You may not have seen a chef humbler than Mohd Rene Juefri Johari. His smile almost never leaves his face, but behind this happy and calm demeanor burns a bright passion. His dedication to promoting Malaysian food, his home cuisine, is evident in all the initiatives he has undertaken. It seemed inevitable that he would follow in his father, who is a celebrated MasterChef Malaysia judge Johari Edrus' footseps. However, Chef Rene had other plans.
Initially, Chef Rene aspired to become an Air Force pilot. He says his parents never pressured him to pursue a career in cheffing. Little did he know, his love for food would drive the successful career he has today. “I was keen on becoming an Air Force pilot, but when I started working towards it, I realized that my heart lay with food. Growing up, I was always around food. Not only my parents, but my grandparents also had plantations, which gave birth to my love for ingredients. By the age of seven, I could go to the market by myself and get everything on my mom’s list. I never got an ingredient wrong,” says Chef Rene.
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While being the son of icons helped, Chef Rene’s journey is marked by his own efforts and learning. He often concealed his background to gain unbiased knowledge from senior industry chefs. “I wouldn’t tell people about my father. I just wanted to gain as much knowledge as I could,” says Chef Rene. During his Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Management at UiTM (University of Technology MARA), he trained under many famous chefs, including the Adelaide-based Malaysian master chef Cheong Liew, where he found his calling in modern gastronomy.
“When your father is a celebrity, the industry expects you to deliver, which comes with a lot of pressure. Wherever you go, people think you’re in the industry because of your parents. However, that wasn’t the case with me. Yes, I grew up reading my father’s cookbooks, which made me realize food is my identity. I wanted to show people who I am without my father’s shadow. I wanted to make him proud. That’s why I moved out of Malaysia,” says Chef Rene.
When the opportunity arose, Chef Rene moved to the United Arab Emirates. Although he left Malaysia, he did not forget his roots. He joined the culinary team of The Yas Hotel for the launch of the Formula 1 race and track in the UAE. Later, he worked under a Michelin-starred chef at the London-based Galvin Brothers.
Today, as the Executive Chef at DoubleTree by Hilton in Business Bay, and with over 15 years of experience, Chef Rene is dedicated to promoting his home cuisine. But the journey hasn’t been easy. “When people talk about Malaysian cuisine, they have this stereotypical image. I want to educate them. Malaysian cuisine is a sum of many delicious parts, influenced by Chinese, Indian, and Malay cultures. It’s not all greasy food. We have beautiful, healthy food, and we are technically 80% plant-based. This is where I want to educate people,” says Chef Rene.
Chef Rene is also a big believer in sustainability. While promoting his home cuisine, he raises awareness about making the most of available ingredients and following sustainable practices in the kitchen. This perspective was influenced by the scarcity of ingredients in Dubai. “You can get almost everything here, but not in great quantity. Malaysia has different geographical factors that impact food quality. As chefs, it’s important to learn how to use what’s available and substitute ingredients effectively. I believe I have the opportunity to carry my traditional cuisine wherever I go, using my techniques, and keep refining them so people can understand that this is Malaysian cuisine, destination food,” says Chef Rene.
This truth was evident in his creations at COP28, which the chef says was a proud moment for him. Unlike previous years, where the government usually gets celebrity chefs, this time Chef Rene took center stage. “It was indeed a proud moment. Usually, I assist celebrity chefs, but this time I ran the show. I believe I did a good job. Everyone was happy, and it was a great learning experience for me,” says Chef Rene.
Chef Rene’s story is not just about culinary success; it’s about staying true to one’s roots while constantly evolving and educating others. His ability to balance tradition with modernity, and his determination to make a name for himself, truly make him a champion of Malaysian cuisine.
You may not have seen a chef humbler than Mohd Rene Juefri Johari. His smile almost never leaves his face, but behind this happy and calm demeanor burns a bright passion. His dedication to promoting Malaysian food, his home cuisine, is evident in all the initiatives he has undertaken. It seemed inevitable that he would follow in his father, who is a celebrated MasterChef Malaysia judge Johari Edrus' footseps. However, Chef Rene had other plans.
Initially, Chef Rene aspired to become an Air Force pilot. He says his parents never pressured him to pursue a career in cheffing. Little did he know, his love for food would drive the successful career he has today. “I was keen on becoming an Air Force pilot, but when I started working towards it, I realized that my heart lay with food. Growing up, I was always around food. Not only my parents, but my grandparents also had plantations, which gave birth to my love for ingredients. By the age of seven, I could go to the market by myself and get everything on my mom’s list. I never got an ingredient wrong,” says Chef Rene.
While being the son of icons helped, Chef Rene’s journey is marked by his own efforts and learning. He often concealed his background to gain unbiased knowledge from senior industry chefs. “I wouldn’t tell people about my father. I just wanted to gain as much knowledge as I could,” says Chef Rene. During his Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Management at UiTM (University of Technology MARA), he trained under many famous chefs, including the Adelaide-based Malaysian master chef Cheong Liew, where he found his calling in modern gastronomy.
“When your father is a celebrity, the industry expects you to deliver, which comes with a lot of pressure. Wherever you go, people think you’re in the industry because of your parents. However, that wasn’t the case with me. Yes, I grew up reading my father’s cookbooks, which made me realize food is my identity. I wanted to show people who I am without my father’s shadow. I wanted to make him proud. That’s why I moved out of Malaysia,” says Chef Rene.
When the opportunity arose, Chef Rene moved to the United Arab Emirates. Although he left Malaysia, he did not forget his roots. He joined the culinary team of The Yas Hotel for the launch of the Formula 1 race and track in the UAE. Later, he worked under a Michelin-starred chef at the London-based Galvin Brothers.
Today, as the Executive Chef at DoubleTree by Hilton in Business Bay, and with over 15 years of experience, Chef Rene is dedicated to promoting his home cuisine. But the journey hasn’t been easy. “When people talk about Malaysian cuisine, they have this stereotypical image. I want to educate them. Malaysian cuisine is a sum of many delicious parts, influenced by Chinese, Indian, and Malay cultures. It’s not all greasy food. We have beautiful, healthy food, and we are technically 80% plant-based. This is where I want to educate people,” says Chef Rene.
Chef Rene is also a big believer in sustainability. While promoting his home cuisine, he raises awareness about making the most of available ingredients and following sustainable practices in the kitchen. This perspective was influenced by the scarcity of ingredients in Dubai. “You can get almost everything here, but not in great quantity. Malaysia has different geographical factors that impact food quality. As chefs, it’s important to learn how to use what’s available and substitute ingredients effectively. I believe I have the opportunity to carry my traditional cuisine wherever I go, using my techniques, and keep refining them so people can understand that this is Malaysian cuisine, destination food,” says Chef Rene.
This truth was evident in his creations at COP28, which the chef says was a proud moment for him. Unlike previous years, where the government usually gets celebrity chefs, this time Chef Rene took center stage. “It was indeed a proud moment. Usually, I assist celebrity chefs, but this time I ran the show. I believe I did a good job. Everyone was happy, and it was a great learning experience for me,” says Chef Rene.
Chef Rene’s story is not just about culinary success; it’s about staying true to one’s roots while constantly evolving and educating others. His ability to balance tradition with modernity, and his determination to make a name for himself, truly make him a champion of Malaysian cuisine.
