Chef Junda Khoo: from parental disapproval to making his mark abroad

FOR 36-year-old Chef Junda Khoo, independence came early. He was 15 years old when his parents decided to send him abroad for his junior high school education in Australia. That taste of freedom helped shape him into the man he is today.

From the beginning, Khoo had always been fascinated with cooking. He was surrounded by traditional, scrumptious home-cooked food, often prepared by his late grandmother.

This led to an interest in pursuing a career in the food industry. 

But, his vision of being involved in the food and beverage industry was put on hold when his parents urged him to complete his tertiary education in finance and management.

Upon graduating from the University of Technology Sydney with a double degree, he lasted a couple of years working in the banking sector. He then gave up corporate life to pursue his dreams.

“When I graduated, I did work for a couple of the banks – the Commonwealth Bank, ING Bank. But then I think the food was always my passion and I've always enjoyed eating. 

“I enjoyed cooking because of my (late) grandmother – she brings a lot of memories. Watching her go to the market, preparing, and cooking all the food, it brought much joy to me,” he told The Vibes Culture and Lifestyle in an exclusive interview.

Speaking of his journey, Khoo, who is a former president of the Malaysian Australian Student Association (Masa), explained that as a thrifty student he was very experimental with food.

Today, 21 years on, Chef Junda is one of the most popular chefs in Sydney. He has opened four Malaysian chain restaurants around New South Wales. 

Khoo’s restaurant, Ho Jiak, which translates to “good to eat” or “delicious”, first opened its doors in 2014.

“When I opened Ho Jiak, we started with a small 12-seater restaurant in Strathfield. And then from one branch we went to 110 seats, and then now, we have a 240-seater restaurant in the CBD (central business district) of Sydney,” he described.

Ho Jiak earned a place amongst the top 20 best restaurants in New South Wales, while ranking as one of the top 80 restaurants in Australia for 2022. This journey opened up opportunities for him to collaborate with several renowned Australian chefs. 

Apart from exchanging techniques or recreating fusion menus, Khoo confessed that they also had to rely on each other during the Covid-19 pandemic, constantly finding solutions for those in need.

“Whenever I do a collaboration, I learn a lot from them, and they (the chefs) also learn a lot from me. I always tell them if they need something, I'm always there for them.

“We are still a small community and it's not just so much about me and other Malaysian chefs. 

“During the pandemic, we suffered the most and the hardest, so we all had to stick together as our industry was the first one to be hit by the pandemic,” he said. – The Vibes, September 24, 2022