He may be 86 years old, but Jimmy Lim proclaims to feel at least five decades younger — around the same age as when he started his first restaurant, Prince Coffee House.
Buoyed by the passion for his business, the sprightly octogenarian has shared that he has no plans to retire.
Jimmy, also known affectionately as Uncle Jimmy to regular patrons, owns the non-descript Hainanese-Western eatery located along Beach Road, sandwiched between trendy Haji Lane and Arab Street.
Few Gen Zs or even millennials may know of the restaurant’s existence or its glamorous past, which has reportedly seen Taiwanese and Hong Kong movie stars of the ’70s and ’80s pass through its doors.
Patrons, however, won’t be able to miss the many pictures of the actors and actresses that adorn the signboard and interior decor of the eatery.
According to government agency site Roots, the iconic establishment has served judges, lawyers as well as ministers over the years, and even Singapore’s former president Tony Tan and his family.
In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao recently, Jimmy shared how as a young boy he had come to Singapore from Hainan Island with his parents and started working when he was in his teens.
While taking on a job at a hotel, he “secretly learnt” how to cook Western cuisine and set up Prince Coffee House in 1977.
The restaurant was first located at the now-demolished Shaw Tower at Beach Road where Prince Cinema used to be, before moving to Coronation Plaza and then relocating back to its present location in an air-conditioned kopitiam along Beach Road.
Despite his age and close to 50 years as a restaurateur, he has never once thought of throwing in the towel.
Jimmy still takes a bus from his home to the shop, arriving at about 9.30am, working till around 8pm.
“I’m already 86, but when I’m working I feel no different from when I was in my 30s. I don’t feel tired running here and there. As long as I’m healthy I still want to do it,” said Jimmy.
Asked if he has any tips for a healthy and long life, he told Zaobao that a diet with plenty of veggies could be the key.
“See, I don’t have any age spots. Just eat more vegetables and you’ll be healthy, your skin will also be smooth and glowing,” said Jimmy.
He adds that speaking to younger patrons who come into the shop also makes him feel more youthful.
Stepping into the cafe is akin to stepping back in time.
“The cutlery and dishes we’re using now are 50 years old, the set menus created and recipes have never been changed,” Jimmy told Zaobao proudly in the interview.
The eatery has a relatively high 4.5 rating on Google from more than 400 reviews, with many praising not just the food but also the “retro vibes” and friendly service provided by “Uncle Jimmy” and other staff.
According to reviewers, many items on the menu are “old-school” and affordable for the area, with dishes such as sirloin steak served on a hotplate, Hainanese pork chop and oxtail stew.
And where else will you be able to find steak, red wine and grass jelly all at the same table?
Wrote one reviewer: “This place transforms you back to the ’70s and ’80s… very nostalgic.”
Another shared: “Felt like I was in the ’80s.. made me very sentimental while eating! Food was pretty good!”
Several reviewers who did not enjoy their experience, however, shared that the food ordered did not hit the mark for them.
Address: Prince Coffee House, 249 Beach Rd, #01-249, Singapore 189757
Opening hours: Wednesday to Monday, 11am to 8.30pm.
This article was first published in AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.