Sucré Du Jour is a French-inspired pastry shop with two locations in Melbourne, Australia (Photo: Sucré Du Jour)
The term “nominative determinism” was coined by editor John Hoyland in 1994. His column in Feedback magazine brought widespread attention to the fascinating phenomenon of people whose names perfectly aligned with their professions — Daniel Snowman, a writer on polar exploration; and Richard Trench, author of a book on subterranean London — and invited readers to submit their own examples.
Eigen Ting would have been a shoo-in for consideration had he not traded calculations for cakes. “My dad is an engineer, hence my name Eigen — like in ‘eigenvalues’,” explains the pastry chef behind Sucré Du Jour, a burgeoning pâtisserie in Melbourne, Australia. (Meaning “sugar of the day” in French, the name is spelled with an acute “é” to help customers pronounce it more easily.)
Founded in 2020 by Ting and his wife and chief flavour-tester, Josephin Tan, Sucré has become a cult favourite for its masterful yet whimsical blending of traditional French techniques with beloved pan-Asian flavours. Its petits gâteaux carry the golden stamp of being not too sweet and favouring levity, freshness and nostalgic profiles. The Camberwell flagship was joined by a branch in the city’s CBD last year.
For Ting, a career in food was never on the table growing up. Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, the “pure science” student loved mathematics and originally had his sights set on becoming an accountant. After completing his secondary education, however, Ting realised that a sedentary life chained to a desk was not for him. “I was getting pretty good at cooking instant noodles. So, I figured, ‘Why not try being a chef?’” he quips.
After his exams, Ting applied to Taylor’s University for a Diploma in Culinary Arts, initially specialising in cuisine.
“Back then, I did not have the slightest interest in pastry — it was tedious and I didn’t enjoy it. I was the worst among my peers at making even the most basic elements like tart shells or génoise sponges.”
But his degree took a not-so-savoury turn when his aversion to blood made butchery class a struggle. Confidence waning but vehemently opposed to going down without a fight, Ting resolved to revisit the sweet side through the fresh perspective of his old flame — number crunching.
“I came to enjoy a lot of the scientific aspects and technical intricacies of pastry. It took me a while to understand the ingredients, chemical reactions and processes, but from there I discovered how interesting pâtisserie can be. There’s so much more to the product than meets the eye,” he says.
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Ting moved to Singapore following his studies with a comprehensive plan in mind. By working in a variety of establishments, he could experience the hospitality and F&B industries from multiple dimensions. An internship at Raffles Hotel rooted his culinary philosophy; clinching a spot at the prestigious Joël Robuchon Restaurant revealed the inner workings of fine dining at its peak; and heading the production kitchen of TWG Tea imparted lessons in leadership. Finally, a visa sponsorship opportunity from an Australian gastropub took him Down Under and allowed him the freedom to curate his own dessert programme based on seasonal ingredients and customer tastes. “The more you see, the more you’ll be able to use your skill set. Running a business encompasses so much beyond making something to sell.”
The series of industry placements became his training montage en route to setting up his own shop — the ultimate goal for any pastry chef, Ting asserts. He and Tan had begun hunting for a space well before Sucré opened its doors, and when it did, the pandemic came as an unexpected catalyst. Their “minimal branding, minimal packaging” approach, combined with the foresight to develop online and delivery platforms, ushered sales along during a period when many were sending food as gifts.
“Over time, I discovered the things I enjoy serving, in terms of flavour, balance and palate. I started thinking about what exactly my style is and how to capitalise on it. With our own place, we could showcase more of it,” he says. “You’ll see very few heavy chocolate desserts on our menu. We keep things fruity, light, tart and try to use ingredients that are a little less common in cakes.”
Sucré’s catalogue of confections changes as often as every fortnight, with Ting heading most of the R&D. Its two mainstays, though, are the Limon Tart and Macadamia and Cereal Tart. “Tarte au citron, I believe, is something every French pâtisserie should have,” he says. “Ours uses a mix of citrus. We candy whole lemons with a lemon yuzu gel, accompanied with a yuzu curd and lime chantilly.” The zesty, refreshing yet elegant delight is so well loved that it appears as a mascot on the store’s merchandise.
The second staple, a tarte au chocolat, incorporates inspiration from the couple’s trip to New York. “[While there,] we had Christina Tosi’s cereal milk ice cream and I said, ‘This is unreal.’ It was texturally unbelievable and so playful! We came back and figured out how to mimic it using cornflakes and macadamia.” These components found their way into the toothsome classic, now with a toasty, fun twist.
Other offerings include the White Coffee Opera, made with old-school Ah Huat three-in-one sachets; Pear-fection, a basket of hazelnut, osmanthus and vanilla cradling glossy nashi pear compote; and Sucré’s signature Mont Blanc, which Ting and team reinvent annually. This sixth edition features a chestnut mousse, hazelnut praline and crunch, and black sesame sponge in a delicately piped, wavy cylinder. The store also serves out-of-the-box drinks such as the Kaya Toast Latte and Peanut Butter Sobacha, alongside simpler viennoiseries and macarons.
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Though the sweets may be demure, Ting’s dreams are anything but. “We have potential plans to expand internationally. Our goal for the next few years is to put the systems in place to scale up, go global and spread the love. Josephin and I really enjoy building our team and meeting good people.”
Cultivating skills and knowledge is just as important as being responsive to feedback — values he instils in his staff. “I don’t know if you’ve met many chefs, but we tend to think we’re always right, even when we’re not,” laughs Ting. “At the end of the day, we have to engage with and listen to customers.”
Refining recipes and building relationships with clientele is one thing, but compromising on Sucré’s distinctive concepts is not up for discussion. Some patrons have requested conventional cheesecakes or brownies be added to the menu, but the chef remains firm. “This is our identity. I’d rather serve a hundred loyal customers who genuinely love what we do than try to please a thousand with a mediocre product.” Perhaps the German word for “one’s own”, suits this ambitious artisan more than he realises.
This article first appeared on Aug 24, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
