LEE ZHE XI 25
Chef-owner, Eat and Cook
With their initial plan to open a restaurant thwarted when the first lockdown was enforced in Malaysia, Lee Zhe Xi and fellow chef Soh Yong Zhi found themselves unemployed and uncertain of their future. Most F&B businesses were shuttered at the time and delivery was more the norm than fine dining, but the duo never gave up on their restaurant dream. Teaming up with fellow chef Steve Lee, their former course mate at BERJAYA University College, and his businessman brother Harry, the two chefs finally achieved their dream with the establishment of Eat and Cook.
Initially a six-seater in an intimate setting, the award-winning Eat and Cook later expanded to a bigger space, also in Bukit Jalil, that is able to accommodate up to 32 diners in three separate sessions per evening. The word ‘eat’ comes before ‘cook’ because, Lee explains, this illustrates a customer’s thought of wanting to eat and selecting their restaurant as the place to do so. “It means the customers come first,” he says. “When they arrive here, then we will cook for them.” As a restaurant that practices the Omakase concept, the chefs will decide on the courses for the evening, turning every visit into a unique and unforgettable experience.
The duo borrows from their Perak-based family recipes as well to create dishes with a twist, adding their hometown touches in their cooking to further elevate their menu. Called “chapters”, menus are updated every three to four months to reflect the best local ingredients available at the time that can be used in their recipes.
For the freshest ingredients, Lee sources and purchases them from local farmers and fishermen, with Lee even travelling to the rural parts of Sabah to obtain the perfect fish to use in their menu. This not only ensures quality but also supports small businesses, as it promotes and champions the use of locallysourced ingredients, rather than importing everything from abroad.
Of course, a recipe is more than just the ingredients, as Lee puts it, “Skills are cheap, passion is priceless. Even if you have the greatest recipe, if you’re cooking without spirit, love and passion, it won’t taste great.”
“Skills are cheap, passion is priceless. Even if you have the greatest recipe, if you’re cooking without spirit, love and passion, it won’t taste great.” LEE ZHE XI