After completing high school and graduating with finance and project management majors at university, Junda Khoo began working for the banks.
Six months later, Khoo felt compelled to leave it behind and follow his passion.
What started as making coffee, Khoo is now running four restaurants across Sydney’s city centre.
One is heavily focused on Malaysian street food. Two reflect "Grandma’s" style of cooking, and finally, a modern Malaysian restaurant where Junda takes risks and experiments with traditional food in a contemporary way.
While there was initial pushback for Khoo, his perseverance has served success, with all four restaurants in high demand.
Khoo focuses on creating delicious food, or “ho jiak”, in Hokkien. With no restrictions on tradition or authenticity, the goal is to develop moreish food.
With diverse influences throughout Khoo’s lifestyle, from his grandma at a young age to the various cultures in Sydney, his food displays a collection of these memories and experiences.
Ho Jiak’s new menu includes two unique, innovative dishes. The first is an Asam Laksa kingfish, which takes a traditional laksa and turns the dish upside down in an eccentric style.
Another, likely to gain popularity amongst locals, is the 12-hour braised Vegemite short rib, pushing the usual boundaries and elevating the dish to appeal to the familiar taste while combining it with a punch.
Like many others in the industry, Khoo faces inflation and the consequences this has within the cooking atmosphere.
Despite this, Khoo said, “Work hard, don’t give up, and chase your dreams. The journey isn’t easy, but it is certainly worth it.”
