The Chef Bringing Bold Southeast Asian Flavours to MCEC
By Nancy Csutoros|
Meet MCEC’s new Senior Head Chef, Jun Seng Lim. Discover how he is blending his Southeast Asian culinary roots with Victorian produce to create something truly memorable for our events.
Kombu-steeped Sweet Spencer Gulf prawns, a crisp salad of baby cucumber ribbons, shaved fennel and radish, caperberries and delicate herbs like chervil, dressed in a vibrant lemon myrtle dressing, and dotted with shellfish-infused oil and peppery nasturtium.
Deceptively simple and restrained, the dish gives you an insight into Chef Jun Seng Lim’s culinary philosophy. Authentic flavours where every ingredient sings – on the plate and on the palate.
“My food is flavour-led, produce-focused and practical,” says Seng.
Curiosity in the Kitchen
Seng joins MCEC in the newly created role of Senior Head Chef, following a career cooking in event spaces, restaurants and luxury hotels, including recent gigs at The Ritz-Carlton and W Melbourne.
“My previous experience taught me that the smallest details matter,” explains the William Angliss graduate. “I design food with purpose, based on the client requirement and with consideration to the occasion. I want to impress guests the moment they look at the plate. Then, let them taste the authenticity, taste the flavour and understand how everything works together."
As he settles into the rhythm of his new role at MCEC, he is immersing himself in the ebbs and flows of one of Australia’s largest commercial kitchens. For Seng, the kitchen is where it’s at.
“I’m always curious about how a kitchen works,” he says. “The equipment. The space. The environment. What excites me most is finding new ways to deliver restaurant-quality food at event scale.”
Heritage and Heart
That curiosity has deep roots, shaping how Seng approaches his craft. Learning to cook from his mother, he draws inspiration from his Southeast Asian heritage.
“My heritage is a blend of Chinese, Malay & Indian influences,” says the Malaysia-born Chinese chef, who emigrated to Australia 12 years ago. Beyond staples like garlic and ginger, you might find him working with aromatic powerhouses like lemongrass to create a rich, spicy laksa, or a fragrant tom kha (a creamy coconut-milk soup).
“A dish like beef rendang represents many things I love about cooking,” he says of the famous curry. “It requires patience, balance and an understanding of how the ingredients change throughout the cooking process. It’s deeply connected to culture and memory, but it can also be presented in a contemporary way.”
Seng is already finding ways to put his own creative stamp and Asian influences into large-scale event dining.
“At MCEC, I want to develop food that is distinctly Melbourne: multicultural, produce-driven, contemporary and sustainable,” he says. “Our guests should be able to recognise a sense of place in the food.”
Channelling Melbourne on a Plate
Melbourne is a global melting pot of culinary traditions and that rich cultural tapestry pulses directly through MCEC’s kitchens.
“I love how something as simple as a sauce, spice blend or cooking technique can carry so much history and emotion,” says Seng.
Beyond the use of local Victorian ingredients, it’s about unlocking the incredible vault of cultural knowledge sitting within the team. Every chef or cook brings their own unique background and cherished food memories to our events.
Looking ahead to the 2027 menus, Seng is keen to weave more Asian influences into MCEC’s repertoire. Expect to see bright and fragrant Malay and zesty Thai dishes to beautifully complement the bold, authentic Indian menus pioneered by MCEC’s Chef Dinesh Kumar .
“Australians love Southeast Asian food – the flavours are just so complex, fresh and vibrant,” he says. Then adds: “Food isn't just about feeding people. It’s about bringing communities together.”
Shaping MCEC’s Culinary Identity
But here’s the thing. Cooking for 1,000 guests isn’t like cooking for 10, or even 100. MCEC’s calendar of simultaneous, large-scale events demands an entirely different discipline in order to maintain precise flavours, temperatures and consistency in every single dish.
It’s a discipline Seng’s hotel-opening background has prepared him for. “What excites me is finding ways to deliver restaurant-quality food at event scale. I enjoy taking a creative idea and working with the team to make it achievable and operationally strong, so we maintain flavour, consistency and care across every portion.”
In his new role, Seng will be instrumental in shaping MCEC’s culinary identity, refining event delivery and building our venue’s reputation for quality at scale.
“I want guests to remember the dishes, but also the feeling behind the food. Perhaps it reminds them of home, introduces them to a new culture or changes their expectation of what event food can be.”
Fast Five with Chef Seng
Favourite ingredient? “Lemongrass. It’s an underrated flavour.”
Favourite thing to cook? “Wagyu for special occasions, laksa for everyday comfort, made from scratch, paste and all.”
Three items for a desert island kitchen? “A chef’s knife, cast-iron pot, and pestle and mortar.”
Most inspired by? “The French Laundry’s Thomas Keller, and I loved watching Gordon Ramsay in Hell's Kitchen as a kid. It sparked my curiosity a lot.”
What does good food mean to you? “Memorable food comes from flavour, authenticity and the feeling it creates.”
We couldn’t agree more and aim to infuse that feeling into every event we cater for.
Interested in creating a memorable experience for your guests? Explore our menus and discover what's possible.