Online Warriors

They started as social media influencers, but soon found a way to leverage on their star power. Meet these entrepreneurs who’ve transformed their passions into viable business opportunities

- Claire Teo and Jeremiah Khoo

BEN FATTO 95

Kneading New Opportunities

Lee Yum Hwa, more famously known as Benfatto95, shares his journey from accountant to Singapore’s foremost pasta artisan

For most of us, ordering pasta is a decision dictated by the accompanying sauce, whether we have a hankering for arrabiata or pesto. For Lee Yum Hwa, however, these embellishments merely overshadow the real star of the dish: the pasta itself.

This is the guiding light of his private dining venture, Ben Fatto 95, a curated experience centred on the wide world of freshly made pastas. From tortellini to rigatoni, each dish is served elegantly simple, free from distracting pageantry.

It’s nigh on impossible to secure a seat at Lee’s table—with a one-year waiting list—which becomes all the more impressive when you learn that the 39-year-old is entirely self-taught.

Lee’s foray into the culinary scene began in 2015, inspired by a trip to Italy. He had had the pleasure of feasting on a pasta dish that he simply could not find in Singapore. It led to an obsession, spurring him to recreate the pasta himself. Serendipitously, Lee was also at a crossroads in his career, and he had to make the choice: continue his finance career or pursue his new-found passion.

“I was [then] at my tipping point. I took that as a timely nudge, spurring me on to embark on something different,” explains Lee.