Who is the fastest rising star in Taiwan’s gastronomy scene?

Two years after its opening, avantgarde modern Singaporean cuisine restaurant JL Studio was identified as an up-and-coming restaurant in the region after it received the Miele One to Watch Award, which is selected by the organizers of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. “Combining traditional Singapore flavors and refined cooking techniques, Lim’s ‘Mod-Sing’ menu translates and elevates much-loved Singaporean dishes with creative flair and a progressive approach,” Miele said in a press release. JL Studio is the only restaurant in Asia to receive the award this year.

Asia’s Best 50 Restaurants is published by Britain-based William Reed Business Media, which counts the Restaurant Magazine among its portfolio and also publishes the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The Asia list is put together by a panel of more than 300 influential restaurant industry leaders and experts from across Asia. Each juror creates their individual list based on the dining experience in restaurants visited during the past 18 months. There are no established rating criteria.

Chef Lim, who hails from Singapore, spent much of his childhood in his father’s eatery. “It resembled these Taiwanese stir-fry hawker stalls. I used to feel it was very low-class; I resented it and only went to help out there to make some pocket money,” recalls Lim. Yet, in hindsight, “becoming a chef seemed a very natural thing to do. Having hung around the kitchen from childhood, cooking just runs in my blood,” says Lim. 

Let’s turn back the clock to one month before the opening of JL Studio. Back then, Lim looked at the menu, which featured the modern European cuisine that is currently popular in Taiwan. Lim felt that it lacked “soul” because it did not reflect the culinary tradition of his homeland. So he decided to completely change the concept and go for modern Singaporean cuisine instead.

He deconstructed traditional Singaporean street food such as chili crab, Nasi Lemak and curry puffs, and went to recompose and reinterpret them using his own culinary language. The process was not an easy one, since Taiwan had no comparable dishes, and Lim lacked a model to serve as a reference. Lim was a bit frustrated when he just started to dish up modern Singaporean cuisine in Taichung because most of the local people were unfamiliar with his culinary heritage. On the other hand, communicating the characteristics of Singaporean cuisine in the form of western cuisine seemed even more confusing. So he decided to personally “bridge” the gap in understanding.

Thanks to colorful and elegant plating, Lim’s creations are also a visual delight. In the mouth, JL Studio’s take on the traditional Singapore-Malaysian dish Assam Laksa surprises with a delicious tangy flavor. (Souce: JL Studio)

“I serve as a bridge to explain and share with everyone why the flavors are so tangy and heavy. It’s because the weather in Southeast Asia is very hot. The spices give us a good appetite and take away the dampness.” Food ingredients are grown for the local people. “It is the same in Taiwan. Camellia seeds and wild mountain vegetables have a bitter taste that dispels the heat. That’s how the soil speaks to us,” notes Lim.

Chen Lan-shu, head chef at the French cuisine restaurant Le Moût in Taichung, where Lim honed his skills, praises the progress of her mentee over the past few years. “His dishes always stand out for their uniqueness; they reflect his sincere personality. The complexity and completeness of his current cuisine is much higher (compared to when he previously worked at Le Moût), he virtually is already one of the best head chefs in Taiwan.”

Mario Miranda, regional managing director at Miele, said: “While maintaining a solid foundation based on traditions, chef Jimmy Lim works daily to modernize and elevate his Singapore cuisine to cater to an international audience.”

Deconstructing Tradition, Experimenting with New Southeast Asian Flavors

“Contemporary diverse cuisine” is the current trend. The personal background and training of the creators injects soul into the dishes. Yet how much a chef retains or is able to retain of the characteristic features of traditional, classic dishes, from taste, aroma to food plating and presentation, depends on their experience and self-confidence.

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Kueh Pie Tee or Nonya Top Hats are a Peranakan (ethnic Chinese) snack found throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand. The crispy shells are made from a batter of rice milk with wheat flour and typically filled with a savory, spicy, mixture of shredded vegetables, shrimp, cuttlefish and the like. Lim’s interpretation combines giant red prawns laced with dill and topped with edible flours that make the filled shells look like tiny blooming gardens. In the mouth, the crispy shells and the sweet freshness of the seafood come together in a tasty symphony, with fragrant, fresh coriander leaving a pleasant aftertaste. Regardless of whether Singaporean cuisine resonates with you, the bite-size appetizers can serve as a beautiful prelude to a meal (see photo below).

Source: JL Studio

“My journey has only just begun. I have only now come to understand my own roots and the culture I grew up in,” notes Lin, adding with confidence: “In the future I will continue to share the flavors of Singapore with everyone.”

Translated by Susanne Ganz
Edited by TC Lin, Sharon Tseng