Ong Ning-Geng

Ong Ning-Geng, the founder of Chocolate Concierge and Culture Cacao, is responsible for cultivating and elevating Malaysian single-origin chocolate and changing local mindsets. His high-quality, home-grown artisanal chocolates now rival the long-favoured imported ones.

A computer science and physics graduate, Ong’s journey from an app developer to chocolatier began with a fascination with fermentation—in particular the flavour transformation achieved by the process. Driven by an innate curiosity for flavours and origins, he eventually chose to focus on chocolate for its universal appeal, as well as the fact that it can be grown successfully in Malaysia.

Committed to advancing Malaysian single-origin chocolate, Ong established himself as a chocolate-bar maker from small-batch trees, cultivating cacao plants of various origins, before fermenting and processing the beans into chocolate. He also works closely with indigenous cacao-growing communities and integrates best practices into farming to protect the environment, a method which he believes goes hand in hand with creating high-quality tree-to-bar chocolate.

To further advance the recognition for Malaysian single-origin chocolate, Ong engaged directly with taste-makers and key players in the F&B industry, from restaurateurs to baristas. This led to his products making it into menus at top restaurants and bars in the capital such as DC Restaurant, Skillet@163 and Modern Madness.