The young chefs share the inspirations behind the food they create and what is in store for Eat and Cook
Having just ranked #79 on the Asia’s 50 Best list a week before I speak to Lee Zhe Xi and Soh Yong Zhi, Eat and Cook is undoubtedly one of the city’s most decorated restaurants. However, many do not know the story behind the opening of the Bukit Jalil-based restaurant. In fact, when I ask the two chefs about the origin of Eat and Cook, Lee turns to Soh, commenting, “I actually don’t think this is a story we’ve formally shared before.”
As is the case for many other businesses, the idea for Eat and Cook was formulated during the pandemic. “We both lost our jobs and were struggling for almost six months. Together, we had RM 30,000 in the bank, which was not enough to open a restaurant, so we nearly gave up.” Lee recalls. Indicating to Soh, Lee chuckles: “Yong eventually found a listing on mudah.com for a shop lot in a mall in Bukit Jalil.”
Soh shows me his forearm, which bears a tattoo of the original shop, before pulling up a photo on his Instagram. “We did our own renovation, from the piping to buying lights from Ikea. We originally thought it would cost us RM 15,000 in total, but that was the cost of just one exhaust fan!” Soh chuckles.