Janice Wong has always approached pastry as art, shaping her own path beyond conventional recipes. For the celebrated Singaporean pastry chef, creativity begins not with a formula but with an ingredient—a flower, a fruit, even a leaf. “It’s always ingredient-driven,” she says. “When you smell something, inspiration just comes.” That spontaneity has been her guiding force for over twenty years, helping her earn prestigious awards including Asia’s Best Pastry Chef in 2013 and 2014.
Her philosophy is simple but visionary: less is more. Wong is drawn to purity, favouring clean labels and few ingredients over elaborate constructions. “Pure chocolate,” she says. “I like it 100%. Some chefs like to use many ingredients, but for me, it’s really about simplicity and honesty.”
A Constant Dialogue with Chocolate
Chocolate has been Wong’s language of innovation for two decades. Trends have come and gone—salted caramel, layered bonbons, coloured shells—but what excites her now is the shift toward origin and sustainability. “People want to know where chocolate comes from. Clean labels and single origins are important. Even big brands now highlight the farms and blends.”
In her own work, Wong goes further. She has planted over 650 cacao trees in Singapore—an unlikely feat in a city-state with little land. “We use houses, churches, rooftop gardens, schools—even roadsides. It’s a crazy project, but possible.” For her, growing cacao is not only about yield but about experimentation, cross-pollination, and imagining new futures for chocolate. “Chocolate is very complex. You can change flavour at fermentation, even add ingredients during the process. I’ve put raw beans in whiskey before. It’s endless.”
Creating with Context
Travel has been another constant in Wong’s career. She brings little more than her uniform and phone, relying instead on what’s available locally. “Wherever I am—Hong Kong, Japan, Korea—I use local ingredients. It’s the best approach because as a chef, you want to create for the culture and the people.” In Indonesia, she has foraged herbs and leaves, eager to showcase flavours often overlooked outside the country. “You don’t always need mint or basil. Indonesia has so much untapped potential in its herbs. That has to be known.”
This openness shapes her collaborations too. Working with chefs, she seeks connection before creation. “Most people I collaborate with become friends. That’s what makes it meaningful.” For Wong, joy lies in the process—whether designing edible art installations or crafting desserts from scratch without recipes.
Balancing Scale and Impact
Behind her international acclaim, Wong stays committed to micro-scale projects and farmer support. She sources beans from single farms in Indonesia and the Philippines, paying above commercial rates. “It’s not about going commercial. We want to make an impact, support farmers, and support local movements. If any of us can, why not?”
Her ventures have extended to cacao beer, soy wine, and experimental microbrews in Singapore—often at higher cost than commercial products. Yet Wong insists that sustainability depends on a community willing to support artisans. “People need the mindset to pay more to support the locals. If not, fewer can survive.”
Innovation Without End
Even after two decades, Wong still feels she’s only beginning. From her early edible art to new creations like the coral table, she continues to push boundaries between food and art, science and flavour. Looking forward, she dreams of sugar-free cakes and cleaner desserts, though she admits it remains a challenge.
For first-time visitors to her world, Wong recommends the Chocolate Water Dessert at her acclaimed 2am:dessertbar in Singapore. “It embodies my philosophy—creating from nothing, without recipes. It’s unique, not your usual tiramisu or parfait. Our business is about satisfying cravings, but a big part of me wants to experiment.”
At heart, Wong’s journey is one of curiosity and courage. “For 18 years I never had a breather,” she admits. “But when you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work. Innovation is constant. We never stop.”
Her accomplishments continue to mount: earlier this year she received the Pastry Innovation Award from French restaurant guide La Liste. And perhaps that is why, to this day, Janice Wong remains not just a pastry chef, but a storyteller—writing her own rules.
