John O’Donoghue and his wife Yao grew up worlds apart – he in rural New South Wales, she in a village in central Thailand. Yet, they share a love of slow living and heartfelt hospitality, which they bring to their new restaurant, Chaar Long, located in sleepy Avenel, 90 minutes north of Melbourne.

“Chaar long means ‘slow down’ in Thai, which is fitting for us at our age,” says John, now in his early sixties. “We still want to stay active but have flexibility, too.”

The couple met when John travelled to Thailand with (the now-renamed) Australian Volunteers Abroad. They fell in love, got married and started a family there before relocating to Shepparton where they ran The Last Straw cafe for nearly 20 years, which won over locals with Yao’s home-style Thai cooking.

Chaar Long marks the next chapter, allowing the pair to showcase regional Thai dishes for true fans. Lunch can stretch up to three hours, as Yao prepares four to five courses in the open kitchen.

“It’s a slow, grazing sort of menu,” says John. “The food is inspired by Yao’s upbringing in her village [Wang Thong].”

The $55 set menu changes often and might begin with Yao’s signature vegetable curry puffs. Her larb moo involves roasted pork belly, sliced thin and served on cos or betel leaves with nam jim jaew, a sweet-sour chilli sauce. Som tam (green papaya salad) is laced with green apple, pear, carrot and pork crackling.

“People think Thai food is just pad Thai and green curry,” says John. “We want to be a bit more authentic to the Thai food that we have as a family.”

They also want to introduce diners to lesser-known Thai produce like sawtooth coriander, okra and cha-om (acacia leaf), much of which grows in the area.

The drinks list reflects the couple’s backgrounds, featuring Thai beer alongside wines from local women winemakers Nina Stocker of Brave Goose, Narelle King of Tar & Roses and Sarah Gough of Box Grove.

Chaar Long (and the O’Donoghues’ new home which sits behind it) are located on the historic plot that once housed the tollkeeper’s quarters for the nearby stone bridge. The family built the restaurant from the ground up with tall, sloped ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and a verandah overlooking the creek.

“It’s got a shearing shed sort of design which is typical of the architecture in this region,” John says.

The venue is licensed for 28, but John and Yao are limiting bookings to 14 people for now, and will slowly build up numbers.

Lunch Thursday to Saturday

18-22 Scobie Street South, Avenel, chaarlong.com.au