3/5/17, 11:06 PM#TrueCalling: Janice Wong

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B Y K A R M A N T S E ( H T T P : / / W W W . W E A R O H W H E R E . C O M / A U T H O R / K A R M A N / ) /M A Y 2 , 2 0 1 7

#TRUECALLING:JANICE WONG

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3/5/17, 11:06 PM#TrueCalling: Janice Wong

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Why do we do what we do? What isit that drives us, day after day, topour our time, effort, and our heartand soul into the art, the beauty, thesolutions and magic we create?

We pursue our dreams and chasethem into our reality not because itis the most natural thing to do, orthe easier way to live. Quite thecontrary. It is hard work, itis dedication (sometimes to thepoint of obsession — do we see afew nods?), and many havedescribed it to be a lonely journey.So why do we do what we do?Because, quite simply, when all issaid and done, it gives us joy andfeeds our life’s purpose. Andhopefully, by doing what we do, we’dbe spreading a little of that joy, and alittle light to the people around usand, who knows, the rest of theworld.

In a new seven-part series entitled

doers and, yes, dreamers — to findout what makes them tick. How haswhipping up a new recipe, makingsculptures, or capturing momentsfrom around the world, for example,brought them happiness? Whatinteresting lessons, people andideas have they encountered alongthe way? We’re going to give you aglimpse into their worlds throughour lens.

First stop: JaniceWong(http://janicewong.com.sg/philosophy)’soffice. Here, the 34-year-oldculinary artist and founder of 2am:dessertbar(http://www.2amdessertbar.com/) —who calls world famous chefs likeThomas Keller and Pierre Hermémentors, and was named, twice,Asia’s Best Pastry Chef bythe prestigious San Pellegrino Asia’s50 Best — took us on a little behind-the-scenes tour of her chocolate-filled kitchen, fed us some of

(http://www.wearohwhere.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Janice-Wong-XS.jpg)

IN COLLABORATIONWITH HUAWEI(http://consumer.huawei.com/en/mobile-

phones/p10/index.htm?ic_source=corp_box111_p10&ic_medium=hwdc),

featuring photos shot on the new Huawei P10, co-engineered with Leica.

3/5/17, 11:06 PM#TrueCalling: Janice Wong

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In a new seven-part series entitled#TrueCalling, we’ve partnered upwith Huawei to bring you the storiesof seven women — creators,

those chocolates (which are morelike objets d’arts, really), made someEaster eggs and regaled us withanecdotes from her culinaryadventures.

Karman Tse:Karman Tse: WhatWhatwas the firstwas the firstdessert you everdessert you evermade?made?

things. I’d just go toplaces like Yarra Valleyand there’s all theseblueberry farms and

KT:KT: And when didAnd when didfood become art tofood become art toyou?you?JW:JW: In 2011, when I

“Love the imperfections.

”

(http://www.wearohwhere.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Janice-2SS.jpg)

3/5/17, 11:06 PM#TrueCalling: Janice Wong

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made?made?Janice Wong:Janice Wong:Tiramisu. When I wasnine, I think, that wasthe first thing my mumtaught me to make. Wewere living in Tokyothen, so a lot of herinspirations, hertechniques were allfrom Japan — tiramisuwas one of them, andthat was the first thing Ilearned, fell in lovewith, and I’ve continuedusing the same recipeuntil now.

KT:KT: Oh, was she aOh, was she adessert chef, too?dessert chef, too?JW:JW: No, she was kind ofa home cook, she takescare of us, but loves tobe in the kitchen.

KT:KT: At what pointAt what pointthen did you realisethen did you realisethis is what youthis is what youwanted to do as awanted to do as acareer?career?JW:JW: : I’ve always toldthe story about thestrawberry. That wasthe one thing thatchanged me when I wasstudying in Melbourne.I had a four-day weekat school, where I wasstudying economics.So, on the other threedays, I would go tofarms or learn to makenew

blueberry farms andstrawberry farms. I atea strawberry off fromthe ground, andthat made me realisethat what we get herein Singapore is veryclean — which meanseverything iswashed and you get aone-dimensionalflavour. But what youget off the farm is a sortof earthiness, layers ofdifferent flavours,sometimes evensmokiness.

This is something thatwe don’t get if we don’tgo to the farm to smellthe produce, smell thesurroundings. I thinkthat’s one thing thatlacked in my childhood.There’s so muchmore to food than whatwe see here, so aboutabout 12 or 13 yearsago, after graduation, Idecided to start mytraining in culinary. Iworked for differentpeople, went around tosee new things andexplore a lot ofdifferent cultures. Atthat point in time, inSingapore, there wasn’tas much culturalexchange as now, andof course, technology isthe key now to helping

JW:JW: In 2011, when Ifinished my first book,Perfection InImperfection(http://amzn.to/2nVEDR7).I needed to feed 400guests and kind of letthem taste my book. Iwas thinking, how caneveryone have the sameexperience? It’s 400people, that’s a lot. Iwondered, what if Imade a marshmallowceiling, put my recipeson the wall? No onewas doing that at thetime. So, that became ahit, and we kept gettingmore and morerequests…

KT: 2am: dessertbarKT: 2am: dessertbarhas expandedhas expandedto Tokyo and Hongto Tokyo and HongKong in addition toKong in addition tothree outlets inthree outlets inSingapore, includingSingapore, includinga restaurant — whicha restaurant — whichis so great. But thatis so great. But thatmust also mean thatmust also mean thatyour job scopeyour job scopehas changedhas changedtremendously fromtremendously fromthe time you started.the time you started.What would you sayWhat would you sayis the sweetest partis the sweetest partof your work now?of your work now?JW:JW: I guess it would bethe ability to changepeople’s perception andpeople’s life. Changingsomebody’s life is a bitextreme, but to change

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new the key now to helpingpeople understandwhat is Peruvian food,for example. In thepast, it was difficult. Sothat was the gamechanger, and I realisedthat I wanted to dothis for life.

extreme, but to changethe perception ofsomebody’s thinking ofa pastry, I think thatreally was what I havealways

“Either you grow or you don’t. So, you

choose.

”

(http://www.wearohwhere.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Janice-Wong-4-AS-1.jpg)

3/5/17, 11:06 PM#TrueCalling: Janice Wong

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3/5/17, 11:06 PM#TrueCalling: Janice Wong

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“WHAT MAKES ME

HAPPY IS

MAKINGCHOCOLATES. IT’S

REALLY

NICE AND ZEN TOBE DOING THAT.

”

set out to do. When westarted 2am: dessertbar

KT: Earlier, you saidKT: Earlier, you saidyou have fresh ideasyou have fresh ideas

compartmentalisation.

(http://www.wearohwhere.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Janice-Wong-6X-1.jpg)

(http://www.wearohwhere.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Janice-Wong-YS.jpg)

3/5/17, 11:06 PM#TrueCalling: Janice Wong

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started 2am: dessertbarin 2007, we wanted tochange the way peoplethought of desserts asjust an after-mealexperience. Wechanged that, and Ithink it has made a verybig difference now inTokyo. I just sawan Instagram post,someone posted“dessert for lunch”, andit’s great. Tokyo is theonly market that we dodesserts for lunch, andit’s full. I’ve never seenthis in any otherculture.

But, because we’vebeen consistentlytrying to engage withour customers withflavour, with design, Iguess over the years,people started to reallyenjoy what we do andaccept that this is goingto be an experience. Sothey’re not expectingsomething “normal”. Imean, we do normal aswell, like tiramisu, butwe also go to the otherextreme. If you askedme 10 years ago if Iwould imagine this day,I probably wouldn’t,but the consistency ofalways wanting tochangepeople’s perception has

you have fresh ideasyou have fresh ideasevery day. Do youevery day. Do youever get stuck forever get stuck forinspiration?inspiration?JW:JW: No, no. Maybewhen I was younger,but that was becauseyou were more hungryto perform, and now… Ijust let things be. Themore you don’t try, itjust comes naturally, ifthat makes sense. It’s alot easier to work inthis manner. I think themain thing is thatwe have the power tochange, to inspire. Andnow that we’reinternational, we haveeven more, so whateverdecision we make couldbe detrimental or itcould be extremelyinspiring. That hastaught me, of course, tobe a bit more careful. Ithink in the past,I could do whateverI wanted with a smalllittle shop. Now, wemake one new dish andit goes out to fiveplaces, so as you grow,for sure whatever youcreate will affect morepeople and be aneducational tool as well.But I guess this is also ablessing, because howelse could you havewanted it?

KT:KT: Does it get scaryDoes it get scarywhen you realisewhen you realiseyour business, youryour business, yourdream has actuallydream has actuallygrown bigger thangrown bigger thanyou could haveyou could haveimagined?imagined?JW:JW: No. Either yougrow or you don’t. So,you choose. And I thinkeverybody alwayschooses growth — it’s anatural course ofsomebody’s life, that’swhy you keep movingforward to improveyour skills andeverything, so no, Ithink it’s quite natural,it’s nice, it’scomfortable. I wouldsay it’s about thebalance — the finebalance betweenbusiness and being anartist.

KT: Throughout thisKT: Throughout thisjourney, has therejourney, has therebeen a particularlybeen a particularlytough setback, andtough setback, andhow did you bouncehow did you bounceback from that?back from that?JW:JW: Hmm… I don’tremember. Yeah, I justkeep moving forward. Iguess it was small, littlebad decisions, but thenagain, it’s normal, it’skind of every day life…But that’s nice becauseI don’t waste brain

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people’s perception hasbeen the constant. KT:KT: With all theseWith all these

ideas, what do youideas, what do youdo with those youdo with those youdon’t get to executedon’t get to executeright away?right away?JW:JW: Oh, put them in alittle container,compartmentalise. Oneof theskills I’ve harnessedover the years was

space rememberingstuff like that.

“I have always kept my focus on the things

that are important,that’s why I have so much time. I mean, I

just do.

”

3/5/17, 11:06 PM#TrueCalling: Janice Wong

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(http://www.wearohwhere.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Janice-Wong-(http://www.wearohwhere.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Janice-Wong-

5AS-1.jpg)5AS-1.jpg)KT: That is a good approach. So, you must get asked thisKT: That is a good approach. So, you must get asked thisa lot: How do you do and accomplish so much given the same 24a lot: How do you do and accomplish so much given the same 24hours we all get?hours we all get?JW:JW: Keep your focus. I have always kept my focus on the things that areimportant, that’s why I have so much time. I mean, I just do. You try yourbest to be efficient.

KT:KT: Even keeping focus is a skill, too. I mean, how do you not getEven keeping focus is a skill, too. I mean, how do you not getdistracted by the noise of what others are doing, or by socialdistracted by the noise of what others are doing, or by socialmedia and, as you said, “just focus”?media and, as you said, “just focus”?JW:JW: I don’t read other people’s stuff, and I don’t bother. So, every year Ihave this thing where I just say, I’m not going to bother about what otherpeople do. I mean, last year, of course, there was this huge trend of thesalted egg croissant and cheese tarts. We never made a single salted eggcroissant, it’s too easy, it just too easy to follow. It was all over social media.But we were just doing what we were doing, and we just kept at that.

If we spend all this time reading about what people say about us, then it’svery difficult. There will always be naysayers. But I also have a very goodapproach: I like to listen to bad feedback that are constructive. So ifsomebody says our service is awful, we have to address that. I don’t thinkwe can close one eye, and people have said that about our new restaurantbecause we were expanding so fast. But then once you fix that problem,then you just keep trying to improve.

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KT: What is your mantra, or a favourite quote?KT: What is your mantra, or a favourite quote?JW:JW: I have a few… My own is always “love the imperfections”. But I also likeDr Seuss’ quote: “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells.” (Laughs)That’s just amazing.

KT: What makes you happy?KT: What makes you happy?JW:JW: What makes me happy is making chocolates. It’s really nice and zen tobe doing that.

PHOTOGRAPHY // Karman Tse

SHOT ON // Huawei P10(http://consumer.huawei.com/en/mobile-phones/p10/index.htm), co-engineered with Leica

QUOTE & PARFAIT IMAGES // ViaJaniceWong.com.sg(http://janicewong.com.sg/)

EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE // Terri Teo

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CINDY CRAWFORD’S TRICKSOF THE TRADE1 comment • a year ago•

Innisfree Singapore — its a goodarticle,thank you!

#JOURNEYTOME: TRACYPHILLIPS2 comments • a year ago•

Karman Tse — Dear Karen,You'reright. I, too, am very moved byTracy's honesty and …

#JourneyToMe: Cheryl Tay1 comment • 5 months ago•

Tracy Wong — Nice one Cheryl!!So proud of you. You really are aheroine.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS#2:ALLI SIM1 comment • a year ago•

Hera Singapore — This is a greatgift in the festival.

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