PETALING JAYA, May 16 -- After clinching a silver medal at the prestigious Asian Pastry Cup last month, Malaysian chefs Foo Yi Qing, 28, and Mun Pui Teng, 31, have earned a coveted spot to compete for the world title in France next year.

Their journey to the podium was built on a demanding schedule at the Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts (APCA), where both chefs teach by day and train by night.

For the past four months, the academy's kitchen served as their training ground as they worked to perfect the recipes that ultimately saw them triumph in Singapore.

The competition itself was an intense eight-hour challenge of skill and creativity. The duo was tasked with creating three distinct desserts for 24 people, alongside a towering su...