreo, grape, strawberry, mango, blueberry and pistachio.
“Our cheesecakes come in original, earl grey, holick, coffee and pistachio.
“Holick and pistachio are our best sellers.
“And if you like a strong cheese flavour, try the original,” she added.
Renee mentioned that the main challenge was in terms of preparation.
“It takes a long time to bake and wash, plus, the weather can be difficult at times,” she said.
Lee also said that their participation in this market gave them an opportunity to expand the recognition of their brand.
“This is a great opportunity to introduce our brand, and I hope more people would know and like our desserts,” said Lee.
Despite weather challenges – especially the unpredictable rain – the Isekai Pixel World Market remains a lively showcase of budding entrepreneurs.
For these vendors, it’s not just about sales; it’s about storytelling, brand-building, and slowly turning side hustles into full-fledged businesses.
