Crunchy-fried cubes of radish cake, smoky with wok hei and coated in dark soy, are topped with blue swimmer crab meat – a finishing touch that encapsulates chef Junda Khoo’s gentle but gripping elevation of Malaysia’s street-food spirit. The recent abridgement of the once-Odyssean menu has clarified Ho Jiak’s mission to uplift Malaysian fare in service of a good time. And while purists are still serviced with the likes of gently aromatic Hainanese chicken rice or dark char kway teow dotted with crisp jewels of pork fat, it’s moments like the thick marrow-filled beef bones coated with thick rendang curry – begging to be scooped out with buttery roti – that take things so thrillingly beyond the street.

Offering an intelligent modern take on authentic Malaysian cuisine, Ho Jiak Town Hall is a place where you can enjoy the delightful flavors of dishes like nasi lemak, curry laksa, chicken satay, chilli crab, and wagyu beef rendang. Chef and co-owner Junda Khoo brings his inspired touch to these dishes, ensuring a memorable dining experience. The restaurant's top recommendation is the laksa dumplings, a unique fusion that's worth trying.

For Malaysian-born Junda Khoo, the Lunar New Year brings fond memories of his grandmother’s hot pot. Growing up, his entire extended family would travel to Kuala Lumpur to catch up over simmering pots of seafood broth. “We’d dip the prawns and the fish into the broth, eat, then run off to play with fireworks,” Khoo says.

Junda Khoo’s “playground” is where you can try the Malaysian-born chef’s most experimental dishes, from laksa bombs to Vegemite-glazed short ribs.