my culinary journey…

For more than 20 years I have worked as a cook and served as the chef of Chinese restaurants in Columbia, MO. I began my Chinese culinary training at 16 in my mom’s restaurant, Peking, when it was located on 9th Street in downtown Columbia, Missouri. I also worked at Formosa on Broadway for seven years while I was in design school, where I learned invaluable skills from Chef Chen. After a dramatic career change and becoming the owner and chef of House of Chow in 2014 at Crossroads Shopping Center, I expanded my repertoire and mastered many additional cooking techniques. Over the years I have learned and refined a variety of Chinese culinary styles from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

The fondest memories that I have treasured was creating the most enjoyable dishes for my customers. My culinary experience is a bold, hands-on journey that blends curiosity with discipline: from early knife skills and learning complex flavor layers of combining seasonings to create sauces, I’ve learned to balance technique with intuition. I’ve worked in bustling kitchens where timing and communication are as essential as seasoning, plated dishes that tell stories, and taught others how to convert recipes into reliable results. Traveling and tasting regional foods expanded my palette and inspired me to experiment with fermentation, spice blends, and plant-forward substitutions. Above all, cooking for family and friends taught me that food’s true power lies in the joy it creates—transforming ordinary ingredients into experiences that satisfy, foster connection, and invite people back for more.

My restaurant years ended three years ago when I decided it was time to move into the next phase of my life. After taking a three-year hiatus, I still never forget how much I love cooking a delicious meal for friends and family. A chef’s happiness comes from seeing how much people enjoy a meal he has prepared from scratch, savoring each bite and sharing warm conversation around the table.

Chinese cuisine is more than cookie cutter dishes that you can find in local restaurants, the real authentic Chinese dishes are complex in flavor, yet simple in essence. CHOW. AT HOME, a new culinary adventure, a passionate home chef service I started for adventurous foodies who crave unique, authentic Chinese cuisines and for curious cooks eager to learn the techniques and skills to create memorable home-cooked Chinese meals. I sincerely invite you to join me on this culinary journey and enjoy a home cook Chinese meal in the comfort of your own home!

Your home chef, James Lowe