A sweet bonding experience: Our day at IDIM DIY Bakery

Last Saturday, after a visit to Alyson’s doctor at Chinese General Hospital, we found ourselves with some extra time on our hands. At times like this, we usually hit the mall. So this time, we headed to Megamall, thinking we’d catch a flick. But, as fate would have it, the movie lineup didn’t pique Alyon’s interest. That’s when she had a lightbulb moment—why not trade popcorn for flour and movie tickets for oven mitts?

You got it—we ended up at IDIM DIY Bakery, a haven where you can bake your very own cake from scratch! It was an unexpected but utterly delightful twist to our day, and I’m so glad that Alyson was absolutely thrilled by what she was doing, although she got exhausted after.

So let me tell you the story of the day we got the finest find for bonding moments.

The arrival

Walking up to IDIM, contrary to what some would think when they hear of baking, the smell of freshly baked goods didn’t exactly hit us—no surprise there, given its location amidst a sea of restaurants. But what did catch my eye were the mixers, ovens, and ingredients all neatly lined up inside. I couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement (though I tried to keep it in check so as not to outshine Alyson’s own enthusiasm, haha).

You see, my nanny, Ate Daya, who was a part of our family for over 40 years before she passed away, was a baker. I grew up spending countless hours watching her whip up all sorts of delicious treats. So, seeing all this baking gear at IDIM instantly took me down memory lane.

As we got in line outside IDIM, a staff member greeted us warmly but also informed us that we’d have to wait an hour due to the crowd. Now, standing in line for an hour isn’t exactly my idea of fun, especially since IDIM doesn’t take reservations. Leave the line, lose your spot—that’s the rule. But Alyson was so keen on this experience that I agreed to wait. Lucky for us, it didn’t even take 30 minutes before we were ushered inside.

Kyo and Aly at IDIM — Me, Alyson, and the wonderful IDIM staff member

Choosing our cake

While we were still in line, a staff member came over to help us pick our cake. At first, we settled on a blueberry cheesecake—Dad’s favorite. But then Alyson caught sight of a dinosaur cake, and the kid in her just lit up! She’s such a dino aficionado that she memorized all the dinosaurs from her “I Wonder Why” book set when she was five years old. So, naturally, we switched gears and opted for the dinosaur cake.

Once inside, we paid for our cake and, ahem, our coffee (more on that later). We were handed a tablet displaying the recipe we’d be following. After a quick orientation on where to find what in the room, we donned our aprons. Just like that, we morphed into (aspiring) bakers, ready to conquer the culinary world—or at least a dinosaur cake.

Teamwork makes the dream work

We only had two hours to make our cake, and teamwork is vital. I played the role of Alyson’s sous chef there. I wanted her to get the full experience, so I mostly stuck to reading the recipe and giving her gentle nudges on what to do next. Sure, I stepped in to help her weigh the ingredients when the first scale we grabbed started acting up, but other than that, she was the chef in charge.

She took on everything from microwaving the chocolate oil and mixing the ingredients to preheating the oven and the actual baking. And let’s not forget the decorating—that was all hers too. My role? I mostly fetched tools like spatulas or spoons when Alyson needed them. Whenever I heard her say, “What’s next, Ma?” I knew it was my cue to guide her through the next step on the tablet.

Honestly, it was all pretty straightforward. We had a few initial hiccups figuring out where everything was, but hey, it’s not our kitchen, so a little confusion was to be expected. Simple as it was, it’s a moment I’ll hold dear forever.

Alyson learning to use the mixer — Alyson heating the chocolate oil

Into the oven

Alyson was over the moon when one of the staff confirmed that her batter was spot-on. With a big smile, she poured the batter into the silicone pan (or is it a mold? Who knows, haha) and popped it into the oven.

As we waited those 17 long minutes, Alyson got busy with the frosting. I’ve got to hand it to the IDIM staff—they’re incredibly helpful. Whipping frosting is a delicate art; too little and it falls apart; too much and it’s a mess. Thankfully, the staff guided us to get it just right.

When the oven timer finally rang, Alyson sent me on a mission to retrieve our cake and place it in the cooling station. She was on a quest of her own, hunting for food coloring. Even the staff couldn’t locate the green we needed, but no worries—Alyson’s an artist. She knew she could mix colors to get the perfect shade of green, so she set off to experiment.

Once the frosting was ready, Alyson loaded it into a piping bag. We grabbed our now-cooled cake and got down to decorating. It was a bit tricky, not because of the color but because of the cake’s elevation—those dino legs made it a challenge to get the frosting evenly spread. But hey, we managed!

Enjoying our dino cake and DIY coffee

And just like that, we were done. Our dino cake was safely tucked into its box, and Alyson looked wiped out. She’s never been this hands-on in our kitchen, so this baking adventure was a big deal for her. Seeing her so tired, I decided to whip up some DIY coffee. Oh yeah, IDIM isn’t just about cakes—you can DIY your milk tea and coffee too. I even got our faces printed on the whipped cream. Making coffee isn’t rocket science, but an iced coffee was the perfect way to cap off the day. Seeing our faces floating on the coffee is cherry on top of this wonderful experience.

Back home, the family—Maia, Ino, Mom, and Dad—were all puzzled when they saw a dino cake complete with candles. “Whose birthday is it?” they asked. Our response? “Ah, we just thought it’d be fun to bake.” You could see the skepticism in their eyes. I mean, can you blame them? We’re not exactly seasoned bakers, and here we are, offering them our DIY cake. Risky business, right?

But guess what? They loved it. It wasn’t overly sweet, and the blueberry filling was a hit, especially with Dad. The cake was small, so everyone only got a little, but the rave reviews made us feel like our day at IDIM was money and time well spent. Plus, Alyson and I had a blast. Maia was so jealous; she’s already planning her own IDIM adventure. So it’s settled—Alyson’s next birthday is going to be an IDIM extravaganza.

Alyson enjoying her coffee — Our faces on coffee

A sweet ending to a sweeter day

So there you have it—a day filled with flour, frosting, and family fun. If you’re looking for a unique bonding experience, I can’t recommend IDIM DIY Bakery enough. The memories you make there will be well worth the effort it takes to make your cake.

And hey, if you’re curious to see what others have baked up, check out their Facebook page here. Who knows? You might just find inspiration for your next family outing!

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