On King Street in Newtown, PIQU has opened – a tight, low-key Southeast Asian diner from chef-owners Jihwan Choi (ex-Momofuku Seiobo, Callao) and Nicola D’Angela (ex-Osteria di Russo & Russo, Callao). It’s an unassuming space with a menu that doesn’t hold back.
The two met working across Sydney kitchens and built the concept around a shared focus on Southeast Asian food, particularly Thai. The idea is simple: take the structure and technique, then push it.
“The name comes from the word ‘piquant’ – meaning food with a sharp, spicy, or tangy edge, but also something that sparks interest. That’s pretty much our whole ethos at PIQU,” says D’Angela.
That approach shows up immediately in the kitchen. Mortar and pestle are doing the heavy lifting – galangal, coriander root, chilli, and garlic being worked by hand, no shortcuts. It sets the tone for everything that follows.
The menu leans punchy. Raw Tuna riffs on a Thai laab, cut with beetroot and orange nam jim, loaded with herbs and built to be wrapped into lettuce cups. Larger plates go harder with riverine rump sitting over a dense, spiced massaman.
Drinks follow the same direction. Cocktails stay in-region, from a Thai Peanut Colada to sharper, citrus-led builds. The wine list comes via Alice Massaria of Wine Concept, with a focus that leans into what’s coming off the pass rather than fighting it.
The room keeps things restrained. It’s small, easy to walk past, and doesn’t try too hard – sketches of chillies and limes scattered through the space, plus a hand-painted Last Supper-style piece by Choi’s wife, with the chefs dropped in alongside a few unexpected Pulp Fiction cameos.