Karan-an Asian Boutique Restaurant opens in Toowoomba CBD

A new boutique Asian restaurant has opened in the Toowoomba CBD and it promises a “Melbourne-style” approach to food and menu styles.

Chef Raphael John De Paula with his food from the newly established Karan-An restaurant in Margaret St. Picture: Nev Madsen.

A popular Toowoomba chef has re-entered the city’s foodie scene, opening a new “Melbourne-style” Asian restaurant in the heart of the CBD.

Raphael John De Paula, who founded and ran Kusina on Ruthven Street until three years ago, has recently opened Karan-an Asian Boutique Restaurant on Margaret Street.

Mr De Paula said a three-year stint working in top South Australian restaurants gave him new inspiration for dishes and styles.

“I moved to South Australia after I sold the Filipino restaurant and I also worked in Asian restaurants there,” he said.

“When I came here to holiday, my sister (Cecile An Williams of RAK Thai Kitchen) offered me this opportunity.”

Together with Ms Williams and her business partner Kanokwan Suwanphusaporn, Mr De Paula founded Karan-an with a view of mixing Asian food styles together.

“We’re mainly Thai, Malaysian and Filipino — I’m Filipino and I really wanted to promote our culture through our food,” he said.

Mr De Paula said he had also taken heavy inspiration from the Melbourne and Adelaide food scenes, with Karan-an to feature seasonal menus, “chef’s choice” group banquets and emphasis on homemade ingredients.

“That’s the reason I wanted this restaurant to have this Adelaide and Melbourne style,” he said.

“It will have seasonal produce, everything is homemade, even our dim sims.

“The banquet is popular for groups, it’s a chef’s choice so they just sit down and we’ll feed them with a two-course or three-course.”

Karan-an is the latest offering on Margaret Street, which has become revitalised recently thanks to the opening of a number of new venues.

These include The Brewhouse and the Cork and Lever.

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Originally published as Karan-an Asian Boutique Restaurant opens in Toowoomba CBD