'On our terms': Morks Restaurant to close, new venue on the way

After 15 years of serving ”rebellious” Thai food, Morks on the Kingston Foreshore is a Canberra institution. But on Friday, 2 February, the family-owned restaurant sent an email to its regulars and posted on social media informing customers that it had been decided to close the eatery’s doors.

“On our terms, we’re closing Morks on March 9th 2024,” brothers Mork and Benn Ratanakosol wrote.

“Morks has accomplished everything we’ve wanted it to. We’ve put our rebellious stamp on Thai food and achieved every accolade we could have wished for.”

But it’s not all bad news; in fact, this decision marks a new chapter in both the professional and personal lives of the two brothers.

Speaking with Region, Benn said he and Mork had been working on a new venue they had initially planned to run at the same time as Morks. They’d just settled on the purchase of a space at Yarralumla shops when they received some happy news.

“Mork and his wife found out they were expecting a baby, which was a very happy surprise because they’d been told the chances of that happening for them were very low,” Benn told Region.

Knowing that Mork wanted to spend more time with his family, Mork and Benn decided that they would just focus on the new venue rather than run both.

“It actually felt very empowering to make that decision,” Benn said.

“I was 17 and Mork was 22 when we first started [Morks at Florey shops], so the business has really grown with us … We’ve done Morks for 15 years, and now we’re going to end it on our terms.”

The new venue will focus on what the brothers call ”third-culture cuisine”. As Thai Australians (Mork was born in Bangkok and Benn in Australia), they are sometimes seen as not Thai enough for Thai people, and too Thai for Australians. They want to take their experience of this ”in-between” culture and translate it into a dining experience that draws inspiration from multiple cuisines.

The brothers are calling the new restaurant Mínima.

“Mínima means small in Portuguese, and it was actually the Portuguese who brought chilli to Asia,” Benn said.

”We want to reflect a more global concept in this new space.”

The intimate restaurant will seat 22 people at a time, with a central bench putting the chefs in the heart of the action.

“We want you to feel like you’re in our home,” Benn said.

And the venue at Yarralumla is something of a homecoming: Benn and Mork’s parents used to run the Sukothai restaurant at Yarralumla shops before opening the original Morks at Florey. So in a way, they’ve come full circle.

The brothers also thanked “the most beautiful clientele” for being wonderful customers over the past 15 years. It’s safe to say many of them will be excited to visit Mínima to see what Benn and Mork do next.

Morks will close on 9 March, with Mínima expected to open in May.