Rexxa Iskandar, Chef & Owner Brix Restaurant

Rexxa Iskandar

In this interview, Rexxa Iskandar, chef and owner of Brix restaurant in M City Ampang, shares some learnings from the pandemic and future plans.

What do you do? 

I am a professionally trained chef with more than 21 years of experience currently heading the kitchen at Brix.

How did you get into the industry?

I’ve been in the industry for almost 19 years (not including MCO). I kicked off as a part-timer at one of the hotels in Johor Bahru. After a couple of months of service, someone left his job as a pizza maker and that is where it all started. I grabbed the opportunity when they offered me a job as a commis and pizza maker for an Italian restaurant. 

What’s a food memory from your childhood or travels that stands out?

They say, moms’ cook the best, right? Hence, my moms’ Asam Pedas Ikan Pari (stringray fish) is my favourite. Nothing could ever challenge her cooking. She is also running a small stall serving food for a good 30 years! She is my inspiration. 

As a chef, I travel for food. So one day in Singapore, I stumbled upon this Indian restaurant and decided to give their chicken tikka masala a try. Tell you what, that’s the best chicken tikka masala that I have ever tasted.

What’s the best/ worst part of your job?

The best part is when you have the right medium and equipment to use and also a team to work with – seven heads, Seven different thoughts and ideas. That just allows me to be more creative and then come out with an innovative dish.

The worst part is when you don’t even recall the last time you are seated. But that is just how we all work in the kitchen. More lunch/dinner service, the more passionate we are in the kitchen. Shouting, sweating, long hours standing are a part of the job. Hard work pays off.

What’s your favourite food and beverage pairing?

Fried ubi kayu (tapioca) and a black coffee.

What’s one of the craziest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?

There’s one time in the kitchen where one of the guys is very tired after working for long hours. He fell asleep while cooking and almost slipped himself into hot boiling soup. He was lucky! One of the kitchen crew was there to catch him from “slipping” onto the hot soup. 

The craziest one was when I had to witness a fight in the kitchen. They were fighting with a chef knife! That’s the craziest so far and thank god, that never happened #HereAtBrix.

The perfect day off would be…

… a day well spent with my wife, enjoying food and a bit of shopping.

A day in the life of Rexxa Iskandar is…

… full of unexpected things. Challenge after challenge, problems after problems. But that’s the life of a chef. It’s ride or die.  

What do you do for fun?

Restaurant hopping and reading. Reading is fun for me!

What’s something you’d like guests to know about Brix?

We invite you to explore the flavours crafted by Brix’s hands and hearts that are meant to hit every bit of your taste buds. Brix’s menu is tailored by our chefs at its prime for you to experience high standard, fresh and healthy food at affordable prices. We also put together food that serves and is prepared in the right way and innovate cuisines that cater to Halal needs. At this moment, we are taking the step to reduce plastic usage within our restaurants. We started off with the basic steps by using biodegradable straws with our drinks. 

How has the pandemic changed you, your perspective, or the way you operate?

The pandemic has not affected me as a person but it has changed my view. The way I think and the way I look/solve something or even how to run a restaurant effectively. Here at Brix, we appreciate the local talent by providing them pay that is quite competitive in the market. We provide training for the front and back of the house and encourage them to voice their opinions so that everyone is productive and be able to ideate creatively. No questions asked, is a stupid question. We will be better as we grow.

What’s something you’d like people to know about being a chef as a profession?

We are not celebrities in the kitchen. Most of us spend long hours standing, sweating and working on the weekends and public holidays. Cooking is not a competition. We cook to deliver the best gastronomy experience possible to our beloved customers. Good food + warm service = Happy tummy. 

What’s your view on the food & beverage scene in KL?

There are so many young and well-trained chefs in KL. From there, we can see the approach in using local flavours and ingredients in their cuisine. The young ones are creative with their approach. That is the trend I noticed here in the KL food scene. A brave and passionate move to elevate our local flavours and ingredients. 

What practices do you currently implement or hope to implement in the future to work towards social responsibility and sustainability?

Here at Brix, we try to use as little plastic as possible in our daily operations. We also source our ingredients through the local farmers. This will help them to grow better in the economy and be a part of it too. Right until today, we’ve managed to use around 60% of the local ingredients that are locally sourced and made in Malaysia. Hopefully, in 5-10 years time, we can contribute more to the local community.

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?

Our 2.0 menu will be launching soon-ish in January. Stay tuned with us on Instagram (@brix.restaurant) and Facebook ( @brix.kitchen ) to know more about it. Apart from that, we are also working on making our special sauces and bringing that to the market by next year. It’s another way to bring Brix home to your kitchen. 

Find more interviews similar to this one with Rexxa Iskandar here. And, stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.