Chef-Owner Javier Low

Singapore-born Chef Javier Low’s culinary journey began at age 16 when a passion for gastronomy led him to SHATEC on a scholarship, followed by a foundational stint and a rigorous one-year internship at Singapore’s premier restaurant, Iggy’s. Seeking to carve out his own path, he moved to Kyoto in 2016 to work without remuneration at Cenci, an innovative Italian restaurant where he became deeply immersed in premium local Japanese ingredients.

Upon returning to Singapore, he establish his first venture in 2018 – a highly successful, “hole-in-the-wall” Kyoto-Italian pop-up concept called Il Den. Javier eventually evolved and relocated the concept, opening Iru Den on Scotts Road in 2021 after meeting his Taiwanese wife, Emily.

While the restaurant initially spotlighted a Japanese-European culinary approach, a turning point in 2023 – marked by a transformative trip to the vibrant fish markets of Pingtung – inspired Chef Javier to shift his focus entirely toward premium Taiwanese produce. Today, as the chef-owner of Iru Den, he masterfully revamps Taiwanese classics using Japanese and European techniques.