How a former Les Mills instructor came to run one of Kuala Lumpur's most exciting restaurant and wine bar
KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
It’s a quarter to five on a sweltering Thursday afternoon, and Jon Chew is in a rush.
He’s worked up a sweat going from one meeting to another, finally ending at Copaa KL, the restaurant and wine bar he’s run since 2022.
"Yo!” he bursts into the room, with all the verve of the Energizer Bunny. "You eaten anything?” he inquires, ever the gracious host. "Let me get you something.”
There’s a reason for all the energy and vigour.
Born and raised in Penang, Chew, 36, was previously based in Singapore, working in the fitness industry with Les Mills Asia Pacific, creating workout programs for the renowned global brand and owning a gym there.
The pandemic led to him losing his job, and Chew, finding himself stuck in KL and unable to travel, decided it was time for a change.
"Since I was young, I’ve always been passionate when it comes to food,” he says.
Chew recalled often seeking out new and different types of cuisine during his travels for his fitness career.
Jon Chew, owner and founder of Copaa KL.
Throwing himself into an industry he had no experience in, Chew engaged a friend he had known for a while with plans to open a restaurant.
"I had no clue what F&B was about, I just wanted to do something different.”
In early 2021, Soul Kitchen, a fusion concept and Chew’s first foray into running a restaurant, was born.
But the learning curve was steep - steeper than most. "What happened was, I got screwed, basically,” Chew recalls.
After a mere five days of operation, the whole team walked out on the project.
Determined to push through, Chew took it upon himself to take over the responsibilities. "I was forced to do everything by myself, so I started from the most basic parts, like learning how to make sauces.”
Eventually, the restaurant shuttered, but Chew was unfazed.
"I certainly want to achieve something big in my F&B career,” he says. "Despite the first failure, it didn’t bring me down.”
Chew felt spurred on in the face of adversity. "It inspired me to go further and want to try harder,” he says of the experience.
"It’s a blessing in disguise, I have learnt so much along this journey, not just how to cook, but how to do my own renovation and run the business.”
For Chew, the experience proved valuable and instrumental when opening Copaa in Desa Sri Hartamas, in July last year.
Refining the fusion concept to one based on wine and sharing plates, Chew was keen to put what he learned into practise.
"Rather than just a fusion restaurant, it’s wine-friendly food, but of course, it tastes great on its own too,” he says.
The extensive wine collection is curated by Chew.
"I’ve loved wine even during my fitness career, and I’m quite particular about my wine. I want to make sure that all the wine available at my restaurant is less common, value for money and as good as fine wine,”
Indeed, wine features heavily at the restaurant, with Chew curating a collection featuring the likes of Hubert de Boüard of Chateau Angelus fame and lesser-known gems like Vins d’Alsace Horcher to be paired with his food.
Dishes like a crunchy, cooling salad of pucuk paku (ferntops) dressed in vibrant bunga kantan (torch ginger flower) vinaigrette or salmon pasta with a punchy ulam raja pesto are emblematic of Chew’s approach to cooking.
"I am a big fan of using local or simple ingredients to create a harmony of flavours that Malaysians can accept,” he says.
The wildly popular 'pucuk paku' salad has grown to have quite the cult following here.
"I’m not a big fan of using expensive or premium products to create something, because I think the value of ingredients is determined by humans,”
He firmly believes that food and wine pairings need not be pricey. "Pairing doesn’t need to be expensive, so long as it creates a great taste profile with the right combination of food and drinks.”
Chew hopes to continue to broaden the culinary horizons of diners.
"I definitely want to grow the wine and sharing plates concept, maybe the next venture will be using whiskey or sake,” he says.
But Chew doesn’t lose sight of what he ultimately wants diners to take away from a night at Copaa KL.
"I want people to enjoy the food and wine, and the service too, to deliver a unique experience in flavour,” he adds.
Copaa KL
38-1, Jalan 24/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur
Open Monday to Saturday 5pm-12am; Closed on Sunday
Tel: 017-272 8971
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