DESMOND LIM Chairman, Les Amis Group
It has been 25 years since stockbroker Desmond Lim and his friends Dr Chong Yap Seng, chef Justin Quek and sommelier-turned-restaurateur Ignatius Chan, first opened Singapore’s first independent European fine-dining restaurant, Les Amis, along Orchard Road. Today, the homegrown establishment is regarded as one of the top French haute cuisine establishments in Singapore, recently awarded three Michelin stars. Apart from Les Amis, the Group also consists of 21 other F&B concepts.
When you first started Les Amis with a group of friends years ago, did you ever think you would lead it to its 25th anniversary this year and better yet, be the owner of a three-Michelin-starred restaurant? What are your thoughts at this time.
When we first started Les Amis, I never imagined how we would grow to become a restaurant group with 22 concepts. At a time when fine dining was exclusive to hotel restaurants, we had an idea. Together, we would open Singapore’s first standalone fine dining restaurant. 25 years on, our silver anniversary is a testament to our people who have made Les Amis Group what it is today. Not many restaurant groups have this opportunity to make it this far, it’s a very tough industry so we are thankful. Even after all these years, Les Amis Restaurant is really the soul of the group, their dedication and passion for excellence has become the philosophy for the Group.
Regarding food costs, what are your thoughts on the way Les Amis and chef Sebastien Lepinoy hold firm to showcasing impeccable seasonal ingredients?
This story is from the November - December 2019 edition of WINE&DINE.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November - December 2019 edition of WINE&DINE.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
New Blood
The next-generation is breathing new life into the forgotten art of spice-mixing, peppering the traditional trade with renewed ideas and fresh perspectives.
Sharing Is Caring
Compared to its flagship at Serene Centre, Fat Belly Social at Boon Tat Street is a classier and bolder affair, in more than one sense.
Nutmeg's Role In Singapore's History
From tales of it being used to ward off the plague in mid-1300s Europe to one of the ingredients in dessert, we have all known, tasted, or at least heard of nutmeg. But not many know of the spice’s role in Singapore’s history.
New And Improved
The ever-profound chef-owner Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida finds more room, three to be exact, to express a Ha Ri philosophy at Hashida Singapore’s new location at Amoy Street.
Pairing Spice-Driven Cuisines With Wine
Pairing spice-driven cuisines with wine has long been a challenge but with a little imagination, it doesn’t have to be.
Let Land Grow Wild
Niew Tai-Ran has worn many hats: aeronautical engineering major, investment banker, avid surfer, and, for the last 14 years, winemaker. Discover how this Malaysia-born, Singapore-native is championing the “do-nothing farming” philosophy at his vineyard in Oregon.
The South Asian Misnomer
Incredibly diverse and varied than most know, Indian food is far more intriguing than butter chicken or thosai. Here is a crash course on the extensive cuisine from region to region, recognisable for the seemingly infinite ways of using spices.
Keepers Of The Spice Trade
From its glory days along trade routes to pantry staples all over the world, spices have become so commonplace that we’ve taken them for granted. For these three trailblazers, however, spice is their livelihood and motivation: Langit Collective working with indigenous rural farming communities in Malaysia; IDH’s Sustainable Spice Initiative; and chef Nak’s one-woman mission to share forgotten Khmer cuisine.
Sugar, Spice And Everything Nice
Like food, spices bring vibrancy and variety to alcoholic beverages. Surfacing in unexpected ways on the palate, find everything from cumin to tamarind, cloves to cardamom enriching these drinks.
Building Blocks From The Archipelago
For the smorgasbord of dishes found in Indonesian cuisine, it is a little known secret that the modest bumbu, in all its variants, is the bedrock of such flavourful fare.
