The secret ingredient

Chef Junda Khoo’s pursuit of excellence starts with exceptional ingredients – with tea from T2 infused throughout his food, cocktail, and dining experience.

When patrons walk into Ho Jiak, a giant of the Malaysian restaurant scene, they’re really entering “Junda’s playground”.

So much so, it’s the slogan that sits beneath the restaurant’s name, capturing the curiosity that runs through the dining group’s six venues across Sydney and Melbourne, owned by Junda Khoo.

But that sense of adventure comes with a clear purpose built on exceptional craft, service and sourcing.

“To me, excellence is not just about the food. It’s an entire experience when you come to dine at the restaurant. It’s all about discipline and intention. The service has to be warm, friendly, knowledgeable; excellence has to be in the culture,” he says.

“When it comes to quality ingredients, I usually look for freshness, minimal processing done to the ingredient itself, and, of course, clear sourcing where the ingredients are actually coming from.”

For Junda, T2 is a tea company that aligns closely with Ho Jiak’s commitment to excellence. Teas from the Melbourne brand are woven throughout the menu in multiple forms – from being infused into cooking techniques and used in cocktails, to being paired directly with dishes.

Standout examples include the restaurant’s jasmine tea-smoked oysters and its oven roasted dry aged corn-fed duck with Moutai, where tea plays a supporting role in the overall flavour journey.

“Something as simple as tea can elevate and change [a dish],” Junda says.

“The produce is so good already that our job becomes easier. We just have to work around the produce and bring out the best of it.”

Even so, those secondary ingredients like tea need to be high quality. It’s a big reason why Junda is sourcing from T2.

Known for its broad and often unexpected range of teas, the company has built its reputation around showcasing the diversity of flavours the tea plant can produce, from traditional Chinese varieties to emerging single-origin teas grown in regions such as Nepal, New Zealand, and Hawaii.

In recent years, the category has begun to attract the same kind of attention that specialty coffee has enjoyed for decades. Like coffee, global tea yields are reducing, and the industry is increasingly focused on supporting smallholder farmers and sustainable growing practices.

For venues like Ho Jiak willing to explore the category more deeply, there’s significant untapped potential for flavour exploration.

Khoo sees tea as a natural fit within Ho Jiak’s evolving menu.

“The flavours from T2 really suit the direction we’re heading in, especially in the way they work with our cocktails and the food,” he says.

Even with the creative freedom implied by “Junda’s playground”, there’s a method to his approach that starts with high quality produce and ingredients, and moves into the way the food is prepared, serviced and ultimately consumed.

“A great restaurant should be where a customer walks in and they’re treated with warmth and care – they’re not processed as customers. There has to be no egos between the front and the back,” he says.

“We all contribute towards the same goal, and we create an experience that is thoughtful and seamless to our guests.”

T2 Marketing Director Peter Randeria says the brand was already supplying Ho Jiak restaurants. Then in October 2025, T2 announced it would be co-presenting partner of the Good Food Guide (GFG) & Awards.

“In October Ho Jiak won a GFG ‘hat’ and we took the opportunity to celebrate the success with media support. Since then, in partnership with Good Food, we’ve now expanded that relationship,” he says.

“Junda sees the flavour and profile of tea to match well with food and cocktails he develops. He has used our jasmine teas to smoke oysters and soak with rice. Something as simple as tea, but with a couple of simple steps of preparing it, can elevate and change a meal.

“We’re proud to build a partnership over the long term with Junda.” 

For more information, visit t2tea.com