The culinary journey of Johnson Wong, the Penang-based recipient of Malaysia’s Michelin Guide Young Chef Award 2023
Johnson Wong’s restaurant Gen at Prestige Hotel uses local ingredients like free-range chicken from Balik Pulau, Penang or Sarawak Barrio Salt but cooked using refined modern European techniques he gleaned from his stints abroad.
Johnson Wong embarked on a gastronomic journey, enrolling in the esteemed Le Cordon Bleu Sydney, where he laid the foundation for his future endeavours. He then went on to hone his skills at Michelin-starred kitchens in Sydney, Macau and Paris. (Photo: Gen)
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Penang, known for its rich culinary heritage, has seen a remarkable rise in its fine dining scene over the past decade. Among the trailblazers in this culinary renaissance is Johnson Wong, a young chef hailing not from the northern state itself but from Malaysia's southern gem, Johor.
His restaurant, Gen, nestled in the heart of Penang, has captured the attention of epicureans and critics alike, earning him the prestigious Michelin Guide Young Chef Award in 2023.
Born in 1991, Wong's culinary odyssey began far from the shores of Penang. At the tender age of 17, he embarked on a gastronomic journey, enrolling in the esteemed Le Cordon Bleu Sydney. There, he laid the foundation for his future endeavours and went on to hone his skills at Michelin-starred kitchens in Sydney, Macau and Paris.
Upon returning to Malaysia, Wong found himself drawn to the vibrant culinary landscape of Penang and took on the role of executive chef at Macalister Mansion. Soon after, he felt the calling to start his own shop. It was a tough business, Wong admitted, but he had a compelling reason to persevere. "We strongly felt that we needed a small restaurant to introduce the cooking with our local ingredients with different perspectives in Penang," he explained. Thus, Gen (meaning ‘roots’ in mandarin) was born on a sliver of a restored pre-war shophouse in Lebuh Presgrave in 2018, with an ambitious vision to showcase the bounty of Malaysian ingredients in innovative ways.
Presented as a modern Malaysian community restaurant, Gen offered a streamlined a la carte and tasting seasonal menu with seemingly exotic but emphatically local ingredients like free-range chicken from Balik Pulau, Penang or Sarawak Barrio Salt. These were then handled and cooked using refined modern European techniques Wong gleaned from his stints abroad.
The journey was not without its challenges, especially because fine dining in Penang, and to a large extent Kuala Lumpur, tended to be associated with European or Japanese-centric ingredients. However, Wong remained steadfast in his commitment to his ethos, and Gen garnered a loyal following even among the famously fastidious locals.
Moving to the heritage chic Prestige Hotel in 2020 was a strategic decision, allowing Gen to refine its dining offering further and reach a broader audience. “We felt that there was room to elevate Gen’s dining experience in a different serving format and potentially to transform the place for casual input with a similar cooking philosophy,” Wong recalled.
Yet, at its core, the new restaurant at Prestige Hotel remained rooted in its ethos of celebrating local produce and community-inspired cuisine. Gen Prestige sits only 25 covers and exchanged the industrial aesthetic of its original decor at Lebuh Presgrave for a sleek, elegant space gleaming with polished terrazzo surfaces, blonde timber and brass detailing. The menu is rich in inspiration and narrative. The succinctly named Curry (a seasonal offering) was inspired by Wong’s childhood memories of eating chicken curry with bread but brought to life with great sophistication and imagination into curry meringue with salted duck egg, grilled corn and a deboned chicken wing crisp curry leaves and curry corn sauce. Wong’s novel approach garnered accolades beyond the island when Gen was one of only three Malaysian restaurants in the extended 51-100 list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2021.
Over the ensuing years of Gen's operation, Wong witnessed a transformation in himself and his team. The focus shifted towards showcasing the purity of flavours, emphasising simplicity and refinement. On the evolution of Penang’s fine dining scene, he said: “It’s getting more diversified in a way but also retaining its charm as a heritage or island dining destination."
Central to Gen's success is its dedicated team, whom Wong strives to motivate and inspire with new ideas and challenges. He sees them as the heart and soul of the restaurant, each contributing to its unique identity and culinary vision.
Receiving the Michelin Young Chef Award was a moment of immense pride for Wong and his team. It served as validation for their hard work and dedication, a benchmark for excellence in the culinary world. “Gen is a restaurant that was built from the team efforts," he remarked humbly, acknowledging the collective achievement.
While the award brought increased recognition and exposure, Wong remains grounded, viewing it primarily as a symbol of recognition rather than a boost to the bottom line. For him, the true reward lies in the opportunity to continue exploring and innovating with Malaysian ingredients, forging a deeper dialogue between tradition and modernity.
Looking ahead, Wong is eager to embark on the next chapter of Gen's journey. With plans to relocate to a new space by the end of the year, he envisions a fresh culinary experience that pushes boundaries and captivates diners anew. “From everything I experience on a day-to-day basis, from my life to the people I meet every day, there is always inspiration for something new, something extraordinary," he reflected.
