"What would you do if you're not afraid?"

This is the question plastered on the walls of Facebook's headquarters in Silicon Valley, where Mandy Lim used to work.

Now one of the co-founders of Toku Nori, a Japanese handroll bar tucked away in Telok Ayer, Lim's answer to that question is clear.

Giving up a position on the team at Instagram for a personal venture mustn't have been an easy decision, which Lim affirmed during her interview with Mothership. 

@mothership.nova don’t be afraid & chase your dreams!!! ✨ #tiktoksg #foodfestontiktok #SGFoodie #wheretoeat #tokunori #entrepreneur #japanesefood #sushi ♬ BIRDS OF A FEATHER - Billie Eilish

Indeed, the idea was put on the backburner for years before she finally plucked up the courage to act on it.

Built the Instagram Stories feature

Lim resided in the States for almost nine years: first in Silicon Valley, before later moving to New York.

This was a decision she made shortly after graduating from university, when she realised she wanted to pursue a career in tech.

Thus began her career at Facebook, where she worked on the Instagram application with her team.

"You guys know of the Stories feature? Yeah, I built that with my team, and a lot of other cool stuff," she smiled proudly.

"It was a really, really interesting journey. I got to travel the world, got to meet so many different people, got to launch cool products, and I'm really grateful for my time there."

An ode to her comfort places in New York City

During her time in New York, Lim grew attached to Japanese speakeasy bars that served handrolls and sake.

Toku Nori was founded in reminiscence of these eateries she so loved.

"I had this idea [of bringing a] similar concept back," Lim told Mothership, listing a few of these places - which, coincidentally, all had the word "nori" ("seaweed" in Japanese) in their names.

"When I came back to Singapore, I really wanted to start another "nori".

My cousin's boyfriend is Japanese, so when I asked him [what to call my "nori", he suggested] "toku", which, in Japanese, means "special".

And so, Toku Nori was born this year."

@mothership.nova Toku Nori 📍: 200A Telok Ayer St, S068638 ⏰: Mondays to Saturdays, 11:45am to 2:30pm; 5:30pm to 11:30pm 🍴: Hotate roll S$9 Maguro roll S$8 Engawa roll S$9.50 Wagyu & uni roll S$16 Foei gras roll S$16 Warabi mochi Matcha latte Sakura matcha latte Yuzu matcha Prices exclude GST & service charge #tiktoksg #food #telokayer #tanjongpagar #singapore #foodtok #japanese #japanesefood #handroll #sushi #whattoeat #whattoplay ♬ original sound - Ashley Gonzales Cañaveral

Following in her father's footsteps

A mid-life career change might not be for the faint of heart.

According to Mandy, her "call of confidence" was sparked by her father, who started an omakase restaurant in his fifties without prior experience in the industry.

"My mum and I were like, "Oh my gosh, is this some sort of midlife crisis?"" she laughed in reminiscence.

Fast forward to the present, and Lim's father's restaurant is "thriving".

When asked to describe her relationship with her father, Lim referred to him as a "very, very, great mentor", though he did initially have qualms about her joining the F&B industry.

"He said, "Oh my gosh, F&B is so hard! Are you sure you want to do this?"" Lim recalled with a wistful chuckle. "But he's been very, very supportive and very encouraging."

"I look to my dad for inspiration - if he can do it at that age, I think I can do it too. [It's] just about your drive, your ambition, your commitment to quality and just, really, the love for [your] customer[s].

[It's] never too late to learn new things, and we can always reinvent ourselves and try new things."

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

If not for the pandemic, Toku Nori would probably never have been born.

According to Lim, she'd had intentions of starting a handroll bar since 2018.

"Covid really helped me realise life is short," Lim mused. "We thought the virus was going to kill all of us right?"

"In Facebook we have this saying, "What [would] you do if you're not afraid?"

I really asked myself, "What would I do if I wasn't afraid?" I am a big foodie and very passionate about [food] at heart. This is what I would do if I wasn't afraid."

Top photos by Fasiha Nazren