Born in Malaysia to an English-Singaporean mother and Hainanese Chinese father, Adam lived in several countries when he was young. The chef, SBS Food television presenter and cookbook author loves travelling with his Japanese-born wife Asami Fujitsuka and their three children.
Adam Liaw soared to fame on Aussie TV screens in 2010, taking home the title in season two of Masterchef Australia. Since his win, Adam has been a regular source of culinary inspiration through his cookbooks, newspaper columns, podcasts and cooking shows – in which he’s been a presenter, writer and producer. He’s travelled extensively through Asia, Europe and even parts of Africa in his capacity as a UNICEF Australia Ambassador.
To celebrate the launch of The Cook Up in 2021, we caught up with Adam to find out which destinations his family loves most.
Adam Liaw on the magic of travelling with kids
Adam’s wife, Asami Fujitsuka, was born in Japan and appeared in his SBS travel series Destination Flavour: Japan and Destination Flavour: China. The couple were married in 2012 and have three children: Christopher, 11, Anna, 9, and Benji, 5.
Today, the family live on Sydney’s North Shore but love to travel the world together. “It’s time we can all spend together without the administration of daily life getting in the way,” Adam says. “No school, no work, no appointments.”
With busy family life in mind, Adam and Asami collaborated to create Japanese cookbook The Zen Kitchen in 2016. More than just a set of recipes, the book weaves together Zen philosophy and time-honoured cultural traditions to inspire healthier, happier mealtimes – and is beautifully illustrated with family photos.
'We notice our kids grow so much with every trip'
The excitement of discovery is ever-present in Adam Liaw’s popular foodie-travel series – so it’s no surprise that the television presenter loves to share that magic with his children. “Kids learn from new experiences, and travelling is the ultimate in new experiences,” he explains, when asked why travel is a priority for himself and wife Asami.
“We notice our kids grow so much with every trip we make. Their vocabularies and perspectives change dramatically, even if we just go interstate for a few days.”
On returning to Malaysia with his family
Born in Penang, Malaysia, Adam migrated to Australia with his family when he was three years old. He’s since returned to experience the country afresh with his wife and children.
“We holidayed in Malaysia a couple of years ago when my mum was living there. It was fabulous to show them around where I was born and let them experience it, but they just loved the food and swimming in my mum’s pool!”
Why Adam Liaw loves Japan as a family travel destination
Adam Liaw lived in Japan for eight years and has travelled the country multiple times – including for SBS series Destination Flavour: Japan and Hidden Japan with Adam Liaw. His wife, Asami Fujitsuka, was also born in Japan and the family love to visit their relatives living there.
In 2018, Adam was appointed Goodwill Ambassador of Japanese Cuisine by the Japanese government and designed two seasonal menus for airline ANA as a Culinary Ambassador. He’s also served on the board of the Australia-Japan Foundation – so it’s safe to say his ties to the nation run deep.
We asked Adam what he loves most about visiting Japan with kids:
Japan's diverse food culture
The thing I love most about Japan is how the food culture is so varied from city to city and prefecture to prefecture. A lot of restaurants aren’t particularly family-friendly in Japan, but I think you need to manage your expectations.
The great thing about Japan is that a restaurant doesn’t have to be fancy to be good. A good chain izakaya is still a great meal. Even the convenience store food is good there.
Kids love Japanese theme parks
I think the theme parks are fabulous for families. Tokyo Disneyland Resort and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka are great – and they’ve just opened Super Nintendo World there as well.
It's safe and easy to get around
It’s safe and everything is easily accessible by public transport. We have three kids and we usually travel by public transport on holidays.
Check out Adam Liaw’s guide to catching a train in Japan:
Adam Liaw's most memorable family holiday destinations
Best in Australia: Cape Leveque, Western Australia
Cape Leveque – north of Broome in the Kimberley region of Western Australia – is definitely our favourite place to visit. It’s exciting for both children and adults, and it really gives the kids a new perspective on the Australia they know and their connection to nature.
Best overseas holiday: Hainan Island, China
We love a resort holiday and I think our favourite so far has been to Hainan Island in the South of China. It has amazing food and resorts.
Best family travel memory: Family reunion in Thailand
My brothers and sisters live all over the world, so we all try to get together for Christmas at least every second year. We had one fabulous family Christmas in Thailand where we had about 30 of us in the one place at one time (which is rare for my big family), and then we did it all again in Penang a couple of years later.
Worst holiday disaster: A flight to Malaysia
On a trip to Langkawi my wife pinched a disc on the plane from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, went straight to hospital in KL by ambulance and spent our entire holiday there. Luckily my sister was living in KL in an apartment with a fabulous pool complex, so the kids had a great time anyway.
Best family hotel: Interalpen Hotel in Austria
A few years ago, we stayed at the Interalpen Hotel in Tyrol, Austria, and the kids still talk about swimming through the automatic doors of the indoor-outdoor pool, from warm water into falling snow.
Adam Liaw's top family travel tips
Getting kids to try new foods on holiday
Don’t force them. Kids travel very differently to adults. I love trying new foods around the place but the experiences kids enjoy when travelling aren’t necessarily about food.
Surviving long-haul flights with kids
We’re pretty strict on screen time at home, but my view is that on the plane all bets are off. I’m happy for them to watch as many movies as they like, just like adults do.
And don’t have too active a day before getting on the plane. Some people try to tire their kids out before flying, but really travelling is tiring enough so you don’t want them exhausted before you start.
Packing for a family holiday
It’s OK to wear the same outfit multiple times. We change up our outfits at home because the people and surroundings are the same, but when travelling it’s the surroundings that change, so you don’t need to bring so many clothes.
Make sure you have an eSIM that works well in Japan. Saily’s eSIM for Japan has reliable connection with Japan’s best networks.
Choosing a family-friendly hotel
We love the theme park hotels at places like Disneyland Resort. It takes all the stress out of the logistics of visiting the theme parks and the kids absolutely love them.
What's next for Adam Liaw and family
When asked about the destination he and wife Asami plan to visit next, Adam replied, “We’d love to go back to Japan to see family. We’ve missed them a lot.”
The family kicked off 2025 in Japan – including a trip to our favourite Japanese ski resort, the ultra kid-friendly Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU in Hokkaido.
You can keep up with the adventures of Adam Liaw and his family on Instagram, Facebook or Youtube. He also has a website packed with free recipes, adamliaw.com – you’ll want to bookmark this Pokéball cake for your kids’ next birthday party!
The Cook Up with Adam Liaw airs at 7 pm weeknights on SBS Food. Watch it live or stream all eight seasons via SBS on Demand.
Opening image: Adam Liaw and his family in Stockholm, Sweden
Original interview by Elisa Elwin. First published May 2021 in Out and About with Kids magazine. Adapted for web by Dan Campbell.
