Jimmy Lim

The Climb

Professional formation for this kind of cooking began with technical grounding at Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre (SHATEC), before Jimmy Lim entered Le Moût in Taichung, Taiwan (from 2007). That kitchen placed the work inside a stricter register: preparation, repetition, timing, the pass, and the standards that accumulate before a cook has a restaurant of their own. The move to Taichung also put Singaporean culinary memory in direct contact with Taiwanese produce. By the time Jimmy Lim became chef-founder of JL Studio (since 2017), the restaurant’s direction had narrowed into a clear working brief: use disciplined technique to rework Singapore-inspired flavours through the ingredients and seasonality of Taiwan.

Today

Since 2017, JL Studio in Taichung, Taiwan has operated as a Modern Singaporean restaurant with Jimmy Lim as chef-founder. The kitchen uses Taiwanese produce such as magao pepper from Hualien, vegetables, and seafood in Singapore-inspired dishes, making origin and location part of the method rather than the backstory. The tension is practical: flavours carried from Singapore are rebuilt with ingredients close to the restaurant. His own explanation is direct: "At JL Studio, I am passionate about sharing the flavours of my love, my memories and my roots. I wish to showcase the amazing spectrum of tastes from Singapore and South-East Asia while showcasing the beautiful local produce from Taiwan." That statement defines the working coordinates. Singapore provides memory and roots; South-East Asia provides a wider taste spectrum; Taiwan provides the local produce. Within those limits, JL Studio’s cuisine is specific: Modern Singaporean, made in Taichung, grounded in Taiwanese ingredients, and shaped by a Singaporean chef’s references.

Signature

Signature dishes at JL Studio include Shroom Kut Teh, Tyan Tyan Hainanese Chicken Rice, Chilli Crab, Nasi Lemak, and Curry Puffs. The names carry recognizable Singaporean associations: rice, spice, crab, mushrooms, curry and pastry. In Jimmy Lim’s hands, they function as reference points for a broader practice of remembering, refining and relocating Singaporean flavours through Taiwanese ingredients. Recognition is part of the dish language, but not the whole point. Shroom Kut Teh, Tyan Tyan Hainanese Chicken Rice, Chilli Crab, Nasi Lemak, and Curry Puffs remain tied to Singapore-inspired memory, while the Taichung setting and produce-led approach change the frame. Familiarity becomes the entry point; local inflection does the present-tense work.

In Their Words “At JL Studio, I am passionate about sharing the flavours of my love, my memories and my roots. I wish to showcase the amazing spectrum of tastes from Singapore and South-East Asia while showcasing the beautiful local produce from Taiwan.”

Recognition

Jimmy Lim has received WACS World Young Chef Challenge — gold medal (2006). Jimmy's honors include Third Michelin star for JL Studio (2023), Second Michelin star for JL Studio (2020), First Michelin star for JL Studio (2019), Ranked No. 33 for JL Studio (2024), Ranked No. 26 for JL Studio (2021), and One To Watch Award for JL Studio (2019). The recognition records sustained attention for a restaurant working in a defined culinary register. The First Michelin star for JL Studio (2019), Second Michelin star for JL Studio (2020), and Third Michelin star for JL Studio (2023) mark that progression, while Ranked No. 26 for JL Studio (2021), Ranked No. 33 for JL Studio (2024), and One To Watch Award for JL Studio (2019) place JL Studio within contemporary restaurant rankings. The through-line remains the stated craft: Singaporean and South-East Asian flavours carried through Taiwanese produce at JL Studio in Taichung.