The Darwin International Laksa Festival is bringing the ‘Friends of Laksa’ to Australia’s undisputed laksa capital! We’re teaming up with some of the country’s top chefs and culinary legends to explore the Territory’s vibrant food scene.
Catch them hosted at exclusive ticketed dining experiences throughout the month, tasting their way through laksa at local kitchens, and joining us live at the Grand Finale on Saturday 31 October.
Junda Khoo
Executive Chef & Co-Founder, Ho Jiak
Catch Junda At: Junda x Charlie’s & at the AYAM Kitchen Stage at the Grand Finale on 31st October
Junda Khoo is the award-winning Executive Chef behind Sydney's Ho Jiak, Australia's only hatted Malaysian restaurant, and the man behind the laksa bomb that lit up MasterChef Australia. Driven by his grandmother's recipes and a mission to bring communities together through food, Junda comes to Darwin for the 2026 Laksa Festival to taste his way around Australia's Laksa Capital, take the main stage for a live cooking demonstration, and headline Junda x Charlie's, a one-night-only ten-dish collaboration dinner at Charlie's of Darwin on Friday 30 October, hosted by Magdalena Roze. .
Luke Nguyen
Chef, Author & Television Host
Catch Luke At: Spilling the Broth & the AYAM Kitchen Stage at the Grand Finale on 31st October
Luke Nguyen is one of Australia’s most celebrated culinary storytellers, with a career spanning world-renowned restaurants, bestselling cookbooks, and television series broadcast in over 160 countries. From founding the globally acclaimed Red Lantern to launching LUA at the Sydney Fish Market, Luke has dedicated his life to sharing Southeast Asian flavours. Luke joins us in Darwin to hit the ground exploring local vendors and hit the Demonstration Stage for a live cooking demo at the Grand Finale.
Magdalena Roze
Journalist, TV Presenter & Cookbook Author
Catch Magdalena At: Spilling the Broth & as a Judge of the Golden Bowl at the Grand Finale on 31st October
Magdalena Roze is an award-winning presenter, journalist and author of Happy & Whole, currently co-hosting Channel 10's Farm to Fork and known for interviewing culinary icons from Nigella Lawson to Massimo Bottura. An official Tourism Australia ambassador and self-confessed foodie, Magdalena returns to Darwin for the 2026 Laksa Festival to front the Grand Finale on Saturday 31 October, get local ambassadors to 'spill the broth', help judge the Golden Bowl, and host the one-night-only Junda x Charlie's collaboration dinner on Friday 30 October.
