Piqu
Piqu is Newtown's new Southeast Asian diner from two of Sydney's most celebrated chefs.
Overview
North King Street's run of heavy-hitting openings isn't slowing down, and the latest arrival comes with some serious cred behind it.
Piqu is a new Southeast Asian diner from chefs Jihwan Choi (ex-Momofuku Seiobo, Callao) and Nicola D'Angela (ex-Osteria di Russo & Russo, Callao).
The pair met on the tools locally, bonding over a shared obsession with Southeast Asian food, particularly Thai, and Piqu is the spicy-sweet result. The pair have curated a menu that leans into bold, punchy flavours, grounded in technique but not afraid to veer off-script.
The name sets the tone. Derived from 'piquant', Piqu is all about sharp, spicy, tangy food that grabs your attention as they land on your table.
In the kitchen, things are kept hands-on. Mortar and pestle work is central, with herbs like galangal, coriander root, chilli and garlic pounded fresh to build the foundations of each dish.
Smaller dishes include a raw tuna that riffs on Thai laab, mixed with beetroot and orange nam jim (that spicy, sweet, sour dipping sauce that makes Thai dishes sing), then wrapped up in lettuce cups. From there, the menu moves into bigger, richer territory.
A riverine rump cap is served over a deeply spiced massaman curry with kipfler potatoes, deliberately less sweet than the versions you'll find around town, and dialled up with birdseye chilli heat. Then there's the fried spatchcock, coated in red curry and nodding to Choi's time at Momofuku Seiobo, delivering crunch and depth in equal measure.
Drinks follow the same brief. Cocktails pull from Southeast Asian flavours with a Thai-inspired Peanut Colada alongside sharper, citrus-driven options to pair with bar snacks, while the wine list has been handled by Alice Massaria (Wine Concept), whose CV includes players like The Gidley and Bistecca.
The space itself mirrors the approach. It's intimate, unfussy and easy to walk past if you're not paying attention, a contrast to the food coming out of the kitchen. Inside, subtle details reference the menu, from sketches of chillies and limes to a slightly cheeky, hand-painted Last Supper-style artwork featuring the chefs (and a few unexpected Pulp Fiction cameos, why not?).
It might be one of the more understated openings on the strip, but make no mistake: Piqu is another all-star addition to North King Street's ever-growing lineup, and one that's unlikely to stay under the radar for long.
Imagery: Trent van der Jagt
Information
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