insideR Restaurant Review: Bunnath Kitchen

Bunnath ‘Bernie’ You’s life story – and his journey to the Gold Coast – is every bit as remarkable as the cuisine he serves up at his Robina restaurant, Bunnath Kitchen.

As a child, Bunnath survived the Pol Pot regime. Fleeing his home country for neighbouring Thailand in the late ‘70s, after both his parents and two older brothers were killed by the Khmer Rouge.

After spending two years in a refugee camp orphanage with his uncle, Bunnath’s application for refugee status was granted, and he was able to settle in Melbourne and study civil engineering at RMIT University.

Bunnath graduated from university and for years worked in Australia as a civil engineer, before returning home to Cambodia, working with the United Nations to set up schools for local children. It was around this time he met his Singaporean wife, Ivy, and decided to relocate to the Gold Coast.

With no prior experience in hospitality – other than helping out in a friend’s Asian restaurant and cooking for his friends at home – Bunnath, with Ivy at his side, decided to open Queensland’s only Cambodian restaurant, tucked away in the East Quay Shopping Centre in Robina.

“I really enjoy entertaining friends and cooking at home – some of our friends said they loved my food and thought it would be a great idea if we opened a Cambodian restaurant,” Bunnath says of his first and only foray into hospitality.

“At the time, we were semi-retired, growing orchids as a hobby – so we had plenty of time and always thought we’d like to give a restaurant a go.

“There was no Cambodian restaurant on the Gold Coast or in Brisbane, so we liked the idea of being the first – and only – people to introduce Cambodian food and culture to locals here.”

Many who have dined at Bunnath Kitchen since are glad he did – including locals and visitors from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, New Zealand and even his native Cambodia.

“We laugh because some of our customers who have traveled from Cambodia have tasted our food and begged us to come back to Cambodia to open another restaurant…because they say it’s among the best Cambodian food they’ve ever tasted,” Bunnath says.

“One time after we opened, quite a famous Cambodian food judge and restaurateur who taught Gordon Ramsay how to cook Cambodia’s signature curry, Amok Trei, ate with us and told me ours was one of the best versions of the dish she’d ever tried, which was a great compliment.

Bunnath considers Cambodian food to be a blend of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. But he also believes Khmer food is completely unique – boasting fresh, zesty, spicy ingredients and very distinct flavours unlike any other style.

Whichever peoples’ interpretation, he says they’re often pleasantly surprised when they first experience Bunnath’s take on Cambodian food.

“There are many different styles of Khmer cuisine from all the different provinces, but our food is more blended and has a contemporary spin on the flavours and presentation to suit modern diners,” says Bunnath.

“Most praise we get from customers is about the freshness of our dishes.

“Our food is made to order, embraces local produce and we don’t use any preservatives or MSG in any of our ingredients, so you can really taste the freshness and natural flavours.

“All the dishes have their own distinct flavour – we have a small menu and it has lots of variety for individual tastes.

“Sometimes we do things quite differently in Cambodia and at times there can be a French influence, because France colonised Cambodia for a period,” he adds.

“One of the Khmer’s most popular curry dishes, Amok Trei, is a marinated coral trout, steamed instead of cooked like many traditional Indian or Thai curries.

“The base for many of the dishes we serve is called ‘kreong’, which is a Khmer word that translates to ‘pounded spices and herb paste’. We finely chop herbs including lemongrass, turmeric, chilli, ginger, galangal, garlic and kaffir lime and use this as a base for many of our curries and stir fries.

“So that should give you an idea of the variety of unique flavours you can experience when you try Cambodian food.”

Bunnath and Ivy’s top tips for trying Cambodian food:

  • Dine in to get the full Cambodian experience … and to ensure the food stays fresh
  • Friday and Saturday are busy nights, so Bunnath encourages customers to make a booking if they plan to dine on those days
  • Eat with a large group of people, order a different meal each and try a bit of everything – or better still, try a banquet
  • Dine during Cambodian New Year celebrations for the full cultural experience (13-14 April)
  • Wash your food down with a refreshing Angkor beer, imported direct from Cambodia

insideR’s inside scoop on the menu

We suggest you try…

Entrees

  • Betel leaf: a deep-fried local king prawn sitting atop a betel leaf with a sweet, sour and spicy topping and pomegranate seeds that explode in your mouth
  • Keung: deep-fried pork mince – not unlike a sliced sausage – with herbs rolled in a fresh bean curd sheet
  • Boxing chicken: a deep-fried chicken wing that packs a flavour punch

Mains

  • Amok trei: an iconic Khmer dish of steamed coral trout so tender it falls apart in your mouth, swimming in a slightly spicy and creamy yellow curry and spinach sauce
  • Saj chrouk ang slirk krey: char-grilled pork rib fillet with lemongrass and pounded herbs
  • Plear saj koh: char-grilled tender eye fillet with a spicy herb salad
  • BK’s simple but very special fried rice

Dessert

  • ‘Ivy’s Delight’: a steamed coconut caramel rice and tapioca pudding, served with vanilla ice cream and topped with caramelised sweet potato… almost as sweet as its namesake, Bunnath’s lovely wife

Find out more / make a reservation

Bunnath Kitchen is open for dinner Tuesday – Sunday, 5-9pm and lunch Wednesday – Friday , 12-2pm.

It is located at East Quay Shopping Centre, 13/44 Commerce Drive, Robina.

Large groups and events are welcome.

For more information or to book, visit www.bunnathkitchen.com.au, or call (07) 5562 0707.