Jeremmy Chiam is young, talented and willing to risk it all
If not a chef, he would have wanted to be a policeman, specifically a plainclothes policeman in the Central Narcotics Bureau or the Secret Society Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department. Instead he studied engineering, dipped his foot into the heady waters of F&B, then went on a grand culinary tour of the world via Singapore Airlines as a steward. But the kitchen is where his heart and soul are. It took about 4 years, but Jeremmy Chiam eventually made it back.
Today, the 32-year-old is the chef-owner of Le Binchotan, a stylish 36-seater tucked away in Gemmill Lane. The restaurant was first opened in 2016, and Chiam had come onboard as head chef. Over a year into the operation, the owner dropped a bombshell. She was migrating and was planning to sell out or shut down. With the help of some friends, Chiam stepped in and bought over. “Le Binchotan was my baby too,” he says.
He hasn’t looked back since. At Le Binchotan, he continues to refine his Japanese-French dishes and menu, blending techniques, ingredients and inspirations from both traditions, although Chiam admits that he spends less time in the kitchen these days. His signature dishes include Uni & Caviar, where Japanese corn is cooked in bacon broth, then made into an umami-laden custard and mousse, and paired with creamy tongues of wild-caught bafun uni and shoyu pearls; and Smoked Chocolate, a rich, heady dessert featuring Valrhona chocolate cold-smoked with apple wood then melted with butter.
Describe your approach to cuisine.
This story is from the July/August 2018 edition of WINE&DINE.
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This story is from the July/August 2018 edition of WINE&DINE.
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