Photography: Junifer Chowandi
Anybody familiar with the four-restaurant Sydney repertoire of Junda Khoo, will know that the self-taught Malaysian-born cook and restaurateur does not have authenticity as his pole star. That he has named his new three-level Melbourne outpost Junda’s Playground, gives some indication of his approach, as does the menu at the flagship Ho Jiak (sandwiched between rooftop beer hall Ho Liao and casual lane-level Da Bao). Expect ingredients like foie gras, truffles and Stilton alongside takes on more traditional Malaysian stalwarts like an assam laksa granita that’s spooned onto slivers of raw kingfish sitting on shiso leaves. Playground seems just right.
Ho Jiak’s level one dining room is a spacious, stylishly minimal room of blond wood, rattan-backed armchairs, curved booths and kindly lighting that’s a chilled juxtaposition with the riotous activity happening on the plate. A charming, well-versed floor team keeps things running smoothly while the drinks list, with its solid cocktail, mocktail and sake offering and wines that lean towards small producers from Australia and France, adds serious dining heft to the playful“inauthenticity” of the food.
It’s fun stuff to eat. Take the excellent riff on prawn toast, arriving ball-shaped, the crunchy deep brown crust of breadcrumbs revealing a sublime interior combo of minced prawn meat and salted duck egg yolk custard. Or the signature “laksa bombs”, dumplings filled with chicken and prawn meat, hokkien noodles and vermicelli, seasoned with a dramatically reduced laksa soup so that you get all the coconutty flavours of a traditional laksa in a single bite.
Khoo’s version of char kway teow is rich with dark soy and topped with snowy-white handpicked Northern Territory mud crab, while his cuisine hopping roast pork teams perfect little crackling-topped squares of belly with fresh green leaves, sambal matah and a thrillingly citrus- and chilli forward calamansi sriracha.
There’s rich, ridiculous fun to be had with the eggplant bersira, battered and fried batons, sticky with sweet acar caramel and sitting on an enormously enjoyable “umami cream” flavoured with soy and kombu, the perfect excuse to wind up a meal with cleansing watermelon granita topped with calamansi ice, makrut lime and salted plum.
Perhaps not for those seeking carefully traditional Malaysian cuisine, Ho Jiak is nonetheless an authentically good time.
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