FEATURE WRITING

Field Assignment 2 (20%) - Article

Ms Cheong Poh Kwan

Jilliane Lee Jae En

S10164920D
T206

Mass Communication
School of Film and Media Studies
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
MAIN ARTICLE

A Poke At A Pok Business

Standfirst: From a school dropout to a successful young entrepreneur, Joey Lee shares

the secrets to his successful journey.

Because Im a junior college dropout, Joey confessed, I want to prove myself to those

who looked down on me, who thought I wouldnt make it.

Dressed in a typical blue button down shirt and khaki bermudas, his neatly styled hair

emphasises the classic boy next door look.

Joey Lee, 24, however, isnt your typical Singaporean. Instead, hes one of Singapores

youngest and most successful entrepreneurs in the Food & Beverage Industry. In 2016

alone, he and his sister Vannessa Lee, 22, founded two new food businesses, A Pok

Theory and Alter Ego, in the heart of Singapores bustling city.

Joeys food journey however, didnt just start in 2016 with the concepts of A Pok

Theory and Alter Ego and the opening of their physical stores. His story goes a long

way back to when he was 17 and dropped out of Junior College. During that period of

time, his parents were going through a divorce and he recalls his father mentioning that

one of the causes were because his mother was too busy to cook family dinners for

them. I then began cooking for my mother and sister, Joey explained, in hopes of
bringing our family closer together again. Having a lot of free time before his enrolment

into Mass Communication at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Joey also worked part-time as a

waiter at two restaurants, observing what they did in the kitchen when he was not busy

waiting tables.

What really sparked his love for food and his passion to start his own food business was

when he took on a journalism internship in Year Three, based in Los Angeles. There he

ate a variety of cuisines from many different restaurants, cafs and food trucks as well

as learnt to cook his own meals. I also always loved food journalism, gushed Joey,

and under my internship company, I got to visit many food tastings and events. From

there he explored food trends in America, deciding what would work in Singapore

before researching and refining on the idea of A Pok Theory whilst serving his time in

National Service (NS). Using the money initially set aside by his mother for his

university education, A Pok Theory was then opened after he completed his NS, with

Joey focusing on the food and accounting and Vannessa focusing on the aesthetics,

decor and human resource. He also pumped in money that he earned whilst working

various part-time jobs as well as those he earned from his time in NS.

A Pok Theory, was opened in July, and has over 4,100 followers on Instagram, with

over a 1000 people following them even before the shop opened for business. The

shop, located in the Central Business District, caters to the working office crowd and

offers a new, delicious spin on healthy food. Their main focus is on pok bowls,
pronounced poh-kay bowls, a dish inspired from Hawaii that typically incorporates rice,

sashimi and other different ingredients such as vegetables and nuts. Alongside that,

they also offer an array of different smoothies bowls, cold-pressed juices and a variety

of homemade drinks and tea infusions.

What makes A Pok Theory unique from other pok bowl stores, is the fact that all pok

bowls are fully customisable. Different healthy bases such as sushi rice, lemon herb

quinoa, brown rice and romaine lettuce are offered to customers, together with a wide

array of fresh toppings, ranging from regular ones such as wakame seaweed, furikake

and cherry tomatoes to premium ones like kale chips, teriyaki edamame and kalua pork.

Their main specialty however is their salmon and tuna sashimi, that is generously

marinated in their own unique sauces such as avocado miso, spicy garlic sesame and

classic shoyu, that tops the whole pok bowl and brings out its rich flavour. For those

who are vegetarians or vegans, they offer a unique blend of avocados that will bring just

as much delight to your taste buds.

Alter Ego on the other hand, is the sister store of A Pok Theory, that focuses on

indulging in sinful, less healthy food. In the day they still offer healthy pok bowls, but at

night guilty pleasures such as umami fried fish skin, and pizza fries are available to

customers. Alcoholic beverages such as frozen daiquiris and craft beers are also

available.
Though A Pok Theory and Alter Ego are new stores, they have already brought about

a bulk of challenges for both siblings. I really tip my hat off to people who start

businesses with strangers or their friends, marvelled Joey, Even though we would

fight, blood ties really bring people closer and ultimately we still support one another.

These fights were only petty ones, such as who would drive to and back from the shop,

created by the lack of sleep from the shops opening week, Joey recalls. The main

challenge that he believes they faced was actually getting respect from older people,

because of their age. Being young entrepreneurs, they had to gain the respect from

their own full-time employees who were older than them. Because we are young, many

suppliers also assume that we are easy to bully, said Joey, We just had to show them

our passion and seriousness in doing business.

Another challenge Joey has faced is discovering who his real friends are. When I first

opened A Pok Theory, he divulged, a lot of my old friends came back to support

me by coming to the shop and asking for free food. But despite the fake friends

leeching off Joeys success, it also helped him to appreciate his real friends. Those are

the ones that have supported you since the beginning, said Joey, they stick through

the tough times, and celebrate with you now.

Despite all these difficulties, Joey believes that they have gotten through the worst of

times, and things will only go up from there. What motivates him to continue working

hard is his family. Joeys mother is one of his biggest inspirations, as she worked hard
and battled her way through a men-dominated industry whilst still caring after him and

his sister. That inspired him to never be restricted by societys standards and to always

continue testing himself. Earning the respect of others is another one of his motivations.

Ultimately, Joey is motivated most by his own passion for cooking and creating new

recipes. The thrill of creating new unique cuisines for both shops, and seeing the happy

smiles on the faces of his customers, drives Joey to work harder.

Vannessa, 23, feels a sense of pride in regards to her brothers achievement. Seeing

him built himself so much out of everything, said Vannessa, It really feels my heart

with overwhelming pride. She recalls their polytechnic days where they started a cookie

business together and how much things have changed since then. Joey has really

grown from that unsure junior college dropout, she continued to the successful

entrepreneur he is today, and Im proud to be part of this journey with him.

As for whats in stall for A Pok Theory and Alter Ego in the future, Joey is still unsure.

He has many concepts thought out, but nothing is set in stone yet. However, he does

not plan to open another stall in Singapore, not as of yet. I dont want a replica,

exclaimed Joey, especially not another A Pok Theory shop. For now, he and

Vannessa are discussing plans of franchising the business in Indonesia and Hong

Kong. As of now what we are focusing on is earning back the cash we spent on

opening Alter Ego, he said.

If youre someone young, looking to start out in a completely different industry from what

you studied but are feeling cautious, heres a piece of advice from Joey. Just do proper

research, its not easy to open up your own place. Research for a long time and

understand what it takes to start your own company, dont rush into it. Work in the

industry you want to pursue, and find out what problems they are facing. Be different, be

passionate about what you are doing and dont give up.

(1372 words)

SIDE BAR
A Pok Theory is located at 27 Boon Tat Street, right in the heart of the Central Business
District.

Alter Ego, located at the Esplanade caters to working adults who want a place to relax, eat good
food and crack open a beer.

Vannessa actually runs the shop from Melbourne, Australia as she recently migrated there.
Joey Lee, co-owner, came up with all the unique marinades and sashimi combinations at A
Pok Theory and Alter Ego.
The pok bowl, A Pok Theorys signature Hawaiian dish, a perfect healthy mix of protein,
carbohydrates and fibre.