While Catfish Thai has been among the leading forces in Ballarat’s culinary revival, the face of the beloved Main Street restaurant is about to change dramatically.
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Since opening up on Main Road in September 2013, Catfish’s complex and intricate approach to Thai cuisine has earned accolades from food lovers and critics alike.
In 2015 the CBD eatery earned its first chef’s hat in The Age Good Food Guide, a achievement it would go on to repeat three years straight. The restaurant was just the third in Ballarat’s history to be named on the prestigious list, and the first in the 21st century.
Catfish will shut its doors for good in the coming months before being replaced by a new restaurant shortly after.
READ MORE: Catfish Thai receives its third chef’s hat
Owner and head chef Damien Jones said he was looking forward to providing a new culinary experience at the same location following the success of his south-east Asian export.
“Catfish as a restaurant has been so well received over the five years and we’re really proud of what we’ve done,” Mr Jones said.
“We’ve brought a really exciting cuisine to Ballarat…but we think it’s time for a new challenge.”
The new operation, aptly titled Mr Jones, will do away with complex and time consuming traditional Thai dishes in favour of modern interpretations of French, European and Australian food.
The new restaurant will also seek to capitalise on Mr Jones’ wife Danielle’s skills as a pastry chef. Diners can expect to enjoy bread baked on site, while dessert is expected to be a particular focus.
Mr Jones said while he hoped the new outfit would be a “slightly easier restaurant to run”, there would be a similar focus on seasonal, refined cooking.
“One of the successes of Catflish that we will bring over to Mr Jones is a menu that changes regularly, depending on what’s in season and getting the best produce we can buy,” Mr Jones said.
“Those are just basic fundamentals to good food and good restaurants in my opinion, so all of those things people expect to see at Catfish will be taken over to the new restaurant as well.”
Catfish will host its final service on June 30 before closing for about a fortnight, where the restaurant will undergo a dramatic refurbishment. Mr Jones is expected to open its doors in late July.
The new restaurant will continue to accommodate about 70 diners, however service will be stripped back to Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings with lunch on Friday and Saturday.
“A lot’s changed in Ballarat,” Mr Jones said of the city’s culinary offerings over the past five years. “A lot of restaurants have opened and there’s lots more choices for people and the quality has certainly gotten better.
“It’s one of the reasons why it’s time for a change. You’ve got to keep on your toes in this game, it’s not something where you can relax and rest on your laurels.”