Wife of high profile Aussie chef is accused of trying to murder their two young daughters in horror gas explosion at their house
The wife of prominent Melbourne chef Jae Bang has been accused of deliberately igniting a fire at the couple’s home while their two young daughters were inside.
Hyun Ju Ahn, 37, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after the family’s Chadstone townhouse was allegedly deliberately set alight on May 21 using a gas bottle, the Herald Sun reported.
Bang is executive chef of Nordic-inspired restaurant Freyja on Collins Street. He was was born in Korea and had an international career working at Michelin-starred restaurants in Norway, Spain and New York before settling in Melbourne.
The chef was out of town when the blaze broke out, with a GoFundMe campaign in the wake of the fire having raised more than $21,000 to support the family.
‘Chef Jae Bang (Freyja, Melbourne) lost his home to a fire while he was away. His wife and two daughters were sleeping when it happened, and they were unconscious when the firefighters rescued them,’ the page reads.
‘They were seriously injured and have had extensive stays in the hospital. The family is recovering, but they have no home, no other family in the area, and have many expenses to cover from the fire rescue and hospital stays.’
The page was started on July 12, a few days before the charges against Ahn were laid.
‘Please support Jae, his wife and his daughters by contributing as they start to rebuild their lives!’ it reads.
Jae Bang (pictured) is married to Hyun Ju Ahn. His wife has been charged with attempted murder over a fire at their home when their daughters were inside but he was on a trip
The blaze burned the roof and walls on the second storey of the family’s Chadstone townhouse
Emergency crews had been called to the two-storey home on Terrigal Street on May 21just before 9.40pm and found smoke and flames pouring from the property.
Inside, firefighters found Ahn and her daughters, aged seven and eight, unconscious and huddled together on the floor of the master bedroom.
All three were rescued and rushed to hospital, the girls in critical condition to the Royal Children’s Hospital, and Ahn to The Alfred for treatment for burns to her hands.
Police allege the fire began when a gas cylinder inside the home exploded, fuelling the fast-moving blaze.
Ahn was arrested last Thursday by detectives from Victoria Police’s Arson and Explosives Squad and formally charged.
She faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court the next day and did not apply for bail. She was remanded in custody to return on November 21 for a committal mention.
A fourth resident, a 36-year-old man, understood to be Bang, was not home at the time and is not considered a suspect.
Korean-born Mr Bang (centre in black) has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in Norway, Spain and in New York
Mr Bang (left) appeared on fellow chef Adam Liaw’s (right) SBS series ‘The Cook Up’
Freyja on Melbourne’s Collins Street is run by Mr Bang and serves Nordic inspired cuisine
The Chadstone home (pictured) was declared a crime scene following the blaze
Bang is a well-known figure in Australia’s culinary scene, having appeared on SBS’s The Cook Up with Adam Liaw.
He has worked in three-Michelin-star restaurants at Norway’s Re-naa and Spain’s Arzak and the two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Daniel in New York.
In a 2023 interview with Broadsheet, Bang opened up about the challenges of juggling work and family life.
‘Running a restaurant demands a significant amount of time, so my days off are crucial for dedicating my attention solely to my kids,’ he said.
Neighbours described the family as quiet but friendly, saying they mostly kept to themselves but appeared happy.
Police investigations into the circumstances of the fire are ongoing.
