Ho Jiak Town Hall - Junda's Playground (Enter from York Street)
Sydney
At a glance
Ho Jiak Town Hall, known as Junda's Playground, welcomes diners through its York Street entrance with a vibrant culinary journey that celebrates the bold and dynamic flavors of Malaysian cuisine right in Sydney. This restaurant embodies the creative essence of its Executive Chef, serving dishes that are both authentically Malaysian and innovatively conceived. The menu offers an array of signature dishes that highlight the use of traditional Malaysian ingredients married with a modern twist, perfect for adventurous food lovers. Among the standout offerings are innovative takes on classics that blend indigenous spices and contemporary culinary techniques. For those seeking variety, both banquet and a la carte menus ensure a broad choice, including options that cater to vegan and gluten-sensitive diets.
The venue itself is an eclectic mix of fun and sophistication, featuring various private and semi-private dining areas tailored for different social gatherings. Whether for a corporate event, family celebration, or casual meet-up, Ho Jiak Town Hall accommodates groups of varying sizes in spaces that strike a balance between modern design and inviting ambience. The venue provides an exclusive playroom with chic neon accents for smaller groups and an expansive garden room for larger assemblies.
With a focus on ensuring memorable dining experiences, this venue also offers special thematic dining events and seasonal menu specials, designed to keep diners intrigued and engaged. The beverage menu complements the robust food offerings, providing a selection of creative cocktails and a curated wine list.
Reviews
Came here last night for an anniversary dinner and left very satisfied! The highlight here is the service. Very personable, attentive and friendly team, especially the new lady. One of the supervisors or managers asked us how everything was throughout the meal and cracked up some jokes We spent about $80 pp but thats with a drink and 4 dishes A nice touch was that they gave free sparkling wine for anniversary dinners! The atmosphere was also great (perfect for a date night) though it felt a bit cold inside Now on to the food! Laksa bomb was a bit underwhelming, it didn't taste bad by any means but it did not have that 'explosive' aromatic flavour as expected Bone marrow roti was really good and I would say perfectly spicy The bone marrow itself was rich and melty but there were only 2 roti pieces and so much of the curry sauce I also wish the roti came in a separate plate or basket so its not sitting there, getting soggy in the curry. We tried the smokey beef ribs which to us was the highlight of the meal Super savoury, tender and fatty Loved the veggies alongside it (kinda like a salsa) as it helped cut some of the richness though I wish there was a stronger acidic or pickle thing on the dish to balance the ribs out more The char kway teow was really good. Good amount of wok smokiness, texture was great and seasoning was perfect However, it costs $39 which is crazy for CKT. I know it comes with crab meat but the crab meat was such a tiny amount and in a strong stir fried dish like CKT, it felt pointless to add. Overall, we were stuffed and satisifed at the end (I would recommend just one starter and 2 mains for 2 ppl) and I want to give plenty of credit to the excellent service!
Made a reservation here to celebrate my mum’s birthday, and it couldn’t have gone any better! While it’s on the pricier side, the quality and flavours of the food more than justified the cost. The fried rice was one of the best I’ve had (even compared to Singapore!), the laksa bomb had a proper spicy kick, and the prawns were fresh and delicious. We also loved the chilli sauce, which reminded us of Singapore-style chilli crab sauce, and the duck was wonderfully tender. A special shoutout to Angela and Jasper for their excellent service throughout the evening. Angela also surprised my mum with a birthday treat, which was such a thoughtful touch and made the celebration even more memorable. 10/10 experience, I’d definitely recommend it and would happily return whenever I’m craving Asian cuisine in the area!
had a such lovely night at ho jiak town hall. The dinner menu had some of the most amazing Malaysian food. My go to is the claypot rice with seafood, nice saucey rice cooked to perfection,topped with seafood. Also the short rib noodles is a must try. That’s tender beef combined with noodle in a beautiful sauce. Amazing ! With a little bit extra cost you can have the cognac flamed on to bring out the extra flavor. And so much more ! The staff here is also very friendly, definitely a place you need to visit!
Had a great dining experience here! Really loved their modern take on Malaysian cuisine: creative, bold, and full of flavour. The Tasmanian King Crab (two ways) was definitely the highlight: super fresh and beautifully done. The short-rib beef noodles with the flaming cognac add-on was also a standout, both visually fun and rich in flavour. The menu leans towards strong flavours, but we appreciated that some dishes can be adjusted to suit your preference. Friendly and attentive service throughout as well. Would definitely come back and recommend to friends!
We had dinner at Ho Jiak on Friday and it was a very pleasant experience and exceeded my expectations. Arrived just before 5:30pm so ordered 2 cocktails $12 each. Food was exceptionally good. We loved every single dish that we ordered and just one word "YUMMY"!!! Service was excellent. Everyone there was so nice and so accomodating. They genuinely cared whether we liked the food and making sure that we were having a good time there. Definitely will come again. Thanks Ho Jiak and all the staff on Friday night 23/1/2026. :))
