In a quiet corner of Tiong Bahru, Caffe Pralet began when a junior college teacher followed her heart into the kitchen. Founded in 2006 by Judy Koh, 62, the cafe represents a remarkable second act for someone who spent her early career teaching literature and General Paper at Catholic Junior College.

The cafe went viral recently for its square sourdough doughnuts and sandwiches. The articulate Koh – who still very much has the air of a literature teacher – already had a baking school next door called Creative Culinaire, which opened in 2000. 

STELLAR STUDENT FROM A HUMBLE BACKGROUND 

"I'm from the generation where unless you could not study, then you become a cook or baker," Koh told 8days.sg in crisp English. 

The oldest among three siblings, she grew up in a “one room, one hall” HDB flat in Circuit Road. “My siblings and I slept in the hall,” she recalled. Her father was a clerk at the post office and her mother, a housewife. “When our neighbour got a TV, my siblings and I would fight to watch the TV through the window,” she said.

STARTED BAKING AGED SEVEN 

Koh began learning the ropes of baking at the age of seven. Her grandmother used to whip up local treats like kueh bahulu and pineapple tarts for the family. As the oldest grandkid, Koh would often lend a hand by whisking eggs or meticulously rolling out pineapple balls. That was where her love for baking began.

Although she did not grow up with much and often had to stay behind in primary school to study in the classroom as her cramped home wasn’t conducive, Koh was a brilliant student. She consistently placed top three in class throughout primary school and did well in Nanyang JC, where she was awarded the prestigious Public Service Commission (PSC) scholarship to study at the National University of Singapore. “Growing up, I was told I had to find my own way to fund my education”. So she gave tuition to earn extra cash. 

She graduated with a degree in literature and linguistics and had a five-year teaching bond as a JC teacher. “I genuinely loved studying. Literature and linguistics were my favourite subjects,” Koh said. 

“I absolutely loved teaching and listening to my students' views,” she exclaimed, reminiscing about her early twenties. “I was a young teacher, and my students were around 17, so we weren’t that far apart in age.”

She described her teaching years as “invigorating”. However, she chose to leave teaching in JC after experiencing burnout. One memory that lingered was of a hardworking student she helped with extra tuition – the student eventually passed, but their results weren’t good enough to enter university. “I felt very responsible for my student’s future and had to take a break from teaching.” 

THE PIVOT TO BAKING AS A CAREER 

Koh went on to pursue her lifelong dream of baking, despite the career change being a difficult choice initially. 

While her mother didn’t comment on her decision, Koh recalled her father showing signs of disappointment, often telling others, “Judy runs a baking school now, but she used to teach literature”. Koh, who got married aged 24, added she was “too headstrong” to let anything stop her from following her dreams. 

Thereafter, Koh funded her own culinary education overseas and embarked on a journey to master her craft.

“I don’t miss teaching [in JC] as I still teach the art, science and mathematics of baking. I’m still a teacher to my students,” she said, on her career change. 

Koh trained at cooking institutions like the Culinary Institute of America in New York and Le Notre in Paris. Her turning point came as an apprentice at US Wheat Associates, an export market development organisation for the American wheat industry, where she attended a six-week course studying the science and mathematics of baking. 

She recalled her mentor telling her: "You're intelligent, but if only you had confidence”. It was a line she holds dear to this day as an introvert by nature. 

"That was when I realised: You can’t be confident without knowledge," she said. 

After years of travelling back and forth to raise her two children in Singapore (her husband is an engineer) and attend courses overseas, on top of working part-time giving baking lessons, Koh opened her baking school, Creative Culinaire, in 2000, and later, in 2006, opened Caffe Pralet.

ONCE HAD ONLY S$50 LEFT IN POCKET 

Her school has six-full time and part-time teachers. Each class holds up to 16 students at a time. 

Running the business over the years hasn't been without its challenges. "I even went through a period when I only had S$50 left in my pocket," Koh revealed. As a former literature teacher, numbers weren't her strong suit. "When you run a business, you cannot just run it by heart. When you are running a proper business with rental and staff salaries, you really need to know a little bit about numbers."

When asked if this was what she had envisioned growing up, she laughed and said: "No. I wanted to get married, have children and be a housewife." 

“But life is too short to ignore my dreams,” she said earnestly. "The greatest joy of teaching is seeing my students transform what they’ve learned into bakery businesses that create job opportunities for others."

A "SECRET" HOLLYWOOD PROJECT 

Before the pandemic, Caffe Pralet focused on wedding and corporate cakes, before shifting to sourdough sandwiches and sourdough doughnuts.

Back then, they received an intriguing project proposal through a friend in the film industry. "Initially, we didn't know until we signed the NDA form," recalled Koh's son, Timothy Chia, 32, who joined the family business as a baker and operations manager when he was 22. The secret was soon revealed – they would be creating the wedding cake for the 2018 hit movie Crazy Rich Asians.

The brief was specific and demanding. "There were pretty strict rules in terms of minimum height and width," Chia shared. "They wanted it to look very oriental, to suit the film." The final creation stood at 1.5m in both height and width.

The seven-tiered showpiece was primarily a prop cake, but with a twist: "The back of the cake had a cutout, and then we had to put a real cake inside," Chia revealed. This real portion was a simple vanilla buttercream cake, designed specifically for the cake-cutting scene at characters’ Araminta and Colin Khoo’s wedding. The project required an estimated 20kg of sugar for the fondant alone, highlighting the massive scale of the undertaking. Koh and Chia declined to reveal the fee they were paid for the project.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS CAKE PREPPED OVER FOUR DAYS 

While preparations took a total of two weeks, the cake itself was constructed over four days, which includes making the fondant, covering the cake with it and waiting for it to dry before topping it off with icing and decorations.

A cake like that would easily cost about S$3,000 to S$4,000, Koh said.

The assembly at the filming location in Gardens by the Bay took two and a half hours, with Koh, Chia, and two bakers working meticulously to ensure everything was perfect. 

"The film set was big and impressive," they said. "But we didn’t get to stay and meet any of the stars. We had to arrive five hours before the actual filming started, so we had quite a lot of time to make it look pretty,” said Chia.

Chia says the cake was featured for only about three or four seconds in the movie. “At least I can say that I’ve made a cake for a worldwide movie set,” he quipped.

For Koh, the project transcended mere business. "It wasn't stressful because I was working with my son," she said. "These are moments where one day when I'm gone, my son would have these memories from us working together." The cake's success in the film helped boost their baking business, marking a sweet chapter in their culinary journey.

A NEW CHAPTER WITH MOTHER AND SON 

The brand received fresh momentum when Koh's son, Chia, took the helm two years ago. 

Chia's passion for baking was evident from a very young age. He once entered a cake decorating competition at around 11 years old. "We got the timing wrong and went to church in the morning instead," Koh recalled. "At 9am, we received a call and rushed to the competition in 20 minutes. The buttercream was still cold, but Timothy carried on and ended up placing in the top three."

Since then, Chia has dedicated himself to his baking pursuits, graduating with a diploma in baking and culinary science at Temasek Polytechnic.

Chia admitted joining the family business was never really part of his plan, “Family businesses are never easy but there’s a reason why I am in it today.”

"My mother has spent so many years building this business. There’s so much legacy here – why don't I take over and build it into something even bigger?" Chia reflected. 

The transition wasn't easy. Koh admitted feeling "a bit pained" when certain cafe menu items, like the ayam berempah, were removed during Chia's menu revamp. 

The cafe previously sold an Asian-Western cuisine, with dishes like curry chicken and baked goods. 

"It took me about a year; it was a process," she shared. The cafe underwent renovations for a hipper, fresher look when Chia joined the business.

But she's proud of the results. "Thank god my son has become a better baker and businessman because you need to combine these two to be able to succeed. I was more of a [baking] teacher than a businesswoman."

Chia is in charge of the cafe, while Koh handles the baking school.

Both Koh and Chia share similar traits – they are deeply passionate and naturally stubborn, which has led to many squabbles over the years. "We handle disagreements much better now; we're a lot calmer," Koh said. "At the end of the day, we always remind ourselves that we share the same goals and love for each other."

VIRAL SUCCESS AND EXPANSION 

Last year, their square sourdough doughnuts went viral on TikTok, leading to two-day waiting times and queues outside the cafe. Their most popular creation, the Brown Butter Honey Glaze doughnut, is loved for its condensed milk-like glaze and mochi-like texture. They've also introduced innovative flavours like Fairy Floss, featuring chicken floss mixed with Japanese furikake and kombu aioli spread.

The cafe also serves sourdough sandwiches that come in six flavours, including the Mojo Cerdo with roasted pork collar, balsamic glazed peppers and avocado, and Cheeky Avocado with grilled chicken breast, chipotle red pesto, and creamy avocado.  

While Koh now focuses primarily on running her culinary school, Creative Culinaire Academy, she finds joy in seeing both her students and her son succeed. "I have no regrets," she said, "because I love what I’m doing." 

For Chia, the future of Caffe Pralet lies in becoming a quick-service restaurant brand "the likes of Guzman's and Shake Shack – brands that are much more fast-paced".

This May, they’re opening a sourdough doughnut shop at Ekkamai Corner in Bangkok under their brand. They plan to eventually expand it into a full-fledged quick-service restaurant. 

Caffe Pralet is currently in the midst of rebranding to Pralet. “There’s a high possibility we’ll open a second outlet in Singapore towards the end of this year,” shared Chia. 

Caffe Pralet is at #01-04 Eng Hoon Mansions, 17 Eng Hoon St, S169767. Open Tue - Sun 9am to 6pm. More info via Instagram & website. Creative Culinaire Academy is at #01-03 Eng Hoon Mansions, 17 Eng Hoon St, S169767. Open daily 9am-5pm. More info via Instagram & website.

This story was originally published in 8Days.