Text by Dian Pasquinal Kaur
Those in F&B know the kitchen is a battlefield. It is gruelling, relentless and only for the toughest. At 40, Jun Wong stands at the helm of Else Kuala Lumpur as its newly appointed culinary director, a role earned through 15 years of relentless dedication.
She has sharpened her skills in some of the world’s most demanding kitchens, training under Michelin-starred chefs, World’s 50 Best restaurants and Australia’s hatted establishments. Before stepping into her latest leadership role, she commanded the kitchen as chef de cuisine at Yellow Fin Horse.
“I will never be completely out of operations. With Yellow Fin Horse undergoing a revamp and my new role shaping Else Kuala Lumpur’s entire culinary direction, I am embracing uncharted territory,” she explains. Overseeing all-day dining, raw kitchen, and in-room dining is a shift from her true-blue chef roots, but my focus remains the same, to give my best with thoughtfulness, mindfulness and intention.”
Her culinary journey began by accident. While studying hospitality management at Taylor’s University, she could have pursued housekeeping, event management or sales & marketing, but the kitchen struck a chord. “I didn’t love it at first, bear in my I never cooked until college. The kitchen was tough, physically demanding, long hours, no weekends. As a fresh grad, missing out on weekends was brutal. But I stuck with it and over time, grew into it.”
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Her career kicked off with an eight-month stint at Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur before spending four years at Cilantro under the meticulous guidance of Chef Takashi Kimura. “He gave me the foundation – discipline, integrity and patience.”
Her decade abroad started at Macau’s Robuchon au Dôme, where she endured 16-hour shifts under relentless French chefs. Tokyo’s Narisawa, ranked among the world’s best, pushed her further, where unspoken pressure demanded perfection. In Sydney, she became head chef at The Tank Stream Hotel, the youngest on the board. There, she mastered restaurant operations, from compliance to kitchen design. Each experience shaped her leadership style.
Jun returned to Malaysia in 2017, joining Cinnamon Group’s progressive Japanese restaurant, Kikubari, before leading Else Hotel’s pre-opening. “My ex-military father instilled discipline and resilience in me. Passion sparks curiosity but resilience keeps you going. I’ve wanted to quit countless times but kept pushing forward.”
Rising through the ranks in a male-dominated industry wasn’t easy, especially in Australia. “I was young, female and Asian, managing an older, all-male team. I blocked out the noise. I consider myself fortunate and never felt disadvantaged,” she remembers fondly.
The most rewarding moments come in the smallest gestures, through recognition from peers or a diner telling her it’s the best meal they’ve had. These moments make the long hours and hard work worthwhile, especially when so much of it goes unseen. “My favourite part of the job is working with beautiful ingredients, which I value and never want to waste or disrespect it by not giving my best. It’s not about me or my skills, it’s about balance. Enough is enough, don’t overdo. Restraint and balance are key.”
Jun hopes to create better food programmes for schools, hospitals and prisons because good, nutritious food is accessible to everyone. She sees chefs as more than just cooks, they are changemakers with the power to shape society through food.
This article was first published in The Peak Malaysia’s April 2025 issue.
