Now known as Lil’s at 437 Murray Street, Perth, began life in 1992 as Lenox Tavern, becoming the Spirit Sound Bar in 1999 and in 2006, Tiger Lil’s, based on a well-known London bar and restaurant concept known as Jimmy Thompsons.
The information below formed part of a submission and affadavit by Mr Graham Hardie, whose company owned the venue, provided to the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) in relation to the licensing scheme arrangements of the PPCA (Photographic Performance Company of Australia Ltd).
Tiger Lil’s Tavern
We purchased the land and licence in 1990 and then custom-built new premises which opened in 1992 as the Lenox Tavern at 437 Murray Street, Perth.
We traded six days per week (Monday to Saturday) with heavy emphasis on restaurant and function facilities and were successful in winning two Gold Plate Awards for best restaurant in a tavern.
However the business contracted due to the impact of imposts such as fringe benefits taxes on business, food and entertainment expenses.
In 1999 we changed the name and concept of the premises to Spirit Sound Bar with bars and multiple DJs but no dance floor or cover charge and with limited restaurant and function services.
The concept focussed principally on a multi-DJ music format and after some initial success the venue failed due to recurring losses and was closed in December 2004.
The venue was re-opened in February 2006 as Tiger Lil’s Tavern based on a well-known London bar and restaurant concept known as Jimmy Thompsons.
The tavern has Asian decor and Asian food but serves local beers. The fit out of the premises is mostly restaurant and lounge seating. The tavern is open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.
Tiger Lil’s
The name Tiger Lil’s was inspired by a hospitality group of that name in the UK. In 2002 a newspaper reported that the Tiger Lil’s “blueprint” was bringing “south-east Asian street eating into a western urban setting” by having fresh raw ingredients stir-fried by wok chefs in front of diners”.
Jimmy Thompsons
So, who was Jim Thompson, what is his name’s connection to Thai food and how might it have inspired Tiger Lil’s in Perth?
Jim Thompson, born on 21 March 21, 1906, was an American-born businessman who helped revitalize the Thai silk industry in the 1950s and 1960s.
As Nikkei Asia reported in 2022:
“Thompson, sent to Asia as a spy toward the end of World War II, started his business when he found a settlement of silk weavers in Bangkok. The Thai Silk Co., founded in 1951 by Thompson, who was fascinated by the unique texture woven in the kingdom, remains the parent company of the Jim Thompson brand.
Thompson introduced Thai silk textiles to the West, earning him the name ‘King of Silk.’”
Thompson, who co-founded the Thai Silk Company, turned Thai silk making into a major industry selling worldwide and became an authority on Thai art.
Jim Thompson was a legendary figure in Bangkok. In 1958 he reassembled six dwellings on his estate and constructed a large house to showcase his extensive collection of objets d’art. On display were Chinese Ming pieces, Belgian glass, Cambodian carvings and Thai stone images.
What became known as The Jim Thompson House is now a museum.
In 2012 The London Evening Standard noted Thompson’s colourful life. “Jim Thompson was renowned for his hosting skills and generous hospitality. Writers, diplomats and even Hollywood stars flocked to dine at Jim’s table to enjoy his great company and sample the myriad if delectable Thai delicacies served.”
Today Jim Thompson is a global lifestyle brand in Thailand known largely for its beautiful silks.
It has three business platforms: fashion, furnishing and hospitality. It runs restaurants under the brand name in Thailand, Singapore, and Tokyo and Yokohama in Japan.
A restaurant called My Thai by Jim Thompson in Bangkok noted it was “inspired by the spirit of Jim Thompson”.
It said:
“Jim Thompson drew our inspiration for single-handedly revitalizing the Thai silk industry. He was renowned throughout the region for his expansive nature and gracious hospitality. His house by the river was always full of good food and good cheer. At My Thai we aspired to recapture that combination of authentic Thai home cooking and warm conviviality in a homely setting, reminding diners of the earthy origins of the fragrant herbs and spices that flavour their meal.”
The London Evening Standard newspaper ran a review on 11 April 2012.
“When the first of the Jim Thompson’s chain opened on this site in 1994, the term gastropub was newly minted, and this elegant Edwardian boozer was forced to make the transition straight from pub to restaurant. Granted, it was a pretty odd restaurant with bric-a-brac for sale and a ‘South-East Asian’ menu, but in spirit it was a restaurant nevertheless.
“In the intervening decade gastropubs have stormed to the forefront, so it’s no surprise that following the latest refurb Jim Thompson’s feels happier associated with the informal, good-value eating that is the gastropub revolution than last time around. This place claims to be a bar, a bazaar and an Oriental restaurant.
“But along with redecoration (and a whole new set of dodgy objets d’art for sale to the unwary), a new chef called Phongsakom Phoonbangyung has taken over, and the lengthy menu has been groomed with the Thai elements perked up.
“The huge dining room is dark and festooned with kites, bangles, Buddhas and lights, all for sale. According to the label, a set of three brightly naff, carved wooden masks retails for £85 and haggling is encouraged (if you started at £1 and got talked up to £2, you would still end up feeling robbed). But this is a very busy place indeed, teeming with happy diners. The pubbier front bar is full, and the restaurant is rammed. The food is very sound – a starter plate to share brings good tempura prawns, large chewy Thai fishcakes, decent spring rolls and somewhat overdone prawn toasts.”
On 12 December 2023 ‘Prestige’ magazine ran a review of Jim Thompson, A Thai Restaurant:
“Casual yet refined, the newly revitalised Jim Thompson, A Thai Restaurant is a gorgeously designed dining spot that celebrates both the legacy of its legendary namesake, and his enduring love affair with Thai cuisine.”
The review went on:
“The real-life Jim Thompson was many things: ex-secret service agent, Thai silk magnate, and a renowned collector of art and antiques. But he was also a great host and entertainer, and he became quite infamous in Bangkok’s society circles – from the mid 50s to the late 60s – for his fabulous dinner parties. Frequently welcoming writers, diplomats and celebrities, Jim Thompson’s house on the khlong was the place to be.
“Fast forward 50+ years and once again this historic home, located at the top end of Soi Kasem San 2, is the place society swells are flocking to, although now it’s the recently launched Jim Thompson, A Thai Restaurant where the dining takes place.”
On 26 March 1967 Jim Thompson disappeared while on holiday in Malaysia and was never seen again. He was declared dead in absentia by a Thai court in 1974. At the time of his disappearance he was one of the most famous Americans living in Asia.