Founder of Janice Wong Pure Imagination
We started the first dessert and wine or cocktail pairing concept in Singapore in 2007, but evolved from art on a plate to food art on walls and ceilings.
Tell us your story, how did you get here?
I started in 2007 with my first F&B concept 2am: dessertbar in Holland Village. This restaurant serves plated desserts and wine or cocktail pairings till 2am.
In 2014, I started Janice Wong Pure Imagination, a multi-product and multi-channel confectionery brand that creates to inspire, where art meets design and design meets art, where one can use their imagination to create, interact and discover. Headquartered in Singapore, the team’s never-ending passion for culinary art has propelled the passion to test the limits of dessert making.
I’ve always wanted to create a line of chocolates and sweets, and Janice Wong Pure Imagination retails a wide range of confectionery products, including custom chocolate bon bons, cakes and ice cream. We experiment with ingredients, cooking techniques and machines, which has led to the creation of edible art, 3D printed chocolates and others. This kickstarted a flurry of activities that saw the business expanding to the international stage.
What impact have you made in Singapore?
We started the first dessert and wine or cocktail pairing concept in Singapore in 2007, but evolved from art on a plate to food art on walls and ceilings. In 2011, I introduced the first edible art “marshmallow ceiling” to the public. We work with food and art, and our focus since last year was to grow more cocoa in Singapore and create Singapore’s first single-origin.
What does 2022 look like for you?
We continuously push the boundaries. This year, we launched a new plant-forward concept called Mallow by Sasha and Christina. We’re also actively growing cocoa in Singapore and continue to work closely with our local community for our plant a cocoa tree project. We’re also expanding our chocolate bean to bar concept into Europe and Japan.
What do you love most about Singapore?
The vibrancy of our culture and people. The community is always helping one another. We’re always evolving and being challenged because of our resources and size, but it’s never deterred us from doing better every day.
If you could choose your last meal, what would it be?
It’d definitely be in Barcelona at Disfrutar.
Who is your Local Legend, and why?
Principal Tan Teck Hock of Spectra Secondary School never ceases to amaze and inspire. He places his students’ interests above everything else and believes they should be equipped with different sets of skills. He was also one of the first principals to believe in our cocoa project for the community. Together, we’ve successfully planted cocoa trees in Spectra with the students.