Piqu’s Thai-ish omelette lands at Newtown in April

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the mussels-topped omelette I ate last week at Piqu. It wasn’t any one thing about it, either. It was the slightly charred smokiness against the ping of the chilli jam that sauced up the glossy shells of the large bivalves. Then the large, fragrant Thai basil leaves and the thin, fluffy omelette hiding underneath. It was swiping my slice of crisp, golden roti through the bowl, then loading it up with a mix of it all. As

I write this, I am plotting my return to the new Newtown dining room. It arrived in April from chefs Jihwan Choi (ex-Momofuku Seiobo, The Mayflower) and Nicola D’Angela (ex-Osteria di Russo & Russo). The pair met while working at the now-closed Italian restaurant Altum, at Luna Park, and reunited on the opening team of Callao in Barangaroo. A collaborative project has been on the cards for more than two years, just waiting to find the right location. Newtown delivered a space on the most

bustling stretch of King Street. The fit-out is pared-back but funky, and the menu is loosely Thai. The constant? Piquant flavours, the inspiration behind the name. Take that omelette, which is based on pad kra pao, the chilli-laden holy basil stir-fry. “We started that dish from Thai egg omelette,” says Choi. “We thought to add on something to make it more substantial, more tasty. On the egg, we just add on fish sauce, mussels we cook in the wok with smoky chilli jam and lots

of Thai basil.” You’ll want a carb for this one. The house-made rotis have a flour and buttermilk base that’s rolled with butter and fried to order – and the jasmine rice is just as nice. The punchy flavours zing through a kingfish larb that’s crunchy with peanut praline, and a salad with chunky cubes of watermelon, green mango and toasted rice. Choi and D’Angela credit those electric flavours to the traditional hand-pounding technique they use for all their dressings. “Instead of using a blender,

you get a more authentic flavour,” says Choi. “All the oils, all the natural flavours come out. So we stick to that technique – it’s a bit hard, but we believe it’s worth it.” On the snackier end of the menu, delicate fried prawn dumplings bathe in a fire-engine-red chilli oil. It’s alive with vinegar, soy sauce, fresh-chopped ginger and coriander stalks, too. While the whipped salted cod nods to D’angela’s Italian heritage. “It riffs on a baccala mantecato,” says Choi. “Thai flavour, but Italian

technique.” Curry paste and coconut cream tie it back to Piqu’s brief, and it’s jazzed up with a crunchy topping of crispy baccala floss, mint and fresh lime, with wonton crisps to dip. The 35-seater has a mix of inventive cocktails, too (hello, Thai Peanut Coladas and pandan highballs), along with a tight wine list. Personally, until I’m back I’ll be thinking about the glass of Italian orange, and that perfect omelette. Piqu194 King Street, Newtown Hours:Tue to Sat 5pm–late piqu.com.au@piqu_newtown

Piqu Newtown, Jihwan Choi, Nicola D’Angela, mussels omelette, Thai basil, chilli jam, hand-pounded dressings, King Street Newtown, rotis, larb