A proud moment for Malaysians as our food continues to make its mark overseas! Malaysian Tamil Chef Anand Kumar, also known as “AK” Ramakrishna received a major recognition in Australia after winning the Critics’ Pick of the Year award at the 46th Good Food Guide Awards for his Canberra-based restaurant, named ‘AK’s Diner’.
For the Ipoh-born chef, this recognition is more meaningful, as much of his cooking is inspired by the flavours he grew up with. Through AK’s diner, he brings a taste of Malaysia to Australia, combining his Tamil heritage with the familiar flavors of Malaysian street food.
Opened in 2024, AK’s Diner is a casual lunch spot inspired by Malaysia’s Mamak restaurant and hawker stalls. Instead of fine dining, the restaurant focuses on simple, comforting dishes that many Malaysians know and love.
The menu in the restaurant features a mix of Malaysian and South-East Asian flavors including slow-cooked chicken inspired by his mother’s recipe, sweet-and-sour fish, XO green beans, Chettinad pork neck varuval, black-rice pudding and curry puffs.
AK started loving cooking through his family. Growing up in Ipoh, his love for food built through his mother and grandfather, who owned a restaurant. Both of their influences have continued to shape the dishes AK prepares today.
In 2004, AK moved to Australia, where he was sponsored by a Calabrian family who introduced him to French and Italian cooking techniques. Over the years, he continued improving his skills and eventually made a name for himself in Canberra’s food scene.
Before opening AK’s Diner, he was known for XO, a highly regarded fine-dining fusion restaurant in Canberra. However, the demanding hours and late nights eventually took a toll on him, leaving him with less time to spend with his family.
Wanting a change, AK decided to step away from the pressures of dine dining and get back to something more closer to his roots. This brought him to open AK’s Diner in 2024, where he could share the Malaysian dishes in a more relaxed environment.
His latest achievement is especially meaningful, as the Good Food Guide Awards are among Australia’s most respected restaurant honors. Published through The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, the guide has been recognising restaurant quality since the early 1980s and has long been regarded as one of the country’s leading dining authorities.
Chef AK’s journey is a reminder that food is not just about cooking but also about the family, culture and memories behind every dish prepared.
Sources: thamarai.uk
