Khanh Ong (OH 2009) – our MasterChef extraordinaire!

As an acclaimed DJ playing at some of Victoria’s biggest social events, Khanh Ong (OH 2009) has come a long way since his birth in an Indonesian refugee camp where he lived the first two years of his life.

Arriving in Australia in the early 1990s, the family settled in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne and were soon joined by Khanh’s younger sister and now best friend, Amy.

Academic throughout at Haileybury, but with a flair and passion for clothing, Khanh commenced a certificate in pattern making, garment construction and fashion business from the Melbourne School of Fashion while in Year 12.

The following year he moved to London before returning home to commence a degree in Fashion Design. As his work as a DJ grew, he began playing internationally in Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore, but overarching his love of music, fashion and creativity, food has always been a passion.

Khanh loves to have people over to dinner and with a nightclub operating as his workplace, hanging out at home with friends, family and good food was the perfect place to unwind.

Khanh credits his mum for teaching him the basics in the kitchen, particularly with Vietnamese cuisine. His parents owned a butcher’s business when he was growing up and when his mum returned home, the pair would routinely make dinner together.

As an adult he has learnt to appreciate his heritage, packing in regular foodie trips to Vietnam, where he has relished the chargrill flavours and scents of lemongrass, ginger, soy and chilli, and thrived on the adrenalin of kayaking, rock-climbing and paddle boarding.

Khanh hopes to open his own venue after leaving the MasterChef Australia kitchen, a place specialising in Vietnamese hawker food downstairs with a polished menu upstairs. Until then, he has his sights firmly on the big prize with the trophy firmly in his reach.

Khanh satisfied the judges with some amazing recipes such as his Violet Ice Cram, Honeycomb and dark chocolate mousse as well as his Roast pork and apples dessert.

Congratulations Khanh – an incredible achievement!