"Chicken rice is not just a form of food for me but a form of memories, comfort and security.”

Gai Wong (aka ‘Chicken King’) located in North Melbourne is more than a restaurant serving mouth-watering Malaysian comfort food to nostalgic and hungry diners.

Behind each bowl of food is the heart and soul of owners and husband and wife, Philip Leong and Shirley Chow; who share a part of their story and love in every dish. The making of Gai Wong did not come without its challenges but with steadfastness, it is possible to see a dream come to life.

Family and Food

Philip's strong connection to food began when he was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of nine and as a result, spent most of his childhood in the kitchen around adults who could supervise him in the event of a seizure. As Philip got older, his seizures intensified and he would often wake up in the hospital after an episode, exhausted and hungry. When discharged from the hospital, Philip and his family went straight to the food stalls close by for chicken rice, bbq pork (char siew) or roast pork; the signature dishes that have made their mark on the menu at Gai Wong today.

"Chicken rice isn’t just a form of food for me but a form of memories and security, every time I eat it I feel nourished and very comforted. I can eat chicken rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

The Search for Nostalgia

When Philip moved to Melbourne in 2001, he craved his favourite comfort food, but was always let down by the chicken rice on offer and constantly compared it to the taste he knew back home in Brunei. “I kept thinking to myself, this is their version and I understand that but I couldn’t find the match. It didn’t spark that nostalgic feeling, it didn’t bring me down memory lane”.

This ignited something in Philip that grew stronger as the years went by, and in 2017, with his wife Shirley by his side, Philip decided to go all in and open a chicken rice shop. During the time, however, Philip became debilitated with an underlying illness that doctors could not diagnose, and this delayed the opening of Gai Wong.

Taking the Leap of Faith

The couple persevered and after overcoming his illness, Philip spent two years perfecting his recipe at home and travelling around southeast Asia trying every kind of chicken rice. “I took what was best from the trip and refined it to my own taste and my way of preparing, we put a lot of the traditional ways with some modernisation to bring it to a level that I want it to be”.

Philip and Shirley received guidance and wisdom through the process of setting up the restaurant and after one and a half years of looking for the right location, they opened their first restaurant, Gai Wong in April of 2020. While the world was shutting down due to Covid, the resilient couple opened their kitchen providing nourishment and sustenance when people needed it the most.

A Legacy of Food and Love

On the outside, many would see a popular Hainanese chicken rice shop with delectable Malaysian dishes and that is true. But what lies within each dish is a memory, dedication, and love.

The story of Gai Wong is a testament to the narrative of never giving up and shows that when you pursue your passion with your whole heart, you can see your dream come to fruition.

“It is hard, but I think when your heart is in the right place everything falls into place”, says Shirley.

And the people - "It’s always been about the people, be it our staff or our customers, we see the business as a vessel, and as my dad would always say; “it’s about humans helping humans.”

Shirley shares a last pearl of wisdom. ”Make sure to surround yourself with people who you trust and who are there for you through the ups and downs, you are not one person, it is all about who you bring along for the journey.”

Philip’s last piece of advice is? “Believe in your product. You will always get critics and people with an opinion who will try to cause a ruckus, but you have to keep the dream alive and believe you can do it.”