For a modern taste of Malaysia look no further than Ho Jiak in Sydney’s Haymarket.
Founded by Malaysian born Junda Khoo, it’s a celebration of Nyonya and Hawker dishes with an Australian twist.
Offering more than 100 items on the menu, which changes every six months depending on the season, it’s quickly become a foodie favourite with the inner city crowd.
Downstairs in the two-storey building on Hay Street, Khoo has re-created Malaysia’s Penang area where he grew up, on Lebuh Ah Quee, now famous for its street art.
“I grew up in Penang with my grandma, and I spent most of my childhood there so I want customers to feel they’re eating on the streets of Penang,” he says.
The interior of Sydney Haymarket restaurant Ho Jiak. Source: Supplied
"I spent most of my childhood there so I want customers to feel they’re eating on the streets of Penang."
Khoo says his grandmother has influenced almost every aspect of this thriving business.
The food in Ho Jiak is based on recipes that his grandmother used.
“Both my parents worked long hours to give me a better life, which meant most of my time was spent with my grandma, a passionate and skilled cook,” he says fighting back tears.
“I just get emotional talking about her now.
"She is in Malaysia and is wheelchair-ridden and so when we started Ho Jiak, I told my business partner William Xie I wanted to pay respects to grandma, and she’s going to be the main focus of this restaurant.”
Khoo moved from Penang to Sydney as a teenager with his brother to finish high school and later worked in banking before opening the first Ho Jiak in Strathfield in 2014.
“The concept of Ho Jiak is actually simple cooking and my grandma always said that the simplest things are actually the hardest to cook, but if you get it right it’s going to be amazing.”
"The concept of Ho Jiak is actually simple cooking and my grandma always said that the simplest things are actually the hardest to cook."
Proving his grandmother right, Khoo has come up with a signature dish Indomee Goreng Lobster, based on simple instant noodles and topped with a flamed lobster tail.
“I got so bored eating noodles at university, I was always trying new ways to make it more delicious,” says Khoo. “This is my sexed up version.”
Ho Jiak's famous Lobster Indomee Goreng. Source: Supplied
“I got so bored eating noodles at university, I was always trying new ways to make it more delicious, this is my sexed up version.”
“One day I decided to make it for the chefs and they’re like ‘oh you should totally put this on the menu’ and we did and it’s our top seller right now”.
It’s that kind of innovation that sets Ho Jiak apart and has customers queuing for a table.
With seating for 80 people upstairs and 40 downstairs, filling Ho Jiak is no small feat.
“Recently, it just went boom! And we began to break even and the last two months we’re starting to make a profit. So, things can only go upwards from here,” Khoo says smiling.
However, recreating his childhood memories including importing tiles from Malaysia wasn’t cheap, and the renovation price tag has passed $600,000.
The interior of busy Haymarket restaurant Ho Jiak. Source: Supplied
Khoo hopes the business will eventually repay his outlay in three to four years.
"At the start it was stressful and so for the first few months we were bleeding quite a bit,” he says.
High rental costs are part of the challenge.
“It’s hard, we’re paying $10,000 a week and that’s half a million dollars a year to be here.
The exterior of Ho Jiak on Hay street. Source: Supplied
“So imagine we sell food for $15 a dish and you’ve got to sell almost 700 plates a week just to pay rent, and on top of that you’ve got overhead costs like electricity and water and staff labor is really expensive as well,” Khoo explains.
However, he has high hopes for his newest venture
“My biggest goal right now is to push and try to get a hat,” he says.
Despite high praise from his loyal Sydney customers, Khoo’s Malaysian grandmother is still the customer he most wants to impress.
“I try to visit her at least four times a year, and every time I go back I am still cooking for her.
"And, of course, she’s still barking orders and yelling ‘oh there’s too much salt and sugar and you shouldn’t do this or that’.
But when it comes to her grandson running his own restaurant, Khoo explains that does maker her proud: “What she thinks about this place I guess she’s pretty happy and I hope that she’s proud.”
