Jeanette Aw On Where Her Pastry Shop Is Located & Why Baking During The Circuit Breaker Was "Frustrating" For Her

But why not? Are competitions not Jeanette’s thing? Or is she the type who can’t work under pressure?

"I think it's 'cos you're working in a very strange kitchen, and you're not familiar with where the equipment are and all that. Even when I was in school, it also took some time before I got used to the school's kitchen, and then, when I went to Tokyo, it was a whole different environment," says Jeanette. "It really takes time to get used to a new kitchen. And when the oven is different, you could put in your product at the same temperature, at the same time, and it could come out burnt, so I'm not so sure about… [joining]”.

"I know I should be encouraging people to take part, but this is purely from my point of view. But having said that, I'm very impressed by how confident the contestants are 'cos it's really not easy. It makes me feel like 'Oh my God, every day's an exam!" 'cos you also have to work within a time limit, and you have to present when time is up, ” she laughs.

8DAYS: Jeanette, you started baking a long time ago, so what went through your mind when you saw this sudden increase in home bakers during CB?
JEANETTE AW: Actually I wasn't that surprised 'cos the Circuit Breaker wasn't kind to many people, and I know that there were many people who lost their job. I guess in many ways, baking is very therapeutic to many, and to be able to find this outlet to actually properly express their creativity or to express their emotions, and also start up a business, [is a win-win situation].

So did you experience trouble trying to buy ingredients, like everyone else back then?
Oh yes, during that period. I was like 'Why is everyone baking!’ That period was frustrating for me (laughs).

What's the nicest compliment someone has said about something you made?
Actually, even before I started school, I was already baking. Sometimes, I’ll bring [my bakes] on set to share with the production people.

The thing that makes me happy is that after so many years, sometimes, they'll tell me that they miss my cheesecake, or this thing that I baked, or my quiche. I even have friends who tell me like, 'Oh you remember back in December 2017 when you gave me this?’ And I'm like, 'You even remember the year?’

So that makes me very happy. I think that's why there's so much satisfaction when dealing with food 'cos the reaction is so immediate and real. When you bring a box of cakes on set, and it gets finished up in 15 minutes, you know they like it. No one's gonna come and give you a fake compliment and say 'Oh, it's delicious’, when they don't even take a bite of it. If people like it, they like it.

Speaking of bringing bakes on set, have you and fellow Crème De La Crème judge Fann Wong tried each other’s desserts yet?
Yes, she’s tried my baked goods even before I started class [at Le Cordon Bleu]. Sometimes if I'm baking, I'll ask her if she's home and I would send it to her. But yeah, I've never tried hers! (laughs)

If you could describe Fann as a dessert, what would it be?
I'm not sure if it's a dessert, but the first thing that came to mind is cotton candy. 'Cos she's like sweet and soft, and very pretty. (laughs)

How about yourself?
Actually I've been asked that a few times, and I haven't been able to think of anything (laughs). Hmm…. I would think maybe, if it's a particular element, then it would be like choux pastry? 'Cos it can be made into many forms, you can just make a simple chouquette with sugar nibs on top, and then it's a perfect snack, or you can make it into an eclair, or a Paris-Brest and then you have like different fillings… It's really like the many roles that I play, and the many identities that I take on.

How are renovations going for your patisserie? Has the opening date been finalised?
Yes, I'm still targeting for an end-May opening, my renovation is about 90 per cent complete already.

I want to give myself time to go into the kitchen and get used to the new oven, the space, things like that. I don't want to rush into it, and open for the sake of opening.

But now that it's almost done, I can share that my shop is at Hamilton Road in the Jalan Besar area. I really like that space, I was brought to another shop by my property agent and I didn't really like it. And as I walked around, I spotted this shop there, and I asked him to go find out and see if I could have a look at the space. So it just happened that it was still open, and I managed to get it.

How would you describe your baking style? And what do you think that says about your personality?
I would think any bake would be reflective of the chef 'cos when it comes to flavours and pairings and how you want to style the cake, it's all very reflective of that chef. Just like my shop, it’s called Once Upon A Time, and I feel in many ways, I'm a storyteller too, from being an actress, to a producer producing my own short films, writing and directing it. Even when it comes to baking, I feel that every bake should have a story, and it should reflect a certain sentiment.

Even the way that I've done up the shop, I think that when people enter, they would think 'Wow, this is really Jeanette'. It's like how I've always expressed myself in my blogs, and my drawings. I hope my bakes, my shop, my renovation, my ideas and all my creations, are just like an extension of myself.

Photos: Aik Chen/ Mediacorp, Jeanette Aw/Instagram