All In Good Taste – Discover How These Leading Chefs And Restaurateurs Keep Things Fresh For Malaysian Diners

Fred Choo & Michele Kwok

“I’m the chilli and he’s the cheese!” Michele Kwok laughs, referring to herself and her husband, Fred Choo. A veritable dream team, Kwok and Choo have built up an empire of nine eateries and nightspots under their Soul Society Group – all of which began with their first SOULed OUT café in 1996. From there, one of the Klang Valley’s most recognisable F&B brands has spread to Ampang, Bangsar South, Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Kota Kinabalu, thanks to the group’s canny franchising strategies, giving the duo a chance to experiment with other exciting dining concepts.

There’s Tujo Bar-serrie & Grill in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Hubba Hubba Mont Kiara, WIP in Bangsar and, now, Kwok is in the process of unveiling Goa by Hubba in Bukit Ceylon. “You’ll love it,” she assures me. “For the first time ever in 21 years, we’re changing our entire food menu. It’s modern Indian food based on celebrity chef Sapna Anand’s family recipes, so it’s incredibly interesting but still offers the comfort food that we’re known for.”

Comfort food, along with a strong sense of warmth and familiarity, is what Kwok and Choo identify as the backbone of Soul Society Group. “The challenge comes from trying to maintain our food direction: we want to keep it to comfort food because that’s what we’re good at. At the same time, keeping the brand fresh is equally important. We try to stick with gradual improvements, rather than doing major overhauls to a brand or venue. Ideally, customers should still feel like it’s home, except with a hint of freshness.”

Not, of course, that they’re afraid of embracing change. “The competition inspires us,” says Choo. “We’ve been saying we’re the local F&B leaders and pioneers since we began, so we want to stay a little bit ahead of everyone else.” That’s a task this highly energetic and sociable couple – they famously held a 72-hour party at their first SOULed OUT venue and lived to tell the tale – openly admit they wouldn’t be able to do without the backing of a strong, loyal team.

“My core team has been with me for between 10 to 20 years, and we work so well together,” explains Kwok, adding that the group’s team consists of nearly 500 staff. “It’s all about showing them mutual respect, especially with regard to their personal lives and at work, too. It’s wonderful seeing our staff grow from level to level and role to role, watching them progress towards heading big departments within our group.”

As for continuing to expand their Soul Society portfolio, there are plenty of ideas still waiting in the wings. “I’m still very excited about new concepts and that’s what keeps me awake at night,” Kwok enthuses. “Just dreaming about what I can do with a certain location gives me an enormous high. Once it’s open, conceptualised and developed, I throw it back to Fred and say, ‘Can you please do me the honour of working your magic’?”