Lisa Lov is a chef based in Copenhagen, known for the Asian-inspired cooking she serves at her Norrebro restaurant Tigermom. Born in New Zealand to Chinese-Cambodian parents, she trained in the exacting kitchens of Copenhagen’s celebrated fine-dining scene before striking out with a personal style that draws on her own heritage and family cooking. She has become one of the more distinctive voices in the Danish capital’s restaurant world.
Lov’s food blends the technique she absorbed in high-end Nordic kitchens with the flavours of the Asian home cooking she grew up with, creating a cuisine that is at once refined and deeply personal.
TL;DR
- Copenhagen-based chef, born in New Zealand to Chinese-Cambodian parents
- Trained at the acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant Relae
- Owner of Tigermom, serving Asian-inspired food in Norrebro
- Moved to Denmark in 2010 to work in its fine-dining scene
- Known for blending Nordic technique with Asian home cooking
Lisa Lov key facts
| Born | New Zealand (Chinese-Cambodian family) |
| Based in | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Restaurant | Tigermom, Norrebro |
| Trained at | Relae, Copenhagen |
| Known for | Asian-inspired, personal cuisine |
From New Zealand to Copenhagen
Lisa Lov was raised in New Zealand by Chinese-Cambodian parents, an upbringing that shaped both her palate and her cooking. In 2010 she moved to Denmark and joined chef Christian Puglisi’s acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant Relae, where she earned her stripes in one of the city’s most influential kitchens during the height of the New Nordic movement.
The origins of “Tigermom”
The name that would define her career began at Relae. Missing home and the Asian food she grew up with, Lov started cooking family-style staff meals for her colleagues, who loved them. The “Tiger Mom” nickname followed as she stepped into a leadership role in the kitchen, and it eventually became the identity of her own venture.
Tigermom
Lov opened Tigermom in Copenhagen’s lively, bohemian Norrebro district, serving Asian-inspired food with her own distinctive twist. Combining the discipline she learned in Nordic fine dining with the comfort and boldness of the dishes she grew up eating, the restaurant quickly became one of the most talked-about places to eat in the city, praised for cooking that feels both personal and genuinely new.
Signature style
Lov’s signature lies in the meeting of two worlds: the precision and produce of the Copenhagen fine-dining scene, and the flavours of Chinese and Southeast Asian home cooking. The result is food that is technically assured yet warm and personal, rooted in family memory but shaped by years in some of Denmark’s most demanding kitchens.
Lisa Lov in context
Lov is part of Copenhagen’s vibrant restaurant scene, which has been shaped by chefs featured on Pickup Table 4 such as Rasmus Kofoed and Soren Selin.
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Lisa Lov FAQ
Who is Lisa Lov?
A Copenhagen-based chef known for Asian-inspired cooking at her restaurant Tigermom.
Where is she from?
She was born in New Zealand to Chinese-Cambodian parents and moved to Denmark in 2010.
Where did she train?
At the acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant Relae.
What is Tigermom?
Her restaurant in the Norrebro district, serving Asian-inspired food.
What kind of food does she cook?
Asian-inspired cooking that blends Nordic technique with her family heritage.
