Flavors On The Road with Marilyn Amaterasu

I got a golden invitation to Perfect Pastry‘s Sweet X-Mas food event—and honestly, it was the festive break my food-loving heart needed. Picture this: a Christmas high tea party brimming with delicious bites, followed by a hands-on cookie decorating workshop. The masterminds behind it all? Nermina, the owner of Perfect Pastry, and her friend Anuschka from Hipaholic. I arrived early with Anne Marie from Myhappykitchen, ready to explore what this cozy bakery had in store. Before diving into my own story, I want to share Nermina’s inspiring journey—how she went from being an expat partner in The Hague to building her dream bakery from the ground up. Her story is one of resilience, passion, and beautiful pastries. Curious to know how it all began? Keep reading.

Background of the owner of Perfect Pastry

The story begins with Nermina Brkis. Originally from Bosnia, she moved to the Netherlands in 2000 with her husband, who worked at the Yugoslavia Tribunal in The Hague.

A little background:

The Yugoslavia Tribunal was established in The Hague in 1993 to prosecute war crimes committed during the Yugoslav civil war. It brought all 161 indictees to trial, including key figures such as Slobodan Milosevic, Radovan Karadzic, and Ratko Mladic. The tribunal closed in 2017, but its legacy lives on — The Hague is now globally known as the International City of Peace and Justice, home to the International Criminal Court and many other organisations in international law and humanitarian aid.

 

What was meant to be a three-year stay turned into seventeen. The first few years were tough — Nermina didn’t speak Dutch, knew no one, and was often alone while her husband worked long days. On top of that, the expat agreement meant she wasn’t allowed to do paid work for ten years. Rather than sitting still, she used that time wisely: she explored The Hague, took Dutch language classes, and threw herself into volunteer work to build a social life and stay connected. After four years, her husband was offered a posting elsewhere — but they chose to stay. The Hague had become home. With its beaches, greenery, monumental buildings, and international atmosphere (160 embassies and counting), it’s easy to see why. Many partners of diplomats and expats will no doubt recognise Nermina’s story.

The founding of Perfect Pastry

After her ten-year work restriction ended, Nermina decided to chase a dream: opening her own patisserie. She completed professional training in cake decoration and sugar flower work, then in 2012 opened Perfect Pastry in The Hague. The name says it all—she wanted her creations to embody perfection: handmade from scratch with fresh ingredients, beautiful to look at, and absolutely delicious. The name reflects her philosophy of striving for excellence in every cake, cupcake, and cookie.

Perfect Pastry isn’t just a bakery—it’s also a workshop studio. Nermina started offering hands-on classes for children, adults, and corporate groups, teaching everything from cookie decorating to baking cakes from scratch. She carefully tailors each order to her customers’ wishes: custom flavors and designs, sugar-free options, vegan cakes, allergy-friendly alternatives. Whether it’s a tiered wedding cake, colorful cupcakes, or decorated cookies, she works with precision and passion to bring her clients’ visions to life.

My Experience at the Sweet X-Mas Food Event from Perfect Pastry

A few weeks ago, Perfect Pastry invited me to their Sweet X-Mas food event — and I dragged Anne Marie from Myhappykitchen along for the ride. We headed to the Gentsestraat in Scheveningen, a cozy little shopping street that, honestly, most people from The Hague have never even heard of. That’s a shame, because it’s genuinely lovely. Here’s hoping word spreads.

Anne Marie and I arrived early, but we were waved inside straight away — it was absolutely freezing out. The moment I stepped through the door, a pink decorative Christmas tree caught my eye.

The whole bakery had been transformed into a festive Christmas wonderland — I was humming carols before I’d even sat down. I met the warm and welcoming Nermina, the owner, and her friend Anuschka from Hipaholic, who co-organized the event and set up the most Instagrammable flower wall I’ve seen. Staff were busy arranging towering tiered high tea trays, and the anticipation in the room was delicious all on its own.

These events are always better when the group is good — and this one was. A lovely bunch of fellow food lovers, all ready to eat. Nermina introduced herself, walked us through her background and the story behind Perfect Pastry, then gave us a detailed rundown of every item on the spread. Always helpful when you’re eating with bloggers (and anyone with dietary preferences).

The counter was an absolute feast for the eyes. Thick slices of brown bread loaded with carpaccio and topped with peppery arugula and fresh sprouts. For the vegetarians, cute little rolls stuffed with cheese, the same arugula, and sprouts. Then the sweets arrived: pillowy cupcakes, delicate meringue pastries, a trio of chocolate mousse in different colours, and a showstopping candy cane tart. I could not stop going back for the carpaccio bread — genuinely could not. And the candy cane tart, sliced and passed around at the end? One bite and I was sold.

After the high tea, we moved into the bakery itself, where trays of pre-baked cookies in all kinds of shapes were waiting for us. Our mission: decorate them.

Spoiler: glazing neatly along cookie edges is harder than it looks. There were a few natural talents in the group who made it look effortless — and then there was the rest of us, doing our best. Everyone produced something charming. Decorated cookies went straight onto baking sheets, into the oven, and out again beautifully golden.

My personal highlight? A little girl spotted my pink glazed horse cookie, tugged her mum’s sleeve, and made it absolutely clear she wanted it. I handed it right over — her face was worth it. Her mum, though, insisted she give me one of her own cookies in return. The girl thought for a second and decided to hand over one of her mum’s decorated cookies instead. I couldn’t say no. Every participant went home with a goodie bag, and I went home grinning. What a day.

Update

Perfect Pastry has moved to Voorburg. They no longer have a physical store. Customers can order online via their website and pick up their order by appointment. For more information, visit https://www.perfectpastry.nl/