9 local eats from the Ho Jiak chef

After opening four successful restaurants in Sydney, Malaysian-born chef Junda Khoo has finally put his culinary stamp on Melbourne. Within a month he launched three venues in one building: Ho Liao, a slightly upmarket Malaysian beer hall; street-level takeaway shop, Da Bao; and his signature Malaysian restaurant, Ho Jiak: Junda’s Playground. 

The outpouring of local support has moved him. It’s a contrast to Junda's Sydney experience, where his early restaurants opened under the radar and on the cusp of Covid lockdowns. In Melbourne, things feel different – and it’s prompted him to shine a light on others. 

In the lead up to the openings – and perhaps the silver lining of expensive delays – Junda has been exploring the city. His Instagram stories have become a diary of discoveries, from late-night Korean feasts, to claypot rice drop noodles as good as any in Malaysia, and plenty in between. 

“I’m not one of those guys who goes, ‘He’s a competitor’. When I taste something I really like, I want others to try it as well and see for themselves,” says Junda. "What I’m doing is supporting these guys who may not have gotten that support, because I’ve been through that.”

Junda raves about Nana Thai, a buzzing mookata spot on Bourke Street in the city that’s open late. The variety of affordable dishes here inspired him to revise Ho Liao’s format from larger plates to a share-style menu with lots of $15 options.

Hongdae is his pick for Korean, particularly for the cheesy omelette – and the fact it’s open until 1:30am daily. “It’s one of my go-to places right now,” he says.

At Hector’s Deli, Junda is a fan of the beef and pickles and rare roast beef sandwiches. Then there’s Kopilicious, where he is completely in awe of the claypot rice drop noodles. “It is one of my favourite things to eat in Malaysia and when I had it here I was like, holy shit, these are actually better than a lot I’ve had there,” he says.

Shortly after hanging up the phone, Junda sends a text:

“F*** how could I forget, pan fried mackerel pot stickers from Shandong Mama. Pork belly with green chilli at Master Noodles, must grab pickled green beans and pork fat from the salad bar. Sizzling giblets from Buza Chicken,” it reads.

The next day, another message: “Free range chicken and cucumber salad at Secret Kitchen. One of the best I’ve had."

Then another: “Pig's blood and skin from Supper Inn.”

I tell him he could be Melbourne’s new food ambassador. He laughs it off, insisting he’s just a guy who loves good food – and that Melbourne has plenty of it.

"I feel that I’ll probably get killed for this, but the game here is so much more my cup of tea (than Sydney) in terms of Malaysian food, Thai food, even Korea food,” he says.

As much as locals would like to claim Junda as Melbourne’s own, he's not staying put just yet. Later this year he heads back home to open Tam Jiak at the Sydney Fish Market. Still, Junda admits he’s already scouting locations for his next Melbourne venture, a completely new concept that’s still under wraps.

“The ride, I am sure, has only just begun,” he says, “but we are here to stay for a long time in Melbourne.”