Founding JOM four years ago, Jordan Lee has brought his father’s recipes to Hong Kong and introduced what Singaporeans really eat.
Two cities in Asia that share an equally rabid obsession of food are both Singapore and Hong Kong. With a father from the Lion City and a mother born and raised locally, Jordan Lee knows this too well.
Separated by a sea, Singaporeans and Hong Kongers dictate their diets in a similar fashion. They research vogue spots and a multitude of cuisines to broaden their horizons. After studying at Swiss hospitality school EHL, Jordan wanted to unify both cities with his Hong Kong-based restaurant JOM.
As the restaurant brand reaches its fifth year, founded in November 2021 in Wan Chai, Jordan enters 2025 with a second location in Sheung Wan and an enduring passion for sharing his father’s culinary culture.
“I grew up in Hong Kong, but used to travel to Singapore with my father a lot, loving the food that we now serve in JOM,” Jordan tells Foodie. “In 2021, he retired and I wanted to build something that was in living memory of the food I grew up with that he made.”
At the turn of the 2020s, Jordan found Hong Kong’s market primed for the “introduction of good Singaporean food,” a dream of his since young to serve the flavours of his childhood to the masses.
After locating a space in Wan Chai to build his first independent venture after graduation, Jordan implemented his father’s recipes within the first menu of JOM, presenting a modern take on Singaporean hawker and zi char cuisine, “lot’s of different foods we enjoyed when we were younger.”
JOM launched with dishes like chilli crab, laksa, nasi lemak, Hainan chicken rice, salted egg prawns, bak kuh teh, and chwee kueh, quintessential items you would find at any Singaporean restaurant, yet a rarity within Hong Kong’s scene.
With chefs from Malaysia, sharing just a border with Singapore but a multitude of flavours, Jordan was adamant to keep the brand “as authentic as possible” to usher in a new image for Singaporean food in Hong Kong.
“Singaporean food has always been perceived as a very cheap cuisine locally.” JOM’s refined cooking style, akin to any modern restaurant in Hong Kong, and consistent storytelling of Singaporean cooking techniques brought the cuisine into a light. “We strive to show off the home-cooked food popular amongst Singapore’s community restaurants.”
JOM found success with Singaporean cuisine’s familiarity with the Hong Kong palate, Jordan states. “Singapore has a lot of different cultures mixed into it, such as Malaysian, Cantonese, Malay, Indonesian, and Hokkien food.”
One signature dish of JOM is the coffee pork ribs, a dish originating in western China, famed for its sweetness and tart flavours. “It is an authentic Singaporean dish not unfamiliar to the Hong Kong palate.” Jordan also notes of their laksa and salted egg lotus roots as recommended dishes.
As Hong Kongers fled to Singapore during the pandemic and promptly returned soon after, Jordan says a demand for Singaporean food has increased as Hong Kongers are more aware of the flavours of the island nation.
Now with a new location in Sheung Wan, Jordan is intent to present the different side of Singapore with more hawker food. “In afternoon service, we have an assortment of special Singaporean snacks like Hainan chicken, laksa, and prawn mee.”
“During dinner service, we present our coffee pork ribs, chilli crabs, and a variety of our laksa flavours.”
Whilst the blue-collar Sheung Wan business district attracts a heavy crowd during weekday lunch, Jordan notes of the area’s potential as a nighttime dining destination. “We are joining Samsen, An Choi, and Pecorino for an audience seeking experiences in the area.”
As Jordan prepares for his fifth year undertaking his ambassadorial role preaching the goodness of Singapore food, new menus are coming to both Sheung Wan and Wan Chai locations promoting more authentic plates and sharing styles.
Traditional recipes, passed down from his family, land at JOM where previously could not be found in Hong Kong, but are very popular. Jordan notes that his team endeavors to create dishes which are appealing yet familiar to a Singaporean’s palette.
Jordan recommends the mee goreng, salted egg lotus roots, and cereal tiger prawns in the new revamp to expose diners to the zi char sub-cuisine of Singapore. More weekly, monthly, and quarterly specials are to come, alongside tailor made tasting menus designed for two to ensure a returning customer will never tire of JOM.
“We definitely want to be playing the long game [in Hong Kong].” Growing this year and towards the future, Jordan wants JOM to maintain its identity. “We do not want to be a very big chain at all, but we definitely want to open a few more outlets to make our food accessible for everyone. We see JOM as a social hangout place.”
Head down to JOM today in Wan Chai and Sheung Wan for a true taste of Singapore.
