On Monday the 2^nd of July Pok Pok opened its doors without so much as a peep. ‘We just wanted to be open,’ Ethan said, of the Docklands street food inspired Thai restaurant he runs with partner Emily. ‘A soft opening so that we could see firsthand what we needed to improve upon.’

A Bangkok native, Ethan felt that there was an interest in bringing the style of cuisine he’d grown up with to Melbourne. Encouraged by friends and confident in the knowledge that many Australians travel to Thailand each year and devour street food, he set about recreating some of his favourite dishes from different areas incorporating their distinct flavoursome influences.

The spice enriched Malay “Khao Mok Gai” (southern style Muslim chicken and rice) and the coconut based red curry of roasted duck are prime examples.  In fact the entire menu is a melting pot of dishes that are just waiting to be sampled.

The stripped back industrial space is as exciting as the food with colour abound. A gold bar area, to represent Thai culture and temples, sits at the base of the kitchen, while ‘deep blue sea’ bench and table tops were chosen to fit in with the crockery. Then there’s the hot pink stools designed by ‘Wonder’ to look like cotton reels and giant paper Chinese lanterns that hang from the main dining area.

When we visited they were waiting on signage, more tables and a few other ‘watch this space’ items. As for the need to improve upon…well…we couldn’t pick fault.

Where: 801-803 Bourke Street, Docklands
Open: currently Mon-Fri 7am-late