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"When parents tell their kids not to waste food, they say that there are a lot of hungry kids in the world, but what I tell my kids is that food is our livelihood: 'We have everything we own because daddy is a chef. We need to treat it with respect'," says Junda Khoo, the owner and head chef of Malaysian restaurant, Ho Jiak, in Sydney.
Respect, along with culture and empowerment, are at the heart of food lessons given in the Khoo household.
COOKING BY KHOO
Feels like home: Junda Khoo makes his Amah’s fish curry
Adventures and allergies
Khoo says he's always been adventurous with cooking and eating. "I'll eat pig's blood and other ingredients like that…so in a way, my kids Danielle, Deanna and Damian were raised to be adventurous eaters."
While Khoo doesn't have to contend with dietary limitations, his kids' appetite for adventurous food is stifled by their allergies.
"One of them is allergic to eggs, white fish and sesame. Two are allergic to peanuts. They have quite a long list of allergies. I'm not allergic to anything, but for me to have a kid who is allergic to eggs is…wow."
So when Khoo cooks, he doesn't use those ingredients – even at his restaurant.
"I have to be very careful with the food I cook. I understand parents who need to be cautious when eating out."
Daddy's day off
The Khoo family works around their three kids' allergies, but they are still have a love of food.
"I always take a day off every week," Khoo says. "I ask my kids where they want to eat because I want to take a break from cooking, but they'll always say they want daddy to cook. I end up cooking on my day off as well!"
His kids love the chicken rice he serves at Ho Jiak, but he likes to switch things up and cook Western-style food at home.
Junda Khoo teaches his children how to cook. Source: Junda Khoo
"I do roast chicken, steak, spaghetti bolognese or lamb chops because I cook Asian food six days a week," he says.
"But every now and then, I still go back to home-cooked, simple Malaysian comfort food. The kids especially like black soy egg noodles."
Kitchen helpers
Khoo's kids also enjoy helping him cook.
"My two eldest daughters always help. I'll be in the kitchen, prepping ingredients, and they'll always ask me what they can do."
I'll get comments on Instagram though, like 'Oh my God! You let them handle knives?!' And I'll be like, 'Uh, yes. They're happy handling knives!'
Aged nine and seven, the two are already more than capable of handling kitchen knives.
"They'll help me slice onions, chop garlic and prep vegetables. They're great at it. I'll get comments on Instagram though, like, 'Oh my God! You let them handle knives?!' And I'll be like, 'Uh, yes. They're happy handling knives!'"
Junda Khoo's kids slicing bacon. Source: Junda Khoo
Aside from handling knives, Khoo's eldest helps do the actual cooking.
"She's not doing stir-fries yet, but she now helps me cook with a pot."
On the nose
Aside from techniques and recipes, Khoo is also teaching his children about the aromatic experience of being in the kitchen.
"I always tell my chefs that we first eat with our noses. The smells and aromas coming from the kitchen are my favourite childhood memories.
I always tell my chefs that we first eat with our noses.
When Khoo lived in Malaysia, his grandma would do all the cooking. "Let's say I'd be lazy in the morning and I don't want to get out of bed, but the moment I would smell my grandma's cooking, I would jump and sprint to the kitchen."
Khoo thinks his kids are similar; smells from the kitchen trigger their curiosity.
"They'll be on the computer, playing outside or doing homework, but the moment I sizzle garlic or something, they'll all run to the kitchen and ask: 'What are you cooking, Dad?'"
