Edmond Lam left the People’s Republic of China in 1952 for Hong Kong. He was three years old. There he would remain, attending school, working and honing his skill in the food industry, like his grandfather, until a friend who had left China for Jamaica encouraged the young Lam to join him.

Lam took up the offer, visited Jamaica, liked what he saw, returned to Hong Kong and in short order moved his small family to Jamaica in 1981 with entrepreneurial dreams, but unable to speak nary a word of English. What was not lost in translation in Lam’s journey across the Pacific was his drive to succeed in business as a restaurateur. Lam introduced Jade Garden Restaurant — and its quickly embraced authentic Cantonese menu — to Kingston’s culinary landscape at the Village Plaza in August 1986.

The buzz was electric, the customer service personal and impeccable, the turnaround of tables constant, as diners seeking first-class Asian gourmet fare enjoyed a diverse menu that included such dishes as pimento steak, subgum warbar, dragon-style fish and Jade’s signature Peking duck.

A change of address came in 1993 to Hope Road, with the opening of Sovereign Centre. The relocation to the city’s ‘it mall’ upped Jade’s profile, and it was commonplace to see the who’s who dining there… brokering several deals.

Three decades later, in an era of eateries on The Rock coming and going with unfortunate frequency, Lam’s iconic restaurant has remained culinarily and socially relevant.

Indeed, the baton has now been passed to Kenneth & Florence Lee.

Lam speaks to his joy upon opening Jade. “I was happy, as I knew it was going to be successful… I am happy now as I hand over to the Lees because I know my customers will be looked after,” he said.

Lam, known for his brevity of speech, transferred ownership on December 31 2022. The name remains and we imagine he’ll get regular dispatches from Jamaica to Hong Kong, where he’ll return to soon.

He will at 74 years old not only miss Jade, but Jamaica… Its mountains, rivers, quality of air, seafood and festival at Hellshire and yes, you guessed it, horse racing at Caymanas.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, ladies and gentlemen, is presented this evening to Edmond Lam, a man whose philosophy remains: Work your butt off for what you want!