Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Mass Communication
School of Film and Media Studies
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
MAIN ARTICLE
Standfirst: From a school dropout to a successful young entrepreneur, Joey Lee shares
Because Im a junior college dropout, Joey confessed, I want to prove myself to those
Dressed in a typical blue button down shirt and khaki bermudas, his neatly styled hair
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.