The Singaporean chef helming the recently minted three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Taichung, Taiwan shares with us his culinary inspirations and the one ingredient he can’t live without
Jimmy Lim is a Singaporean through and through. After working at lauded restaurants across the globe, including French Laundry in California, Noma and Geranium in Copenhagen, and Per Se in New York, an opportunity to open his own restaurant in Taichung, Taiwan came in 2017. Tapping into his culinary influences growing up in Singapore and the culinary techniques he learned from his previous stints, he opened JL Studio, which serves up the flavours of his home but using Taiwanese ingredients.
It quickly impressed gourmands and critics alike, earning multiple accolades throughout the years and making history as the first Singaporean restaurant to earn the coveted three Michelin stars. Last year, we caught up with Lim to talk about his culinary influences, favourite ingredient and the person he would love to cook with—dead or alive.
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Who has been the biggest influence on you professionally to date?
My late father has been my biggest culinary influence. His passion for cooking aside, he was a hard worker who would go to work even when he was ill. I learned about perseverance from him too; despite encountering many problems in life, he would always stand tall and handle them with grace and elegance. He was also a family man and while he had a tough exterior, he was a softie inside. These qualities have stuck with me and have helped propel my professional culinary career.
Which book do you think every chef should read?
I love the book White Heat by Marco Pierre White. It just got me fired up back in the day.
Which chef would you most like to cook with, dead or alive?
If I had the superpower to turn back time, I would love to be able to cook with my father and grandmother. They were such amazing cooks and it’s a pity I didn’t have enough time to learn from them. Thinking about it, I wonder if they would whoop my ass for cooking certain dishes my way.
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