Chef Janice Wong is set to revolutionise the local and regional culinary scene with Asia's first fully equipped culinary "think tank", dedicated to harnessing creative culinary minds and talent - 2am:lab

 

A labour of love and passion, Chef Janice Wong is set to take her culinary aspirations to the next level with her very own independent culinary research space, 2am:lab. Located at Fusionopolis, the 2000 sq ft research space is
going to be the first of its kind in Asia.

 

2am:lab's Mission

 

Chef Janice Wong's vision is simple - to pave the way for culinary aficionados around the world to be inspired to create new flavours, textures and techniques. Chef Janice Wong shares, "2am:lab is a sanctuary created for
chefs and artists to create, experiment and discover the undiscovered. I do not want to be re-­‐creating but to create delicious food that is completely undiscovered. I hope that with 2am:lab, we get to inspire future culinary talents to be more creative and progressive with their dishes."

 

To benefit future culinary researchers, 2am:lab will document the results and compile the developments into an archive. Being able to share the information and techniques developed in the 2am:lab with the industry and public via different media and mediums is an integral part of its mission in spreading awareness and public education about the culinary arts. With equipment for shoots and recording, 2am:lab can allow for televised  culinary programmes and provide an ideal place to host local and international media.

 

Guest Chef Residency Program

 

2am:lab will invite international guest chefs at least four times a year. During the guest chefs' stay at 2am:lab,  they will lead workshops on new culinary techniques. These workshops will be primarily for culinary  professionals. At the  end of their stay, the guest chefs will return to their home countries with observations  they have made. Resultant findings developed at the lab will be unique to Singapore and the hope is 2am:lab will further share this through cooking classes, demonstrations, and tie-­‐ups with local institutions.

 

On top of the Guest Chef Residency Programme, 2am:lab will host private dinners at least twice a month to serve dishes  and techniques that have been created. This allows chefs to share their resultant findings from
the workshop  and in turn educate and enable the general public to taste the new culinary expressions. 

 

The workshops and dinners are by reservation only, with limited spaces each time.

 

Key Features of 2am:lab

 

The state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art space has a number of key features: 

 

1. Flavour Wall - This special wall will house over 1000 ingredients for lab users to be acquainted with through their sense of touch, sight and smell. It is Chef Janice's wish that this wall will inspire new dishes and flavours for future generations.

 

2. Chocolate Room - This room's temperature is maintained specifically to preserve and protect some of the
more delicate ingredients from our heat and humidity. Special dishes that are temperature sensitive will also be
created in this room.

 

3. 'Think Tank' Room -All visitors are greeted by this room, which has a fully-­‐ functioning television,  multimedia player, recording equipment and sound  system, making it perfect for meetings, televised cooking
sessions, and brainstorming sessions.

 

4. The Kitchen - The fully equipped kitchen is poised to host workshops and private dinners. There is the main work area for the chef conducting the workshops as well as individual workstations for participants to work at.

 

Key Partnerships

 

To expand its research capacity, 2am:lab will work closely with Republic Polytechnic. The partnership grants    2am:lab access to the school's research facilities and equipment in different departments such as  pharmaceutical, material science and food. This allows 2am:lab to conduct basic testing of shelf life, texture,  moisture, color and  water activity. In addition, it allows 2am:lab to tap on the expertise of Food Science  researchers at Republic  Polytechnic. Senior students from Republic Polytechnic will also be attached to the lab
to work on selected research projects during the year.

 

"Republic Polytechnic is committed to fostering an environment of learning for the benefit of society. We are  happy to work with Chef Janice Wong and support her vision of pushing the boundaries in the culinary arts. We hope that this partnership will arouse the innovative spirit in our students and apply this attitude in their work," said Mr. John Ho, Manager, Technology Development Centre, from the School of Applied Science at Republic Polytechnic.

 

The lab's main sponsor is premium home appliance manufacturer, Miele. "At Miele, we believe in encouraging  innovation in the culinary industry. It is part of our overarching commitment to investing in the future and to
fostering an appreciation for good food in this region. Thus when Chef Janice Wong approached us with this venture in mind, it was not difficult to see the potential 2am:lab has. We are proud to be part of this landmark effort to encourage thought leadership among Asia's culinary talent," says Mario Miranda, Managing Director of Miele Pte Ltd.

 

STB will support Chef Janice Wong's vision to bring together different culinary talents from around the world to 2am:lab and allow them to learn about Singapore's vibrant culinary scene. The lab is the perfect space for chefs to consolidate new knowledge that they have accumulated in Singapore and subsequently to share  with their respective counterparts in their home countries.

 

Ms. Aw Kah Peng, Chief Executive of the STB said, "2am:lab is a visionary concept that will bring about a   tremendous confluence of ideas among culinary talents from all over the world. It will encourage greater  interaction and innovation amongst chefs and food lovers alike, and help reshape the culinary scene in Singapore and beyond. We are proud to be associated with 2am:lab and believe this project will further  energise our local F&B industry, and in the process, enhance Singapore's position as a hub for culinary innovation."

 

For more information on 2am:lab, please visit www.2amlab.org.  

 

About Chef Janice Wong

 

Known for her innovative take on desserts and her ever-­‐ evolving creations at 2am:dessertbar in Holland  Village, Chef Janice Wong continually strives to better herself and her creations through her tireless passion for  innovation and creativity. She has been awarded Pastry Chef of the Year 2011, at the 2011 World  Gourmet Summit.

 

She has also written and published a book, Perfection in Imperfection / Imperfection in Perfection, which  chronicles her culinary journey, inspirations and compiles the recipes of her best-­‐loved dessert creations. The book is available for sale and retails for SGD$70. Check www.perfectioninimperfection.com for more details.

 

For more information, please contact:

 

Name: Derrick Wong
Email: derrick@2amexperience.com, info@2amlab.org
Contact Number: +65 91384984(M)

 

About Miele

 

Miele is a German manufacturer of premium domestic appliances and machines for commercial applications.   Founded in 1899, by Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann, Miele remains a family-­‐owned and family-­‐run company today.

 

Since its inception, Miele has zealously pursued a philosophy of Immer Besser or "Forever Better". It epitomises  Miele's unwavering and uncompromising commitment to quality and innovation, and is applied to every aspect of the company's products and operations. This dedication to being forever better drives us to  constantly seek newer and better ways of contributing to and enhancing the quality of our customers' lives  and is reflected in the legendary quality and durability of our products.

 

This is why Miele continues to be a trusted, award-­‐winning leader of the industry. In 2011, Miele received  the highly coveted Best Brand award for the fifth year in a row from the GfK Group - Germany's leading  market research company - in recognition of its extraordinary brand strength. And, for the tenth year in a  row, Miele was also named one of Europe's Most Trusted Brands by Reader's Digest Europe in its annual  Trusted Brands consumer survey.

 

Miele's extensive range of kitchen and home appliances includes multi-­‐functional ovens, steam ovens, hobs  and cooker hoods, dishwashers, coffee makers, wine cellars, washing machines, tumble dryers, rotary ironers and vacuum cleaners.