Directed by Dustin Nakao-Haider.

Follow Chicago-based chef Ethan Lim as he creates vibrant dishes inspired by the rich, complex history of Cambodia. Drawing on his family’s culinary legacy of over half a century, Lim’s award-winning cooking imagines how Cambodian cuisine might have evolved had the civil war not paused its growth. This is Culinary Futurism.

🏆 Loni Ding Award For Social Issue Documentary, CAAMFest

🏆 Winner, Gold Hugo for Documentary Short Film, Chicago Film Festival

‍

Ethan Eang Lim is a refugee who immigrated to the United States in the 80s and grew up immersed in the world of his hardworking parents’ Chinese American restaurant. After dropping out of high school, he cut his teeth in retail at Marshall Fields, eventually moving to high-caliber brands such as BMW and MINI, but found himself drawn back to his roots: food. Under his parents’ guidance, he learned the discipline, language, and finesse required to be a chef and attended Kendall College. He would later hone his skills at multiple acclaimed Chicago restaurants, like Spring, The Aviary, The Office, and NEXT. In 2016, he opened his own restaurant Hermosa, initially serving up hot dogs and hamburgers before developing his own Asian style sandwiches. As of last summer Hermosa has become site of “the Family Meal” a a multi-course Cambodian tasting menu, inspired by the dishes his mother used to make at home. Hermosa has quickly become one of the most exciting kitchens in Chicago with a waiting list exceeding six months. Throughout the year Lim uses Hermosa as a site for food drives to give back to his community. When he’s not in the kitchen, Ethan focuses his energy on nature and sustainability, clearing out invasive species at the nature preserve near his home. He grows many of the herbs and vegetables used at Hermosa. The restaurant is committed to being zero waste. Ethan is nominated for Best New Chef and the Jean Banchet Awards 2022.

‍

Original production funding for In the Making is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts.

American Masters series production funding is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, AARP, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Judith and Burton Resnick, Koo and Patricia Yuen, Seton J. Melvin, Lillian Goldman Programming Endowment, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Vital Projects Fund, The Marc Haas Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, The André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation and public television viewers.

For the digital series, Michael Kantor is the Executive Producer for American Masters. Stanley Nelson, Marcia Smith and Monika Navarro are the Executive Producers for Firelight Media. Major support for the In the Making digital series is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Anderson Family Charitable Fund, The Marc Haas Foundation, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation and Edgar Wachenheim III.