Ho Jiak Melbourne - Junda's Playground
With this three-level dining hotspot in the CBD, Junda Khoo is reshaping the way Melburnians think about Malaysian cuisine.
Overview
Self-taught chef Junda Khoo is single-handedly reimagining the place of Malaysian food within Melbourne's diverse culinary landscape. Junda is ambitious, resilient and forward-thinking, and across his different venues, he manages to achieve the sweet balance of upholding the traditions of homecooking, while also finding ways to make Malaysian food modern and playful.
First, he took on Sydney, opening Ho Jiak Town Hall, Ho Jiak Haymarket, Amah by Ho Jiak and Ho Jiak Strathfield. Then, he set his sights on Melbourne, setting up a three-level Malaysian dining destination on Rainbow Alley in Melbourne (which reportedly cost a casual $7 million to get off the ground), offering a distinctly different concept on each floor.
On the lower level, Da Bao offers homestyle Malaysian food to go, such as roasted pork, honey fish, and sambal eggplant served out of bain maries — it's the kind of food that Junda misses from home. Ho Lia, located on level two, is Junda's casual beer hall, slinging signature dishes such as Char Koay Teow (done Junda's way) and a cracking dry-aged Malaysian roast duck with five spice.
"When I think of the food that made me who I am, I think of my Amah's kitchen - the smell of her braised pork, the sound of the wok, and everyone laughing around the table," says Chef Junda Khoo. "Food was how we connected, how we showed love. With Ho Liao, I wanted to recreate that feeling for others — a space where you don't just eat, you belong."
And Ho Jiak, sandwiched in the middle on level one, is called Junda's Playground, and it's where the chef's creativity and ingenuity are given a place to shine. Junda puts a pleasingly playful twist on many traditional dishes here. There's laksa, but not like you know it: find it transformed into Junda's signature laksa bomb dumplings (which found new fame during the recent Masterchef series), or taste Assam Laksa granita atop raw kingfish with pineapple salsa. There's also a mud crab Caesar salad with Indomie dressing and smoked eggs, Malaysian curry puffs with Stilton cheese, and short ribs with Vegemite.
The joy continues with dessert. There's a pandan lava cake with whisky crème and dark palm sugar, a calamansi sorbet with watermelon granita and preserved dried plums, and a crepe/crème brûlée/banana roti mash-up, served with miso caramel and coconut sorbet.
Junda says, "Malaysian culture is built around sharing. Whether it's a big family feast or street-side noodles after work, food is what brings us together. That's the spirit I want people to feel here - warmth, generosity, and belonging."
Images: Supplied.
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