Interview with Johnson Wong of Gen

Born in Johor, Malaysia, Chef Johnson Wong saw an ad by chance about Le Cordon Bleu from a magazine and decided that it was something he wanted to do. 

So, he traveled to Australia to study at the prestigious institute. After graduating, he worked at various fine-dining kitchens in France and Denmark as well as those located in Macau and Singapore.

Upon his return to Malaysia, he decided to open his own restaurant Gen in Penang in 2018. He focuses on translating "our Malaysian story" into an edible experience by cooking his take on Malaysian cuisine, with local ingredients that are often under-the-radar outside of the country.

Thanks to the diligent work of himself and the team, Gen won a spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2021, while Chef Wong won the Young Chef Award 2024 by Michelin Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

In this episode, Chef Wong talks about being a young person in the kitchen, the challenges of the restaurant business, putting too much faith in a recipe and more.

Don't miss these Stoveside Stories - and bon appetit!