And because we love celebrating Malaysian achievements we thought it was a good time to check on our Malaysians overseas who are doing good work while giving you guys here in Malaysia good restaurants to sapot overseas.
Together with our friends at Tourism Australia, we've found five restaurants in Australia that were opened by Malaysians for you to go to the next time you travel. After you've enjoyed the local cuisine, indulge in a little of that home flavour and support Malaysians making it big in the food scene in Australia.
Ho Jiak (Sydney, New South Wales)
Bursting with modern Malaysian flavours, and packed with heart, soul and a whole lot of spice – Ho Jiak – is the food baby of Head Chef and Owner Junda Khoo and business partner William Xie. A place where Penang street food, traditionally eaten with your hands, meets generous family style Nyonya feasts.
Both menus have been crafted (with a twist) from traditional recipes passed down and perfected over generations – the depth of Chinese Malaysian flavours are lovingly refined and incredibly rich.
Just look at this char koay teow with spanner crab:
There are 4 Ho Jiak outlets in Australia for you to choose from with different themes. Head to their website to find out more.
Emily Yeoh Restaurant (Brisbane, Queensland)
Former Masterchef Australia 2014 contestant, Emily Yeoh (aka Emily Loo) finally found her way to showcase her authentic Malaysian & Cantonese cuisine heritage inspired by her grandmother.
Her specialty includes Roast Duck, Roast Pork, and street food from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong. Emily Yeoh Restaurant is located in the beautiful suburb of Paddington, Brisbane.
She made Sarawkians proud when she showcased Sarawak Laksa on Masterchef Australia in 2014 and now her restaurant is the talk of the town in Paddington. Watch her historic laksa that helped her gain a spot in Masterchef Australia:
XO (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)
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XO is a home-style Malaysian and Vietnamese classics given inventive but respectful tweaks. Owners Gregory Lally, Kent Nhan, and Anand Kumar Ramakrishna draw on their collective Vietnamese and Malaysian heritage and the cooking of their respective mums when creating the menu.
Anand Kumar Ramakrishna or AK is Malaysian-born with training in French and Italian cuisine. The restaurant's char siew pork (pictured above) is one of its signature dishes and AK was the man behind its creation.
The casual fine-dining eatery in the quite city of Narrabundah in Canberra may not be the easiest to find if you Google it so, if you're studying there, planning to study there, or working near here, head to XO to layan a macha's food.
Jim’s Malaysia (Sydney, New South Wales)
Chef Jim Yong hails from George Town, Penang. To pursue his interest in food and his love of cooking, Jim moved to Kuala Lumpur to gain wider exposure in the culinary world. He spent time working with experienced chefs and learning new skills in the art of cooking.
In addition, to explore the essence of Nyonya cooking, Jim worked with the Nyonya communities in Penang, Melaka, acquiring authentic Nyonya cooking techniques. He also learnt traditional local cuisine in Terengganu and Kelantan. Affectionately known as Uncle Jim, his restaurants bring an authentic Malaysia hawker street food experience with classic dishes like Hainanese Chicken Rice, Char Kway Teow, Malaysian Fried Rice and more.
He also has a line of instant curry laksa, white coffee and teh tarik! The enterprising Malaysian has five outlets to choose from in Australia. Head to Jims Malaysia to find one near you.
Abell’s Kopi Tiam (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)
Opened since 1998, Abell’s Kopi Tiam is the brainchild of husband and wife, Abell Ong and Lorna Sim, both originally from Kuching, Sarawak. Abell's Kopi Tiam delivers its promise of authentic Malay-Chinese (Nyonya) flavours with plenty of intriguing culinary experimentation on the side.
Offering a wide selection of Malay, Chinese, Nyonya, Indonesian, and other innovative Asian dishes, Abell's Kopi Tiam caters for everyone including vegetarians and vegans. Being one of the OGs on this list, expect traditional comfort food when you head there.
Support these Malaysian-owned businesses if you're in the area! Also, no offense to Mamak, you guys kipidap but you've got a lot of coverage already. Though we'll never spend AUD$9 for roti kosong, we'll happily head there for your nasi lemak ok?