CC Wok

It takes a lot of courage to leave your job and start a small business.

No one knows this better than Cecilia Chuah. She and her husband Chai Lim both bid farewell to their secure corporate jobs to venture into the unknown, armed with nothing but Cecilia’s family recipes, passion and determination.

The result? CCWok is their Malaysian restaurant in North Melbourne.

“To be honest, if I’d known how hard it was going to be I probably wouldn’t have started!” laughs Cecilia. “But we had no choice but to make it successful. We had left our jobs, we had two children to look after and I just had this passion to share my family’s dishes with the community.”

Cecilia started CCWok with just one item - her mother’s fried chicken nasi lemak. It’s now a cornerstone of the restaurant’s menu, featuring predominantly Kedah and Penang dishes.

“Over time we’ve added more dishes, including our handmade curry puffs and pandan chiffon cake - but everything we serve is from my Malaysian heritage and we cook from the heart,” she declares.

CCWok’s bustling kitchen serves hungry diners lunch and dinner, six days a week. In addition to the nasi lemak, curry puffs and pandan chiffon cake, other must-try signature dishes include the silky Hainanese chicken rice, fragrant saucy Lor Mee and delicate crystal dumplings.

Cecilia's roots trace back to Kedah, Malaysia, where her family instilled in her a love for food and entrepreneurship.

Upon arriving in Australia, Cecilia embarked on a corporate career. But it was during the challenging days of the COVID-19 pandemic that she found herself at a crossroads.

"I always loved cooking," she says. “During lockdown I would cook on the weekends as a way of stress relief - and because there wasn’t anything else to do!”

Cecilia started selling the food made in her own kitchen as her passion for cooking burned brighter than ever.

In November 2021, CCWok officially opened its doors with Cecilia in the kitchen and her husband and children pitching in front of the house.

The homely restaurant has since garnered a devoted following and the staff, and many customers, have become part of the CCWok family. "We have lots of regular customers, including some people who have known me since I first started selling my food online," Cecilia shares proudly.

Cecilia's passion extends beyond the confines of her restaurant. Despite the demands of running a 100-seat restaurant, she remains committed to giving back to her community.

For many years she has been taking food to feed the homeless at Queen Victoria Market, and now supplies over 100 meals a week. She was nominated as a 2022 Victorian Local Hero in recognition of her volunteer service.

So not only do CCWok’s patrons get to savour the flavours of Malaysia at Cecilia’s restaurant - they can be happy knowing that their support helps Cecilia to help others too.

Words by Joyce Watts & Photography by Anna Encio