Helming the kitchen at Eat and Cook is chef Lee Zhe Xi, whose passion for local ingredients forms the basis of what the restaurant is really all about. Inspired by traditional recipes, the dishes are presented omakase-style, lending a modern and unique edge to Malaysian fine dining.

Lee founded Eat and Cook together with fellow chef Soh Yong Zhi out of adversity. With only RM10,000 in hand, the duo and two other friends made the gutsy move to open the restaurant after the Berjaya University College graduates lost their jobs at the start of the pandemic.

Starting off as a small six-seater, they expanded operations to accommodate their lengthening guest list. Less than a year after it opened, Eat and Cook became the first Malaysian restaurant to win the coveted American Express One To Watch award by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.