We chatted with Interview with Chef Nut of P’Nut
Tell about the new dishes at P’Nut?
At P’Nut we serve up honest, tasty, Asian-fusion dishes using fire-fuelled wok cooking, made-from-scratch sauces and recipes handed down from grandma. Our dishes are made with real Asian herbs and spices combined with the freshest food from local Australian farmers, giving you the best of both worlds!
We like to bring new options to our guests to try out and our current specials were created in partnership with Brisbane-based Dietitian, Leanne Ward. Leanne and I came up with two summer specials that are full of summer ingredients like pineapple, and they are also good for gut health. Pop in to try our Kimchi Fried Rice and Summer Stir-Fry!
What are your top 3 most popular dishes?
Our number one dish is Thailand’ s national dish, Pad Thai. Our Pad Thai takes hours to prepare as the delicious sauce simmers for over 2 hours to achieve maximum flavour.
Penang Satay is the second best-selling dish. It features our rich, aromatic satay sauce with coconut milk and made-from-scratch curry paste, tossed with Hokkien noodles, fresh veg and your choice of protein. Our signature satay sauce is also 100% vegan.
Another top-selling dish is the Nasi Goreng, which literally means ‘fried rice’ in Indonesian. This dish originated as a convenient way to preserve extra cooked rice. Frying rice with leftover meat became a favourite way to minimise food wastage, and by adding extra ingredients like shallots along with light and dark soy sauce and fragrant sambal gave birth to this Indonesian favourite.
Where did the name of P’Nut come from?
The name P’Nut has some meaning behind it because ‘P’ is actually the Thai equivalent of ‘mate’, ‘brother’ or ‘sister’, so you put ‘P’ in front of someone’s name to show familiarity and friendliness. Then Nut is, of course, my name!
What’s the secret behind P’Nut’s amazing sauces?
They are all made from scratch in Thailand using real Asian herbs and spices such as ginger, garlic, galangal, kaffir lime and lemongrass – all very fragrant, fresh and flavoursome! The key to great-tasting sauces is top quality ingredients and heat from the wok, of course!
Describe your style of cooking in a few words?
Authentic Asian, tasty, honest and fresh.
How did you get interested in cooking?
My grandmother got me interested in cooking. I learnt how to cook from my grandmother from a very early age. We’d pick up fresh ingredients from the markets so would cook with all local ingredients. Recipes my grandmum taught me were passed down the generations – traditional and special Thai recipes.
What’s your favourite dish to cook at home?
I like Pad Thai and Pad C U – comfort food!
What do you love most about what you do?
I love working with food and working with a team that’s like family. I’m passionate about food and love to serve tasty, honest food to our guests. It’s a joy.
Tell us about your latest fundraiser with Hands Across The Water
One of P’Nut’s core values is giving back to the community that we live in and the community that has influenced us. Hands Across The Water is an Australian charity supporting children and families in need across Thailand, providing much-needed resources and accommodation to improve quality of life. We’ve partnered with them for years and our CEO even embarked on an 800kilometre ride around Thailand to raise money for Hands Across The Water orphanages. Our sauces use authentic Thai herbs and spices so it’s nice to give back to the country that inspires us so much!
What’s next for you?
Big things are happening at P’Nut! I was mentored by Michelin star Chef, Chumpol Janprai, who runs renowned restaurants in Thailand. Chumpol and I will be working together again next year…
You must come and visit P’Nut soon to check it out!
About P’Nut
Welcome to P’Nut, the place where noodle lovers will find the freshest locally sourced ingredients combined with Grandma’s recipes and sauces made from scratch to create honest, tasty, Asian-fusion dishes served quickly.
P’nut restaurants are located in NSW – The Rocks, Zetland, Balmain, Sydney Olympic Park, Rouse Hill, Norwest, Dee Why and QLD – Bulimba, Southbank, Windsor and Kawana Shoppingworld.
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