Ho Jiak: A Taste of Malaysia
Hardie Grant Australia 2024, RRP $60
By Junda Khoo
If you follow the Sydney dining scene, and we know lots of you do, you may have heard of Ho Jiak. It opened on the site of a pretty forgettable Cantonese BBQ joint in Haymarket a few years back, then proceeded to take the city by storm with its elevated Malaysian fare. The team went on to open at Townhall and Chatswood, on top already running a street-food outpost in a mall in suburban Strathfield. Quite the successful empire. With arguably the best Malaysian food in Sydney, it’s hardly a surprise the restaurant would spawn a cookbook.
The author is Junda Khoo who grew up in Penang, ground zero for Malaysian street food. His biography occupies the first bit of the book; he and his brother were taken to Australia as teens, set up in an apartment in the ‘burbs, then left to go to school and basically sort life out for themselves. Not knowing how to shop or cook, they initially lived off instant noodles, sandwiches and eggs. Life changed when their amah (grandma) came to stay and cook for the boys; between learning her dishes and indulging in a TV cooking show addiction, Junda learned his way around a kitchen. Fast forward 10 or so years and he’d scored a finance degree, married his childhood sweetheart, and opened his restaurants as a completely self-taught chef. Impressive. Ho Jiak has earned a place among the top 20 restaurants in NSW and in 2022 ranked among the top 80 in the entire country. Also impressive.
If Junda’s story is quite the ride, so are his recipes. They’re a real tour de force of traditional Malay dishes, family, and street food faves. The chapter called ‘Haymarket’ reflects the more traditional menu at the Haymarket restaurant, inspired by his amah. There are recipes for favourites like Teochew Steamed Fish, Broccoli with Egg Gravy, and Vegemite Pork Ribs (and yes, in Malaysia they use marmite so we’re guessing you could use that instead). ‘Townhall’ is made up of more regional-centric dishes, ones that celebrate local produce, and Junda’s own inventions (including his wildly popular ‘Laksa Bomb’, an entree of fat dumplings in laksa broth). ‘Strathfield’ is where you’ll find street classics like char kway teow, inche kabin, laksa and satay. It’s a book that will perfectly set you up to cook the Malaysian repertoire well, with clearly laid out recipes and enough of an ingredient glossary, and clear method instructions, to get you going. There are recipes for basics like stocks, infused oils (prawn, garlic, shallot), and even soy sauce blends. Almost every recipe has been photographed, although in a high-key style that we predict not everyone will love – we’re not massive fans of the flashbulb effect which flattens the food and gives off 1960s vibes. But that’s a minor quibble. The book is wonderful and if you’re keen to turn your hand to cooking Malay at home, we highly recommend it.
