Where Chefs Eat: Esca Khoo Says This Is “The Best Chicken Rice in Australia”

Esca Khoo is one of the most exciting young chefs working in Melbourne today. Born and raised in Borneo, he moved to Australia at 15, dreaming of playing soccer professionally. Within a couple of years he’d made the switch to kitchens, going on to work at Longrain, Dinner by Heston and Noma’s Sydney pop-up.

Today he’s executive chef at Hot Listed Carnegie restaurant Tyga, where he plays freely with flavours and ingredients from across Asia and beyond. It’s fusion, yes, but in a way that feels smart and respectful. Exhibit A: tom yum burrata, featuring king prawns, heirloom tomatoes and fluffy doughnuts typical of Bangkok’s Chinatown, supplied mainly for mopping up the sauce. Here’s where he loves to eat and drink around Melbourne.

What’s your favourite bakery?
T6 Patisserie in Carnegie. I usually go for the croissants, but there are so many more goodies on show. I remember the first time I had it, I was amazed at how good the croissants were – the chef Tommy [Er] really has a lot of experience in putting out top-class pastries. I can’t even find croissants this textbook in Paris.

What’s your go-to breakfast spot?
I make the meanest big breakfast, so it’s pretty hard to leave the house for breakfast, but if I had to choose a memorable one, it would be Le Bajo Milk Bar for their mega katsu sandos! It’s really good, super soft bread and crispy crunchy fried goodness at 10am on a Saturday, with some iced tea.

What’s the best place for a drink and snack?
Auterra Wine Bar in Armadale. The snack game is so clever, it’s always just a delight to pick a random snack and then to pair it with a glorious glass of quality wine. It’s an interesting concept of snacks and vino, but I’m totally down for it!

What’s your favourite ice-cream or gelato spot?
Kori Ice Cream by chef Joane Yeoh. This place is a heaven of Japanese-focused flavours. I always go for the soba-cha and black sesame! Oh, and the saké is so damn good.

Where do you go for special occasions?
Chae by Chef Jung Eun Chae. It’s a bit of a drive, but totally worth it if I’m able to score a seat at this very hard-to-book restaurant. Luckily, I’ve been to the OG one in Brunswick, where she cooked in her small apartment back in Covid days. She really is a power woman, from ferments to alcohol and more. She really does it all and her Korean food is undeniably exquisite.

What’s the best place to eat with a big group?
When it’s a big group of friends, chefs, hospo buddies, it’s always going to be Asian cuisine, in particular Thai food for that big punch of chilli in the face, cos all your friends need a punch and kick sometimes. I have to pick Soi 38, Yaowarat or Zabb Nua, which are as good as my time in Bangkok.

Where’s your favourite dessert in Melbourne?
Supernormal for the timeless peanut butter parfait, chocolate mouse and caramel. It’s simple but heavenly. Decadent, smooth, rich, crunchy. A very naughty dessert! It’s been there for more than a decade for a reason. Andrew McConnell definitely knows what Melburnians want and need.

What’s the best place to eat as a solo diner?
Pacific House Richmond. Get the triple meat combo with roast duck, roast pork and soy chicken with extra meat. Plum sauce, chilli oil, spring onion oil on the side with the big bowl of rice, and watch Anthony Bourdain while you eat. Nostalgia.

What’s the best place for a late-night feed?
Butchers Diner in the CBD. I get the bacon cheeseburger or the blood pudding egg burger and the crispy handcut chips! So, so good with a can of spritz. It’s the way to end the night after walking all over the city.

Where’s the best bread in Melbourne?
Ovens Street Bakery in Brunswick. Any sourdough would do for me from their tiny little artisan bakery! They produce incredible bread in such a small space. Only a small amount is produced every day and the toasting on the bread surface is not too burnt and not too light, just the right amount of roasty notes.

And who makes the best coffee?
Maker Coffee in the CBD. The baristas pull out elite-level espressos, flat whites and batch brews consistently. You can taste the flavours of what a properly well-produced coffee wants you to taste. Beautiful coffee indeed and if you want my order, start with a double espresso, then a flat white near the window and finish with an iced long black to take away. You’re not a real chef if you don’t have at least three cups of double-shot coffee drinks.

What’s a place you’ve visited the most over the years?
We call it Auntie’s, but it’s a restaurant in Balwyn North called Chaozhou Malaya Bistro. It was made popular by some serious elite foodies in 2023 as an invite-only table to the top chefs, sommeliers and hospo legends. It’s become so popular, it’s hard to get a seat now! It’s cooked and served by Auntie and her daughter. Incredible Chinese cooking and honestly one of the best chefs in Melbourne! The steamed foie gras with superior soy is mind-blowing.

Which restaurant do you think is the most underrated?
Gai Wong in North Melbourne. The best chicken rice in Australia. Why go to Singapore or Malaysia when this is right next to you! It’s actually pretty hard to get the right cook on the Hainanese chicken rice, but, man, do they get it right. I get half a chicken, some good ol’ roasted pork and braised eggs. You and your friend are set for the day after that.

What’s your favourite regional restaurant?
It’s gonna have to be a restaurant that’s closed now, but it was my favourite restaurant. Igni. They attacked you with many, many snacks, then slowed you down for a very flavour-intense course that celebrated Australian cuisine. The food was really good and just special. The roasted onion ice-cream was bizarre, but it worked deliciously. I really miss these brave restaurants.

What’s your bucket list restaurant?
Alchemist in Copenhagen. What chef Rasmus Munk is doing there is just beyond anything available in this world to experience. He is taking us to a new era of cuisine with modern technology and AI. It would be a dream of mine to work and eat there one day.