Ballarat's embrace of high-end cuisine keeps Mr Jones running

Mr Jones, the person, said simply opening the doors as Catfish Thai in 2013 was an achievement in itself.

The site was previously a florist and it required 12-months of work and a renovation to open it.

"We designed the kitchen, the restaurant and had to build it to get it open," he said.

On Saturday, September 16, Mr Jones celebrated 10 years in Main Road.

Both restaurants have received one of the highest culinary nods in Australia, the Australian Good Food Guide's Chef Hat awards.

The Asian-inspired cuisine of Catfish Thai was "intense" food and a faced-paced dining experience.

"It was the first restaurant on the site, which was amazing. It was well-received and it was something very new for Ballarat," Mr Jones said.

"We were doing something that nobody else was doing."

Mr Jones said there had been a lot of changes over the past 10 years, whether it was changes to the menu or major changes like expanding the restaurant, renovations and rebranding.

After five years of Catfish Thai, it became Mr Jones Dining.

Mr Jones said they renovated so they had an upstairs dining area as well as the ground floor and were able to have a more relaxed environment.

"We have a bit more of a full dining experience," he said.

"We could slow down the dining experience and now it's a little bit more staggered, it's a bit more relaxed.

"The food is still Asian with lots of big, bold flavours but not as intense."

Mr Jones still values using local produce and markets to stock his kitchen, using some stockists for the whole time the restaurant has been open.

Even after 10 years in a high-paced industry, Mr Jones said he still loves going into work.

"It takes a certain person to be a chef or restaurateur - you've got to love it and I always have and still do," he said.

"I love being creative and I enjoy cooking.

"I always continue to learn by starting a new menu, we're always growing and its really rewarding. It's contagious.

"We're always evolving, learning and keeping it interesting. There's never a dull moment."

Mr Jones said the success comes down to good food, good staff and good community.

"We want to be better," he said.

"Even tonight we're doing dishes I've never done before; that's really exciting to me.

"Small businesses and restaurants are pretty cut-throat but it's about trying to offer different things, push yourself to be better."

Over the past 10 years, Mr Jones said the food scene in Ballarat has opened up and been embraced by the community and visitors.

"People will embrace good food in Ballarat and people seek out good food when they come to Ballarat," he said.

"There's so many choices and this wasn't the case 10 years ago - it's just grown."

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