JOURNE
Pronounced, /ʒuːrn/, is a creative food space where cooking is explored and developed.
Founded by chefs Lih and Ethel, Journe is built on the belief that food is not defined by borders, but by experience, where flavours, cultures, and techniques intersect to create something deeply personal and ever evolving. Currently, Journe operates as an intimate private dining experience hosted in their home, serving up to 8 guests.
Our Story
Journe began with two chefs who met at the Culinary Institute of America (Singapore) and continued their journey in San Francisco, training in Michelin-starred kitchens and growing into leadership roles as head chef and pastry chef.
It was there they developed a deep appreciation for live fire cooking, preservation, and working with exceptional produce.
Their time in California reshaped how they understood food. Working closely with farmers and producers, they developed a deep respect for seasonality, the land, and the importance of harvesting ingredients at their peak. This instilled a lasting belief that flavour, texture, and quality are inseparable from freshness and origin.
At Journe, cooking begins with the ingredient.
They focus on drawing out the full expression of each ingredient-its flavour, texture, and character-through thoughtful technique and intuitive pairings. Their approach is led not by tradition alone, but by a deeper sense of what feels balanced and meaningful, often bridging cultures in unexpected ways.
Returning to Singapore, they began to question what “seasonality” and “Singaporean cuisine” truly means in a place shaped by movement and migration.
Singapore has no single culinary identity – and that becomes its strength, shaping a way of cooking that intersects cultures, flavours, and memory.
Journe reflects this complexity, through a perspective shaped by their time abroad, their heritage and diverse food cultures around them.
Rather than define Singaporean food, they explore it, creating dishes that feel both familiar and new, grounded yet evolving.
Meet Lih & Ethel
Chefs Lih and Ethel met at the Culinary Institute of America (Singapore) and trained in San Francisco before returning to Singapore to continue their work together.
Lih, a former national archer, transitioned into the culinary world in 2014 and has worked across Singapore and San Francisco, including Michelin-starred kitchens such as O’ by Claude Le Tohic and Bar Crenn. He most recently served as the chef to the United States’ Ambassador to Singapore from 2022 to 2025.
Ethel began her career in nursing before transitioning into pastry, later founding her cake brand, Little Favors in 2015. She went on to become Pastry Sous Chef at Quince, where her work is shaped by her connection to the nature of seasonality and flavour.
They were part of the opening team of Ittoryu Gozu in Singapore, where they developed both the culinary and pastry programmes around live fire cooking, with a focus on wagyu and seasonality. Working closely with ingredient sourcing and evolving menus, they refined a style of cooking that is both intuitive and expressive.
This shared experience continues to shape Journe as a space for exploration, expression, and a deeper connection to ingredients and culture.
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