Jen Kwok Lee is the head chef of Infinity by Mark Best in Sydney, awarded 1 hat in the Good Food Guide in 2026.
Jen Kwok Lee is doing the kind of work chefs notice because the room brings its own pressure. Infinity sits high above Sydney in one of the city’s most recognisable dining locations, and that creates a particular challenge. The kitchen has to prove the food carries enough weight to stand beyond the view, the setting and the expectations that come with the room.
That is what makes Jen relevant to other chefs right now. Infinity’s one hat in the Good Food Guide 2026 is one marker, and Jen’s Young Chef of the Year recognition adds further weight to the restaurant’s current standing.
Coming through serious kitchens
Jen was born in Malaysia and has built his career in Australia, including time in Melbourne before stepping into the head chef role at Infinity. He spent two years at the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne, where he played a key role in establishing Atria, another restaurant that went on to earn a hat. He was also named a Young Chef of the Year finalist at 29.
That background matters because chefs know the difference between promise and responsibility. It is one thing to cook well within a strong brigade. It is another to carry the standard in a room where expectation is already high and every service is exposed. Reaching this point that early points to a chef already carrying significant responsibility in a highly visible room.
Building credibility at Infinity
Infinity by Mark Best presents itself through Australian produce, precision and place. The restaurant describes the experience as shaped by Australian ingredients alongside an exclusively Australian wine and beverage list.
For chefs, the challenge in that kind of room is obvious. A destination restaurant has to work harder to prove that the food is the reason to return. The menu needs discipline. The kitchen identity needs to be clear. The cooking has to hold up once the novelty of the setting falls away.
That appears to be where Jen’s contribution matters most. Venue material places him at the centre of Infinity’s current identity, not just its execution. In a room like this, that is significant. It points to a kitchen being recognised for more than the profile of the room alone.
What chefs will recognise in his work
What stands out in Jen’s profile is the combination of youth and control. The language around his recognition points to leadership, contribution and influence on the restaurant’s direction. That matters more than generic awards copy because it suggests trust. He is not being framed as a caretaker inside someone else’s concept. He is being recognised as part of what the restaurant now is.
The food itself appears to sit in a space many chefs will understand. Australian produce is central, but the aim is not looseness or overworked complexity. It is precision, clarity and enough restraint for the product to stay in focus.
That balance is the useful part of the story. It is one thing to run a high-profile restaurant. It is another to make it credible to chefs who will judge the work on flavour, structure and consistency rather than on the room itself.
Holding the standard
A kitchen like Infinity has a small margin for drift. Guests arrive for different reasons. Some come for the occasion and some for the food. The brigade still has to give both a service that feels focused and fully resolved. That places pressure on prep, communication and how clearly the kitchen understands its own standard.
Once a restaurant attracts industry recognition, it is no longer only building a reputation. It is maintaining one. Infinity’s one hat and Jen’s Young Chef of the Year result mean the scrutiny is now different, and so is the expectation.
What one hat means here
Infinity’s one hat in the Good Food Guide 2026 matters because it confirms the restaurant is being recognised for its cooking, not just its setting. Jen’s Young Chef of the Year award sharpens that even further. Together they point to a chef whose work is beginning to carry weight beyond the room itself.
That is why Jen Kwok Lee matters to other chefs right now. He is helping build a kitchen that has to prove itself every service, in one of the city’s most visible dining rooms. That is a serious achievement, and a reminder that recognition in a room like this still has to be backed up by what happens at the pass.
Jen Kwok Lee is the head chef of Infinity by Mark Best in Sydney, awarded 1 hat in the Good Food Guide in 2026.
A room with nowhere to hide
Jen Kwok Lee is doing the kind of work chefs notice because the room brings its own pressure. Infinity sits high above Sydney in one of the city’s most recognisable dining locations, and that creates a particular challenge. The kitchen has to prove the food carries enough weight to stand beyond the view, the setting and the expectations that come with the room.
That is what makes Jen relevant to other chefs right now. Infinity’s one hat in the Good Food Guide 2026 is one marker, and Jen’s Young Chef of the Year recognition adds further weight to the restaurant’s current standing.
Coming through serious kitchens
Jen was born in Malaysia and has built his career in Australia, including time in Melbourne before stepping into the head chef role at Infinity. Public material around his award notes that he spent two years at the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne, where he played a key role in establishing Atria, another restaurant that went on to earn a hat. He was also named a Young Chef of the Year finalist at 29.
That background matters because chefs know the difference between promise and responsibility. It is one thing to cook well within a strong brigade. It is another to carry the standard in a room where expectation is already high and every service is exposed. Reaching this point that early points to a chef already carrying significant responsibility in a highly visible room.
Building credibility at Infinity
Infinity by Mark Best presents itself through Australian produce, precision and place. The restaurant describes the experience as shaped by Australian ingredients alongside an exclusively Australian wine and beverage list.
For chefs, the challenge in that kind of room is obvious. A destination restaurant has to work harder to prove that the food is the reason to return. The menu needs discipline. The kitchen identity needs to be clear. The cooking has to hold up once the novelty of the setting falls away.
That appears to be where Jen’s contribution matters most. Venue material places him at the centre of Infinity’s current identity, not just its execution. In a room like this, that is significant. It points to a kitchen being recognised for more than the profile of the room alone.
What chefs will recognise in his work
What stands out in Jen’s profile is the combination of youth and control. The language around his recognition points to leadership, contribution and influence on the restaurant’s direction. That matters more than generic awards copy because it suggests trust. He is not being framed as a caretaker inside someone else’s concept. He is being recognised as part of what the restaurant now is.
The food itself appears to sit in a space many chefs will understand. Australian produce is central, but the aim is not looseness or overworked complexity. It is precision, clarity and enough restraint for the product to stay in focus.
That balance is the useful part of the story. It is one thing to run a high-profile restaurant. It is another to make it credible to chefs who will judge the work on flavour, structure and consistency rather than on the room itself.
Holding the standard
A kitchen like Infinity has a small margin for drift. Guests arrive for different reasons. Some come for the occasion and some for the food. The brigade still has to give both a service that feels focused and fully resolved. That places pressure on prep, communication and how clearly the kitchen understands its own standard.
Once a restaurant attracts industry recognition, it is no longer only building a reputation. It is maintaining one. Infinity’s one hat and Jen’s Young Chef of the Year result mean the scrutiny is now different, and so is the expectation.
What one hat means here
Infinity’s one hat in the Good Food Guide 2026 matters because it confirms the restaurant is being recognised for its cooking, not just its setting. Jen’s Young Chef of the Year award sharpens that even further. Together they point to a chef whose work is beginning to carry weight beyond the room itself.
That is why Jen Kwok Lee matters to other chefs right now. He is helping build a kitchen that has to prove itself every service, in one of the city’s most visible dining rooms. That is a serious achievement, and a reminder that recognition in a room like this still has to be backed up by what happens at the pass.
