{"id":14539,"date":"2026-06-24T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/?p=14539"},"modified":"2026-06-24T14:31:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T06:31:29","slug":"edible-storytelling-modesi-chocolates-crafts-culture-in-3d-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/2026\/06\/24\/edible-storytelling-modesi-chocolates-crafts-culture-in-3d-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"Edible Storytelling: Modesi Chocolates Crafts Culture in 3D Printing"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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You may not have the right answers, but learn how to ask the right questions.<\/p>

That was a memorable takeaway from the time Mr Abhimanyu Goel (MSc ISD \u201916) and Ms Aakanksha Jain (MSc ISD \u201916) spent at the National University of Singapore\u2014 where systems thinking, experimentation and an interdisciplinary education encouraged them to explore ideas through different perspectives and materials.<\/p>

One such question \u2014 \u201cWhy not chocolate?\u201d \u2014 would form the foundation for their successful business, Modesi Chocolates<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Chocolate designed to look like Peranakan tiles<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Bars, thins, balls \u2014 chocolates have been known to come in different forms and shapes for years. But less heard of are chocolates that pay homage to cultural motifs like Peranakan tiles and architectural icons like Marina Bay Sands.<\/p>

That\u2019s what the married couple have set out to do with Modesi Chocolates. Degrees in architecture and urban planning may not be natural bedfellows with the world of chocolate-making. But it all starts to make sense when you discover their passion for the project, which was sparked by boredom during COVID-19.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cIt was a time when all of us retreated into our hobbies,\u201d explains Ms Aakanksha. \u201cFor me, that was baking and for Abhi, it was 3D printing. One night we thought of combining our passions and that\u2019s how we started.\u201d<\/p>

Using a 3D printer, they created a rudimentary mould of the Sydney Opera House, which became their prototype. \u201cWe\u2019re both architects at heart, so we naturally gravitated towards buildings,\u201d says Mr Abhimanyu.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Modesi
Modesi Chocolates' designs take inspiration from architecture and culture.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Modesi
Modesi Chocolates' designs take inspiration from architecture and culture.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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A FINE BALANCE<\/strong><\/p>

That initial creation offered important lessons on design, scale and detail. He continues, \u201cThe Sydney Opera House we made was a really big piece of chocolate that we couldn\u2019t finish eating. So we decided to make things a lot more bite-sized, but that then affects how detailed the product can be. It\u2019s a balance we try to strike: something that\u2019s instantly recognisable, but can still be enjoyed as a light treat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

Ms Aakanksha adds that she wants people to actually eat their creations. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to admire but at the end of the day, that shouldn\u2019t take away from its function as food.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

That ethos has informed Modesi Chocolates\u2019 expansion to motifs beyond architecture. These days, they do festive drops on social media, with unique patterns that celebrate various communities. \u201cOur Instagram was flooded with enquiries after our recent Lunar New Year release,\u201d says Ms Aakanksha, who quit her job as an urban planner to focus on the business earlier this year. \u201cAfter we released our Hari Raya special, we shared our designs with Eric Broug, a scholar in Islamic art from London. He was impressed that we had created such designs in chocolate.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>

Their culturally inspired creations have since earned wider recognition, including a recent A’Design Award in Food, Beverage and Culinary Arts Design for their chocolate creation “Ashwa Nova\u201d.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Creations
Creations for festive holidays have proved popular with customers of Modesi Chocolates.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Creations
Creations for festive holidays have proved popular with customers of Modesi Chocolates.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Creations
Creations for festive holidays have proved popular with customers of Modesi Chocolates.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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THEIR RECIPE FOR SUCCESS<\/strong><\/p>

Making everything from scratch and in-house has been critical to their sweet success. Using 3D printing as part of the process allows them to maintain control over both design and quality\u2014two aspects they are unwilling to compromise on. But more than that, it gives them the flexibility to adapt quickly. Their early pieces were shared among friends and family, before gaining traction at design conferences and exhibitions. \u201cWe would just bring them along to show people what we were doing,\u201d recalls Mr Abhimanyu. \u201cAnd then people started asking if we could create something for them.\u201d<\/p>

Corporate orders soon followed, with clients hankering for opportunities to translate their identities into something tangible. Some come with strict requirements, such as logos and brand colours. Others give the duo more creative freedom.<\/p>

\u201cIt always starts with a story,\u201d Ms Aakanksha explains. \u201cWhat are they trying to say? Why chocolate?\u201d Most of the time, it boils down to the universal joy of chocolate. \u201cYou can gift it to anyone,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt works across cultures and generations.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Designs
Designs created for Hari Raya<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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Designs created for Hari Raya<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Flavours, which range from milk to dark and even pistachio, are another way to extend their storytelling approach, with aroma and taste working together to make the product feel universal and inclusive.<\/p>

Still, she wants more people to understand how challenging and unforgiving a medium chocolate can be. \u201cIt\u2019s especially fragile in Singapore, because of the heat and humidity. But I guess that\u2019s part of the process.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

Tackling this, while also meeting the gold standard of Singapore\u2019s utmost compliment for dessert (\u201cnot too sweet\u201d) requires extensive research and development. This is the domain of Mr Abhimanyu, who continues to work full-time as a senior research associate at the University.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cBy playing around with factors like the chocolate\u2019s surface area, I can tweak the mouthfeel and snap. This may help you feel like you\u2019re getting more of the chocolatey goodness from just a small piece\u2014which is also better for your health. A plus for health-conscious consumers in Singapore!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

But chocolate, they say, is only the starting point. The long-term ambition is to build Modesi into a broader lifestyle brand\u2014one that applies their architectural and 3D design experience across a range of other materials, including wax and soap.\u00a0<\/p>

If their success in sparking dialogue through chocolate is anything to go by, it seems like the conversations are set to flow even more.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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CONVERSATIONS IN CHOCOLATE<\/strong><\/p>

  • Patterns trigger memories: Design inspirations come from shophouses, vintage windows and sights from neighbourhoods. \u201cI was running a chocolate workshop for Singapore General Hospital at a commercial kitchen, and one of the patients said she recognised the windows we had made. We had a whole conversation about how buildings were changing in Singapore,\u201d shares Ms Aakanksha.<\/li>
  • Bridging old and new: An upcoming series will explore the dialogue between older architecture and their newer counterparts, evoking nostalgia through design.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Main photo by Lionel Lin. Other photos provided courtesy of Modesi Chocolates.\u00a0<\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Mr Abhimanyu Goel (MSc ISD \u201916) and Ms Aakanksha Jain (MSc ISD \u201916) unwrap the success of Modesi Chocolates, where architecture and design are reimagined through 3D printing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":14540,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-startups"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14539"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14539\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14612,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14539\/revisions\/14612"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}