KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 2 -- When an architect trades blueprints for recipes, precision doesn't disappear - it simply finds new expression.

For Alyassa Kamal, founder of Surey! Thai Coconut Ice Cream, that transition from architecture to dessert-making was less a career change than a creative evolution.

He says, "I've always loved food and the joy of seeing people enjoy something I've made."

That passion took form during the pandemic when he opened a small restaurant in Wangsa Melawati called Sureephorn - named after his Thai mother - serving southern Thai comfort dishes from the Hatyai region.

The cosy eatery began as a side project to supplement income, but one dessert quickly stole the spotlight: the house coconut ice cream.

He recalls...