Sydney alumnus wins Michelin Guide Young Chef Award

The award recognises a young chef working in one of the 127 restaurants featured in the new Michelin Guide Kuala Lumpur & Penang edition, whose talent and great potential have impressed inspectors. 

Johnson graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine and has since worked in kitchens across the globe, from Australia and Dubai to China, Denmark and France. He then returned to his homeland in Malaysia where he opened his own fine dining restaurant, Gēn 根. 

The Michelin Guide award is one of many accolades Jonhson has won over the years. In 2021 his restaurant received a spot in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and this is what put his restaurant on the map with local diners and food tourism enthusiasts alike. 

"I am honoured and grateful to receive the Young Chef Award 2024 by Michelin Kuala Lumpur and Penang," Johnson says.

"I feel the award is the best recognition and acknowledgement of our team's hard work.

"We strongly believe this accomplishment will propel us into new boundaries, to strive even more in achieving goals and it simply motivates us doing what we love with even more passion."

Explore Le Cordon Bleu Sydney's Diplôme de Cuisine