SG60: Singaporean chefs cooking up success abroad

Business Times

5 days ago

Jimmy Lim, chef-owner of JL Studio, Taiwan
SOME may wonder about the irony of a chef whose Singaporean restaurant achieves three Michelin stars outside of his home country, rather than in it. But there's no denying the fierce national pride that Jimmy Lim felt when he leapt to the top of the culinary echelon in August 2023, in his adopted home of Taiwan.
'It's not just about personal achievement, it's about recognising and appreciating Singaporean cuisine on the world stage,' says Lim, 43. He describes the award as the culmination of a long journey that began on Feb 1, 2017, when he penned the manifesto for his brand new restaurant JL Studio in Taichung: 'To share Singaporean cuisine with the world.'
It was a major about-turn for the Jurong West boy who built his cooking career in French fine dining at Le Mout in Taichung, and had already finalised plans to make JL Studio a modern European restaurant when he had his epiphany.
JL Studio earned three Michelin stars in 2023 in Taiwan. PHOTO: JL STUDIO
That he would eventually become the only Singaporean in the world to helm a three-starred restaurant serving a cuisine inspired by the likes of chicken rice, laksa or assam pedas, was the ultimate validation. 'All the doubts, the naysayers, all the dismissive comments that shadowed my path over the years – dissolved into nothingness.'
At JL Studio, Lim harnesses local Taiwanese produce to recreate Singaporean dishes in unorthodox ways, such as his signature 'chicken rice' – a steamed fish creation which emulates the unmistakable flavours of the iconic dish.
A steamed fish dish with the flavours of chicken rice. PHOTO: JL STUDIO
It was life that brought him to Taiwan rather than a deliberate decision to move, and while he has often been asked if he could replicate the same success back home, his answer is that he doesn't think about the 'what if', but the 'what is or can be'.
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'When I embarked on this journey, I had no predecessors doing modern Singaporean cuisine at a fine-dining level to guide me, or any benchmark to follow. I simply had a vision for Singaporean cuisine to be perceived through an entirely new lens.'
JL Studio's version of ikan assam pedas. PHOTO: JL STUDIO
Crafting his cuisine in Taiwan is no different to, say, French chefs bringing their own traditions to Singapore, and being 'enriched by new perspectives and locally available produce that can lead to exciting yet authentic interpretations'.
Inspiration is personal rather than geographic, Lim adds, philosophically. 'How authentic you are equals how authentic your heart is.'
Despite not having lived or worked in Singapore for years, his time in Taiwan hasn't diminished his cultural identity, but instead strengthened it, he says. 'It has reshaped my feelings about being Singaporean. It's made me realise how much I used to take for granted.
'For example, I could just walk to the nearby kopitiam at any time for a bowl of laksa, plate of char kway teow or roti prata. Now, if I crave that distinctive 'shiokness', I must recreate it in my own kitchen. But it's a labour of love and a connection to home.'
But for all the rose-coloured visions of being a Singaporean in Taiwan, Lim is not impervious to the realities of the food and beverage industry. The tough times experienced by restaurants here are also being felt where he is. 'It's like we're both sailing in the same rather choppy economic waters!'
He adds, 'We're certainly feeling the squeeze from the very same pressures that are making headlines in Singapore. The economic landscape, both locally and globally, means diners are often thinking twice before splurging, leading to fewer people dining out as frequently as they once did. Coupled with sky-high rentals in prime locations, it puts immense pressure on establishments regardless of their Michelin status.'
Manpower woes, and the effects of American tariffs which 'ripple through supply chains, influence import costs and indirectly affect consumer confidence and discretionary spending' add to the struggles.
But Lim believes in the resilience of the industry in both Taiwan and Singapore, and remains optimistic. And while this might not be the right time to think about whether he would one day open a restaurant in Singapore, Lim says that he has had his fair share of offers in the past.
Opening a restaurant is very much like having a baby, says Lim, describing a chef and partner as 'parents' who must agree on the way they bring up the child. If an investor has unrealistic expectations, the misalignment of values 'leads nowhere fast'. That's why he's 'always on the lookout for a true partner rather than just an investor', and is not ruling out the right opportunity. 'My options are as open as a hawker centre on a Saturday night!'
In the meantime, National Day is usually spent at work in JL Studio, where he offers guests complimentary champagne to mark the occasion, followed by a Singaporean supper at home. This year, he's likely to prepare laksa, for 'a taste of home under a foreign sky'.
While Taiwan has been extremely welcoming of him and his family, giving them 'a sense of belonging', he feels 'a particular longing that persists for my mother and the rest of my family in Singapore'. He makes it a point to return every Chinese New Year, and to seize any opportunity for a work trip to Singapore so he can visit them.
When he does return, there is one dish he has to have, and which holds a 'sacred place in my heart' – curry fish head. Lim's late father ran a zichar stall when he was a young boy, 'and his curry fish head was legendary – a true signature'. Lim, who credits his father for inspiring him to be a chef, remembers how the two of them would travel across Singapore to taste every version of the dish that they could find.
'For me now, it isn't just a meal – it's a communion,' he explains. 'It's my personal ritual, and my silent message to him. Each spoonful is a remembrance and heartfelt whisper that says, 'Hey Dad, I'm back!''
Mathew Leong's Cable Car Sky Dining promotion starts in August. PHOTO: MOUNT FABER LEISURE GROUP
Mathew Leong, executive chef of Re-Naa, Norway
Being physically away from Singapore but always present at heart seems to be the maxim for Mathew Leong, who found success in a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Norway but never passes up a chance to reconnect with his homeland.
He holds the label of 'Singaporean chef made good overseas' with pride, since 'representing Singapore on the global culinary stage, especially here in Norway, means more to me than just professional success', says the executive chef of Re-Naa, where he has worked since 2016.
In between, he also represented Singapore at the culinary olympics Bocuse d'Or earlier this year, where he clinched first place in Asia for the city-state, and sixth in the world after heavyweight countries such as France, Denmark and Sweden.
The 30-year-old Leong has come a long way from the days when he sent out hundreds of resumes around the world before being picked by Re-Naa to work in its kitchen in Stavanger, Norway, as chef de partie.
He also appreciates the value of being the head chef of a three-Michelin-starred restaurant, given the tendency of Singaporeans to acknowledge local talent only after they've made their name overseas, if at all.
Leong experienced this personally in 2021, when he competed in the Bocuse d'Or for the first time. 'It was a huge milestone for me, but most of my sponsors were from Norway and Europe, with fewer than five from Singapore. It was a bit disheartening, as I'd hoped for more support from home since I was a Singaporean representing the country on one of the world's biggest culinary stages.'
For his second attempt this year, by which time he was a more established chef, he had more sponsors from Singapore, although they still lagged behind the others.
He reckons Singapore 'isn't quite there yet in terms of fully backing our own from the start, but I hope that changes and more young chefs and creatives can be supported earlier in their journey – and not when they've 'made it' overseas'.
His experience in Norway has been life-changing in more ways than just his career, he says.
'I learned patience, the importance of slowing down and being present – unlike Singapore's fast, efficient and results-driven lifestyle,' he says. 'Working here also taught me to respect seasonality, and to be resilient. Moving overseas alone and adapting to a different culture, language and kitchen hierarchy wasn't easy. And the most important lesson was humility, especially when you're in Europe among world-class chefs who never stop learning.'
While he sees himself staying on in Norway for the near future, he's already busy with projects in Singapore, the latest being a collaboration with Mount Faber Leisure Group that starts on Aug 16 until May next year.
Kombu-cured tuna chutoro on the cable car dining menu. PHOTO: MOUNT FABER LEISURE GROUP
It felt timely to reconnect with his Singaporean roots especially given this year's SG60 celebrations, he says. It started with a successful five-night pop up at Dusk@Mount Faber, which led to the upcoming project, Cable Car Sky Dining – where he crafts an exclusive menu to be served at the famed tourist attraction.
'Dining in a cable car cabin is unlike anything else, so it's exciting to craft a menu that reflects my signature Nordic culinary style, infused with Asiatic flavours.' Think dishes such as kombu-cured tuna belly, open-fire grilled wagyu and oolong tea milk ice cream. Leong himself won't be here for the duration of the pop-up, but is working with the restaurant's team and will return periodically.
He also has other ventures in Singapore that are still in the planning stages, which means that local diners will be seeing more of him soon.
Meanwhile, Aug 9 will see him in the kitchen at Re-Naa, after which he plans to spend the weekend watching a replay of the National Day parade with his wife, and enjoying a home-cooked meal of chicken rice or fried Hokkien mee.
'For now, I'm still in Norway because there's so much more for me to learn and explore here. But life is unpredictable so who knows? I'll return home when the time is right.'
Aven Lau of Epure Hong Kong. PHOTO: EPURE
Aven Lau, chef de cuisine of Epure, Hong Kong
Aven Lau is an example of a chef who worked hard, tasted success at a young age, and burned out quickly. But he has since made a comeback, having found a happy balance between work and well-being.
'I've learnt that a career in the kitchen is not a sprint but more of a marathon,' says the chef de cuisine of the one-Michelin-starred Epure in Hong Kong. 'Instead of rushing, I've learnt to slow down, and I'm super glad about how my food has progressed since I returned to Hong Kong to manage Epure.'
Lau first tasted fame as the chef of Batard, which at its peak had a three-month waiting list and a roast chicken dish that had a fan club of its own. But overwork and anxiety in 2022 led to him taking a year-long break in Singapore before being enticed back to Hong Kong, where he first started his career.
The dining room of Epure Hong Kong. PHOTO: EPURE
Lau, who has interned in Copenhagen and counts Julien Royer of Odette as a mentor, has lived and worked overseas for almost a decade, mostly in Hong Kong.
'My career kicked off here when I was lucky enough to be given chances to run kitchens at a very young age. So I guess that gives me some kind of attachment to Hong Kong,' says Lau. 'I love how close I am to different countries. I can fly to Taiwan or Shanghai in two hours, or to Shenzhen in one hour. Plus, my partner is also from Hong Kong.'
While there are differences between Singapore and Hong Kong, it's not about which is better, just that 'different places offer different experiences', he says. But as absence makes the heart grow fonder, 'not being in Singapore makes me miss it more'.
But if there's one thing he's noticed, it's that he has increasingly found inspiration in his own heritage when in the kitchen. 'I used to cook contemporary French food, but over the last two years, I've found meaning in infusing elements of South-east Asia into my dishes.
'For example, we have a frog's leg dish, which in a classic French setting would have a parsley sauce that is green. But I've since been making a green sauce using laksa leaves and it looks exactly the same as the original dish, yet it tastes completely different,' he adds.
Being away from Singapore doesn't make him feel any less Singaporean, and in fact, it has helped him to be more independent and responsible, he says. 'If I hadn't left Singapore 10 years ago, I might still be living with my parents (who would be) helping me with my laundry and everything else!'
Like Singapore, Lau says that the Hong Kong dining scene has been suffering since the pandemic. 'Dining habits have changed. But we've learned to adapt, and operate in a smart and cost-effective manner while crafting a menu that's more price-friendly for our guests. But that said, it would not be possible if I did not have the support of my (restaurant owner).'
He sees himself staying in Hong Kong for the near term, although, like every Singaporean, he would want to come back to Singapore one day. 'But I also have a saying: 'I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.''
Until then, a hectic schedule means he doesn't come back to Singapore as often as he would like. He has no plans for National Day in Hong Kong this year since he will be working, but he knows that if he comes back to Singapore, the first thing he'll head for is some min jiang kueh or peanut pancakes. 'They don't have it in Hong Kong!'