Carrot Cake Hawker Hunk Opens Funky Juice Store With Drinks Like “Berry Atas”

When asked about his plans to open more carrot cake stalls, Walter (pictured here with his dad) joked: “unless Li Nanxing is keen to partner up with me, I’m not planning to open more stalls for now”. The veteran actor visited Father & Son for a MediaCorp cooking show.

But why invest in a juice shop now? “Life is all about balance. Indulge in fried carrot cake and balance [it out] with healthy juice!” he chirps.

While most people shy away from starting a business during a pandemic, Walter, along with two friends, Jeremy Tan (middle), 40, an events company managing director, and Ixson Tan (right), 38, a former fitness sales consultant, decided to take the plunge.

According to Walter, Jeremy came to him with the idea of starting something new despite the challenges that COVID-19 would bring. Jeremy saw an opportunity for juices to be reinvented in Singapore and was confident with his concept for Jus Juice It. “The strategy was to follow [Jeremy’s] lead since he is skilled in branding and marketing.”

It is often advised to not work with friends lest things fall awry, but Jeremy explains that because of the trio’s diverse skills, they are able to use their specialised strengths to tackle different aspects of the business, from branding to operations. He likens the team to a jigsaw puzzle; “We just fit perfectly into place to make [the business] happen.”

Everything went so smoothly in fact that just after two meetings, they were able to dive deep into R&D — getting friends and family to try their juice creations — while finding a space to kick things off. “Even though we applied for vacancies in shopping malls, we realised that many of them wanted brands with track records.” After a few unsuccessful runs in trying to get a store in malls, they finally found a vacancy in an unlikely place.

Tucked away under V Hotel Lavender, among other local brands like Mr Bean and Nam Kee Pau, Jus Juice It finally found its home. The shopfront beckons with its open concept and tropical decor.

Breaking away from the usual hawker centre fruit juice stalls or pricey imported juice joints, Jeremy shared that they “wanted to create a local upgrade from what’s currently available in Singapore, while keeping the price point accessible for everyone.”

Currently, there are nine juices on the menu created by the owners, each perfectly balanced with various fruits and veggies (delivered four times a week to ensure freshness).

One thing to note: Jus Juice It tries not to accommodate requests to swap or omit ingredients. Explaining the rationale behind this, Ixson — who usually runs day-to-day operations — quips that just as one would not ask a chef to switch out the ingredients in his signature dish, the juice combinations created here are already balanced and changing an ingredient would not make the juice taste like how it was meant to.

While children and even some adults are averse to having greens in their juices, Ixson chuckles that he has seen kids look on in disdain when they see carrots or wheatgrass go into their drinks but that after a sip, they don’t even want to share their juice with their parents!

Customers can witness their juices being made from start to finish — no hidden sugars or flavourings here. Fibrous fruits and vegetables like apples and wheatgrass are juiced before joining the rest of the ingredients in a blender to ensure you don’t get any unwanted chewy bits in your drink. Even the amount of ice in each cup is weighed to ensure consistency. The result is refreshingly cold, almost smoothie-like juices.

This cup of juice is chock-full of antioxidant-filled berries: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and grapes. Blended with ice, it’s a great mix of natural sweetness balanced with a little tartness. Somewhat like a frosty berry slushy, minus the artificial sugars — perfect on a hot day.

Reminiscent of the sunset, this orange-hued juice was named as such by the owners because after creating this drink, the time on their watches was 7:05 pm. A mixture of mango, rockmelon, carrot, and watermelon, this juice is on the thicker side so those who enjoy shakes will enjoy this one. Peaches are also pulsed into the drink after everything is blended to give little pops of the stone fruit for you to chew on.

Singaporeans are no strangers to avocado milkshakes. Usually blended with gula melaka and milk, this is a rich and creamy drink to indulge in. Jus Juice It’s version is made with avocado, bananas and milk, resulting in a lusciously smooth yet wholesome drink.

Strangely enough, this juice has an unexpected floral quality despite having no flowers or essences in it. Maybe it’s the name that has our mind playing tricks on us, or maybe it’s the combination of watermelon, strawberries and rockmelon that creates such a light and refreshing sip.

From $1.50 for three classic toppings, you can also top your juices with additional fruits to munch on. The fruits sit in a smaller tub that fits nicely at the rim of your cup — so you don’t have to worry about having to fish out any sunken chunks from the bottom.

While there are the usual ABC (Apple, Beetroot, Carrot) juice combos here, there are also more interesting flavours that can rival those from other fancy juice brands like Boost. Plus, the prices are pretty reasonable. Now, if only the “hawker hunk” would open this shop beside his carrot cake stall so we can balance the sinfulness of hoovering chai tow kway with some vitamin-laden juice.

Jus Juice It is at #01-14, 70 Jellicoe Rd. S208767. Tel: 9630-3943. Open daily 10am – 9:30pm.​​​​https://www.facebook.com/jusjuiceitsg/.

Photos: Kelvin Chia/8 DAYS

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