Work with me
Seven ways in. Every engagement is bespoke, and every message is read.
Everything below rests on work already on the public record. Choose the route closest to what you have in mind; each opens an email with the right subject line.
Hospitality and culinary consulting
For hotels, restaurant groups and institutions shaping a culinary concept, a menu, a kitchen or a standard of service.
What it can cover: the concept and the menu, the kitchen and the service standard, sourcing that keeps faith with the land it comes from, and the brand thinking that lets good cooking pay its way.
On the record: six restaurant concepts in Malaysia over fourteen years, from a family diner to Shin’Labo by James Won, whose whole opening team visited Uncle Leong’s biodynamic farm in the Cameron Highlands before service began. Sarawak Cultural Village has adopted the Serumpun culinary platform: hyper-local cooking, farm-to-table sourcing, zero waste and a farming programme on the village grounds. I have also consulted on international airline business-class menus.
Dining for major events, pop-ups and catering
For governments, state agencies, maisons and organisers planning dining at scale, or a single night somewhere unexpected.
What it can cover: the menu, the pairing, the service and the running of the room, from a state occasion to a one-night residency.
On the record: four evenings at Seaside Studio CASO for Sarawak Week at World Expo Osaka, August 2025; Serumpun Sarawak in Mulu, inside Gunung Mulu National Park, October 2025; the Kuching Finale, April 2026; the collaboration dinner at Truffles Restaurant for Her Royal Highness Tuanku Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom of Pahang and His Excellency Axel Cruau, December 2023; and the Anantara Desaru pop-up, a one-night residency, December 2022.
Brand and maison partnerships
For maisons and brands whose standard I can keep.
What it can cover: ambassadorships, chef’s tables, pairing dinners, MasterClasses, activations and content, each held to the house’s own standard.
On the record: Malaysia’s first Krug Ambassade Chef since 2014, and host of Asia’s only Krug Chef’s Table and, from November 2016, the world’s only Hennessy Salon; Gaggenau’s first Malaysian Culinary Spokesperson; inaugural ambassador for The Plan and for Mepra. Every house is on the Collaborations page.
Speaking
For conferences, forums, embassies, universities and broadcasters.
What it can cover: talks, panels, and radio and podcast conversations on Sarawak’s indigenous food knowledge, conservation, cultural diplomacy and the kitchen.
On the record: an embassy conference on durian and BFM 89.9’s Enterprise Explores, with TEDxBangsar Baru to come in November 2026. Where I speak next is on the Speaking page.
Invite me to speak → Send the date, the audience and the question you would like the room to leave with.
Teaching and workshops
For culinary schools, programmes, kitchens and brands that train people.
What it can cover: lectures, hands-on workshops, MasterClasses and mentoring, with knowledge before technique and no shortcuts.
On the record: Adjunct Professor at Taylor’s Culinary Institute for 2026 to 2028, teaching there since 2021; the Gaggenau MasterClass series, which I design; and the In Motion mentee programme for Sarawakian chefs.
Serumpun Sarawak partnerships
For institutions with a stake in Borneo’s food heritage: government, scientific, cultural, academic and hospitality.
What it can cover: a formal position in the movement, coordinated with the other partners, in work the communities themselves lead.
On the record: eight partners with formal positions, the endorsement of UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy Kuching in March 2026, and the adoption at Sarawak Cultural Village. The movement is set out on the Serumpun Sarawak page.
Media
For journalists, editors, broadcasters and producers.
What it can cover: interviews, profiles, broadcast appearances, photograph and brand-mark requests, and fact-checking.
On the record: press since 2014 in English, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia, all in the Media Centre. Biographies are in the press kit; portraits and brand marks need written permission.
Send a media enquiry → Include your outlet and your deadline.
How an enquiry runs
- Write to connect@chefjameswon.com. A short first message is enough: your name and organisation, what you are building, the dates, and where your work meets mine.
- Hear back, usually within three working days, Kuala Lumpur time.
- Agree it in writing. If the work is a fit, we set out the scope, the dates and the fee before anything is confirmed. If it is not, I will say so plainly.
Fees
Every engagement is bespoke. The fee reflects the scope, the duration, travel and the partners involved, and I set it out once I understand what you need.
Questions answered
Can I book a table at a James Won restaurant?
No. All six restaurants have closed; the last, MeatMore, closed in 2025. I now cook for major events, pop-ups and partnerships, and the Restaurant Legacy pages keep the record of the rooms.
Does James Won take on consulting projects?
Yes, in hospitality and culinary work: concepts, menus, kitchens, service standards and sourcing, including international airline business-class menus. Write to connect@chefjameswon.com with what you are building.
Does James Won cook for large events and catering?
Yes: dining for major events, pop-ups and catering. The record includes four evenings for Sarawak Week at World Expo Osaka in August 2025, Serumpun Sarawak in Mulu in October 2025 and the Kuching Finale in April 2026.
How quickly does James Won reply?
Usually within three working days, Kuala Lumpur time. Every enquiry to connect@chefjameswon.com is read.
Where does James Won work?
He is based in Kuala Lumpur and works across Malaysia and abroad.