Ho Jiak Debuts in Melbourne with a Three-storey Wonder
With a beer hall upstairs, a hawker stall downstairs and a culinary playground in the middle, Melbourne’s newest tri-level hotspot is Malaysia on a plate.
“Three storeys” seems to be the not-so-secret formula for new hospitality venues in Australia right now. There’s Brisbane’s Naldham House, Sydney’s The International and Melbourne’s Maison Bâtard (that’s strictly four if you add in the basement nightclub). Now, Sydney-based chef and restaurateur Junda Khoo is taking a punt that three is his lucky number with the opening of his tri-level Malaysian venue, Ho Jiak Melbourne in the CBD.
Every floor is infused with Khoo’s trademark brand of colour, sizzle and spice but each has a distinct personality. The top floor is Ho Liao, Khoo’s take on a beer hall. The name translates to “good stuff” and high-octane flavour rules here in dishes such as Hainanese chicken rice, nasi goreng and Khoo’s proudly inauthentic take on loh bak, a five-spice prawn and pork roll bound with prawn mousse instead of the usual starch. “I like to redefine traditions and be a bit in your face,” he says.
Traditions are also thrown out at Ho Jiak: Junda’s Playground, on the central level, where the chef showcases his most experimental dishes, including “laksa bombs” and 12-hour braised short ribs with Vegemite sauce. The ground floor Da Bao is devoted to hawker-style takeaway.
A thread that ties them all together is Khoo’s legendary char kway teow. This Malay noodle dish is served at all three restaurants: the top and lower floors are the most typical with dark soy and lap cheong sausage, while the Playground serves it with juicy Mooloolaba prawns and Northern Territory mud crab. “Char kway teow for me is a lot more than just a noodle,” he says. “It’s a way to push the boundaries, take something from street level and elevate it to a dining level.” Figuratively and literally.
