One of Portland's newest eateries, 'Queen Wok' is proving to be a popular choice for residents with the business receiving great reviews on social media.
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Owner of Queen Wok, Nicky Suwadee opened up the restaurant at the Portland Golf Club after following a long-time passion for cooking that originated in Thailand.
"I just love cooking. So just I tried to find somewhere we can cook food and then we found this kitchen, which is actually perfect for me," Ms Suwadee said.
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"I've being cooking for a long time. We used to have business in Thailand. That was nearly 10 years ago. So when I got here it was just one of my dreams to work in a kitchen again."
While Ms Suwadee had vast experience in the kitchen, opening Queen Wok bought a new challenge for her as first time businessperson.
"The first day was pretty hard. I didn't really have experience to be an owner. Everything felt difficult for me for the first start," Ms Suwadee said.
"And then the second week I started to get it right, and now everything is just going well. People started to know me and they love the food."
Ms Suwadee said the locals are enjoying the food and she is receiving positive feedback often.
"Thai food sells the best here, but the burger is actually getting well too," Ms Suwadee said.
There are a few options on the menu that Ms Suwadee considers her personal favourites, with delicious noodle dishes topping the list.
"I think I have pretty Pad Thai going on. Pad Thai, Pad see ew and the lamb massaman."
According to Ms Suwadee, business has been going well and she hopes to draw in the locals for a bit of relaxation.
"I just want to make it busy here. I want to make people just come and enjoy here together. The golf club now have started to put music on. We've also got a kid disco later on," Ms Suwadee said.
"I just try to call the Portland people out to come and have nice food and they can have fun."
According to Ms Suwadee, she has a vision for the future of her business, including constantly adapting the menu to maintain local interest.
"I want to keep on getting busy and later on once people start know me, I just want to put something on the special menu," Ms Suwadee said.
"It will be different every week to make people just try something new. I want people to try the new food all the time."
Reidun Berntsen
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
