Professional golfer Minjee Lee turns pastry chef at MBS

[SINGAPORE] On Monday (Feb 23) evening, a suite on the 52nd floor of Marina Bay Sands (MBS) turned into a classroom, where MBS chef Hoi Kuok I taught professional golfer Minjee Lee and two Metta School alumni how to make kueh.

The alumni – individuals with mild intellectual disabilities who have been working as bakers at the school’s Metta Cafe since 2014 – and Lee learned how to make ang ku kueh and ondeh ondeh. These are bite-sized snacks central to Singapore’s cultural identity.

Meanwhile, Lee – who is in Singapore to kick off her 2026 season with the HSBC Women’s World Championship on Feb 26 – said she is interested in going to baking school when she retires. 

Hoi, who is director of pastry and bakery at MBS, highlighted that golf, cooking and education are all forms of “art” – practice is required to master skills, and having mentors is important in order to succeed.

He added that making kueh together serves as a good bonding experience, which also allows participants to embrace Singapore’s heritage and culture. 

The Metta alumni, Shirley Heng, 36, and Rachel Tan, 32, gained hands-on experience directly from industry practitioners from this baking session, giving them exposure and helping them build their confidence.

This is crucial in helping them become more independent, said Felicia Wee, deputy executive director from Metta Welfare Association. “The objective is to eventually place them in open employment.” 

Metta has had a long-standing partnership with MBS since 2010. Many of the school’s graduates have been hired by MBS for food preparation, baking or housekeeping roles.

Hoi has two Metta alumni in his team, with one working in banquets and the other at the hotel. However, he likes to take them “out of their comfort zone” and place them in different environments – for example, Mice events – so they can upskill in various areas.

SEE ALSO

Hong Leong Foundation rings in Chinese New Year with seniors at M Hotel

“What’s most important in my position is how to give them more opportunities and a stage to perform,” he said.

Wee added that more collaborations with companies through corporate social responsibility programmes help to advocate for how individuals with intellectual disabilities can contribute to society.

For example, earlier this month, a group of artists aged 24 to 30 from the Arts@Metta programme taught around 300 staff volunteers from MBS how to assemble 3D-printed keychains of traditional snacks.