Lennard & Ann Yeong on taking risks as a couple

The suite at Mondrian Singapore Duxton has been meticulously transformed into a dynamic photo shoot set, a familiar territory for culinary maestro and Masterchef Asia 2015 finalist, Lennard Yeong. Having dived head first into the realm of video production four years ago, the 37-year-old is now a seasoned content creator, accustomed to the spotlight and the lens.

His wife, Ann Louise Chia, 30, a lawyer specialising in corporate law and venture technology, is embarking on an unexpected journey into the spotlight, becoming a recurring feature in his videos and joining him on sets. The couple, married for over a year now, exude an undeniable chemistry as they navigate the bustling photo shoot set.

“Ann is generally quite a private person – even her Instagram page is not public. But whenever I ask her if she wants to be on a shoot or video with me, she’s completely down for it. It’s not her usual practice, but she has never once said no to me if I call on her to help me. I think that’s how she shows support for me,” Lennard shares.

For Ann, who is half Singaporean and half Kiwi, she simply treats these assignments as a new playground for her to explore. She sees Lennard as her steadfast cheerleader who is empowering her to step out of her comfort zone and embrace new experiences. “It’s very fun for me because my work is different – I’m just behind the computer drafting agreements. So it’s fun to be able to do something so different, and also to see what he does, and understand it so much more,” says Ann.

Lennard, a former engineer turned self-taught chef, is thrilled about this new chapter, viewing it as a unique opportunity to forge a deeper connection with his wife. “I love having my wife on sets. I think this is one of those industries that’s hard for a lot of people to fathom, because you can go to a law school to be a lawyer or go to engineering school to be an engineer, but no one teaches you how to become an influencer or content creator,” he explains.

Lennard is aware that he is in a privileged position today to experience the things he does, and be able to share his thoughts with Ann. He says: “Even when I’m on a set alone, without her, I can talk to her about certain things after, and she is able to better relate to it.”

A mid-career switch

Before meeting Ann, Lennard began his career in mechanical engineering after graduating from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2011. His decision was influenced by his parents, when he found himself at a crossroads at the tender age of sixteen, uncertain about his future career path.

“My mum brought me around to meet a bunch of different people whom she was close to, like her boss and friends. I was trying to decide between business and engineering, and her boss decisively said, ‘You don’t have to go to business school to be a businessman, but you have to go to engineering school to be an engineer.’ And at that time, it made sense.”

Initially, Lennard didn’t want to return home to Singapore after graduation as he was used to the lifestyle in the US, and enjoyed the independence and meeting new people. 

He adds: “After being back home for an extended period of time, I think life is what you make of it, no matter where you are. I initially thought that moving back with my parents after graduating was a ‘step backwards’, but now that I’m married and have officially moved out, I’m immensely grateful for all the time I got to spend with them in the same household.”

Lennard worked for Jurong Shipyard for three years, before deciding to take a break to join cooking reality show Masterchef Asia in 2015, when he was 28.

“I felt like engineering was a safe choice, and it was, but after I started working in the field, I realised that I didn’t really enjoy it. The only thing I looked forward to was the weekends, because I’d cook,” he shares.

He learnt cooking from watching Youtube videos, and has amassed a wealth of knowledge across various cuisines like Cantonese, Japanese and Teochew.

“Culinary school took too much time and financial commitment, so heading to Youtube to watch cooking videos was really how I started,” he reveals. He names the world-renowned Ferran Adria and Heston Blumenthal as his favourite chefs when molecular gastronomy – a branch of food science concerned with the physical and chemical transformations that occur during cooking – became popular in the early 2000s.

“But I’d say that my inspirations have changed over time, especially when I started travelling to Tokyo more often and fell in love with Japanese food for its simplicity,” he adds.

One of his fondest childhood memories was cooking pizzas at home with his mother, whom he calls his role model. His mum’s family couldn’t afford university fees when she was 18, so she enrolled in a secretariat school for a year, which allowed her to enter the workforce fairly quickly with a decent salary.

“Mum basically started as a secretary at the age of 19, and worked her way up to be the head of administration of her company. She worked her entire life there to support us five – including my work-from-home dad, my two sisters and me. She retired after 45 years of service,” he beams.

After his impressive stint as a finalist on Masterchef Asia 2015, his passion for the culinary arts was further ignited. He thought about transitioning to this new career, but decided to go back to working as a service engineer for Bomag – a German company specialising in compaction technology, and manufactures soil, asphalt and refuse compaction equipment – to save up enough money.

“After the show, I was strongly considering moving into the culinary field, but I was also a bit lost because if I failed, I didn’t have a safety net. I think that was one of the primary reasons why I didn’t go into food full on, because I didn’t have enough savings. I also didn’t want to rely on my parents to bail me out in the event I didn’t make it. When I hit 30, I was like, ‘Okay, if I don’t do this now, I will probably never do it.’ That was when I left engineering for good and transitioned into cooking,” he shares.

After leaving his engineering job in 2017, Lennard worked part-time in restaurant kitchens. Just nine months later, in 2018, he took up a job as an inhouse chef at German household appliances brand Miele. He cooked at Miele’s events, such as cooking demonstrations, and created content for the company’s social media, before leaving in 2023.

Meeting his life partner

It was at the height of his career that Lennard met Ann in 2020, and their story began on a popular dating app. Drawn to each other’s profiles, they engaged in witty banter and shared their passions, particularly their love for food. Their first in-person meeting was a cocktail and culinary affair. Lennard first asked Ann to a bar for a drink, and the evening soon turned to night.

To quell their rumbling stomachs, the chef invited Ann to his home, where he had been honing his pizza-making skills, and was eager to have her as his discerning critic.

As they continued to spend more time together, their connection deepened. Ann shares that a mere month into their relationship, Lennard had brought up a serious conversation about marriage and life values, solidifying his genuine intentions and surprising her with his forward-thinking approach.

“He was very sure of himself. Even though he had a good degree and career going on, he knew that was not the life for him as he was not enjoying it at all. He knew what he wanted in his career and relationships,” Ann says.

“I was at this stage of life where I knew I wasn’t here to mess around or anything like that. If there was going to be any issues down the road, we would discuss if we could take things forward, or I’d just move on in a separate way,” Lennard chimes in.

After two years of courtship, Lennard proposed to Ann in the romantic city of Paris. Their wedding celebrations included an intimate reception in Singapore, followed by a picturesque ceremony at a vineyard on Waiheke Island, Auckland, in 2023.

Ann shares that it took her parents a long time to understand what Lennard does for a living: “My mum understands it more now because she sees him filming and working with clients to create cooking videos. My dad, on the other hand, is a bit lost – he’s kind of old-school and doesn’t have social media or anything like that.”

Lennard shares that Ann’s father used to introduce him as an engineer to others, even though he’d left that industry years ago. However, he didn’t feel the need to correct him.

“I think my personality isn’t about being argumentative or insisting that people understand. If someone is genuinely curious, I’m happy to answer their questions. Ann’s dad eventually began to understand. For instance, when I started working with a famous wine brand from New Zealand, he was so excited to try the wines. They were sending over bottles, and I think he started to see the perks that come with my work.”

In the public eye together

The couple began married life by setting boundaries that were mutually agreed upon. Lennard says: “Our worlds are very different, which I actually like, because social media can get overwhelming. I like to separate my work and personal life.

“We had an amazing honeymoon at the end of last year, and I barely posted any photos, because I didn’t feel the need to share it with anyone. I shared the moment with the person who mattered most, and I don’t necessarily need others to share that experience with me.”

He admits he hardly features his spouse in his social media to protect her from the limelight. “In the past, when I posted photos with one of my exes, people would leave nasty comments. I remember one person saying, ‘She uses too much makeup,’ and I quickly deleted the comment because I knew it would bother her. But it also made me realise that on the Internet, people can and will say anything as there are no consequences.”

Over time, Lennard says he realises that he no longer feels the need to share much about his personal life. “When I think back to when I started on Instagram, it was more about sharing my life. Now, I see it as a platform for entertaining people and creating content.”

The couple have learnt to adapt to their evolving relationship, with the rising culinary star juggling the demands of his career (@lennardy, 482,000 followers on Instagram, and 987,400 on Tiktok), and his partner balancing her corporate role alongside her supportive duties as a wife.

He shares: “Initially, I was worried about moving in with someone because I was so used to living with my parents. Before getting married, I was a bit of a workaholic – I would shoot videos during the day, have dinner, and then go back to editing videos at night until bedtime.

“After moving in with Ann, I realised she likes to watch TV to decompress, so I adjusted my schedule to make time for that. But I found that taking a break was actually normal – and it saved me from burning out too quickly.”

Ann, a meticulous observer, often catches his linguistic slips, gently teasing and correcting his occasional mispronunciations during voice-overs. “She’s always laughing at me and calling me out. But I’ve learnt a lot from her – she now reads all my contracts, which is really useful,” Lennard says with a laugh.

Expanding the business and family

On top of filming and creating videos, Lennard is also a co-founder of the F&B establishment, Har Har Chicken, which specialises in har cheong gai (fried chicken marinated with prawn paste). He and co-founder LG Han, chef-owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Labyrinth, along with two other business partners, restaurateur Tay Jianli and investment professional Bevin Desker, have since expanded to two stalls in Vivocity and Junction 8 this year.

While he’s predominantly focused on the marketing side of the food business, Lennard is keen to expand his portfolio to include more lifestyle projects. Having been on Instagram for a decade, he only began actively posting videos on Instagram and Tiktok four years ago when he learnt how to edit and produce them.

He shares: “For the longest time, I’ve been pigeonholed into just food projects, and yes, cooking will always be a huge part of my life. But I’d love to explore new things – like fashion, travel, consumer technology, photography, and watches!” Looking ahead to 2025, the couple are also considering their next step after creating a home of their own – becoming parents.

“We’re definitely planning to start a family some time soon, if we are blessed,” Ann reveals.

PHOTOGRAPHY JOEL LOW, ASSISTED BY EDDIE TEO
CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING LENA KAMARUDIN, ASSISTED BY PRIYANKA PATEL & JEON JAE WON
ART DIRECTION RAY TICSAY
MAKEUP LASALLE LEE, USING CLE DE PEAU
HAIR ALVIN FUH / HAIRLOOM
LOCATION MONDRIAN SINGAPORE DUXTON