Kevin and Jimmy cook up a new restaurant

Jimmy Wong is joining forces with Kevin's Place founder Kevin Lian to open a new Mackay restaurant

Jimmy Wong (left) and Kevin Lian will open their new restaurant on June 1. Picture: Jacob Miley

CHEF Jimmy Wong always dreamt of opening his own restaurant.

Now he'll do it with the man who originally brought him to Mackay on a 457 Visa to work at the popular Kevin's Place.

They open the doors to Jim-Me Kitchen on June 1.

At the start of the year, Kevin Lian caught up with Mr Wong during a holiday in Malaysia. Over a meal their conversation turned to business and the idea of starting a restaurant was sparked.

"I said, you know, we should at least try to find a small restaurant and have a go at a business,” Mr Lian recalled.

"Mackay seems to be picking up now, there's more people... you can see that the city is busier.”

Naming the restaurant was simple, according to Mr Lian, as it was a matter of naming those involved.

"Jim and me”, he laughed.

After looking for a small place with the perfect location, they settled on the Sydney St premises formerly occupied by the Toong Tong Thai Restaurant, which has been closed for some time.

The restaurant, will be situated on Sydney St. Picture: Jacob Miley

Since the site was already fitted out for a restaurant, they were able to swiftly get to work in order to open.

For four months, the pair has been busily trying to get everything ready and recently acquired their food and liquor licence.

Now, with opening only a couple of weeks away, Mr Wong is looking forward to getting back into the kitchen.

When he fires up the grill he will bring more than 20 years of cooking experience to the tables of Jim-Me.

He worked in his home country, Singapore, and in Malaysia, before coming to Mackay about 12 years ago.

Mr Lian said the chef he brought to Mackay over a decade ago would bring a more "authentic” experience to customers in terms of Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine as he would be able to replicate some of the cooking techniques he grew up with.

Kevin Lian moved to Mackay in 1996 and found success with many restaurants over the years.

He opened his first Singaporean restaurant, The Meeting House, on Sydney St, and ran it for six years before starting Kevin's Place, in the old National Bank at the corner of Victoria and Wood streets, which he operated from 2002 to 2009.

Originally published as Kevin and Jimmy cook up a new restaurant