Yum Club, a new restaurant in Surry Hills, Sydney, focuses on Isan cuisine from northeastern Thailand, set to open on October 12. Co-founded by Rowena Chansiri and her colleagues Alisa "Nana" Luangpaseuth and Rujirada “Mild” Wongswadiwat, the establishment offers a unique dining experience with bold colors, lively music, and distinctive flavors. Unlike other Thai restaurants in Sydney, Yum Club exclusively serves Isan dishes such as crispy corn fritters, grilled pork neck, and Laos sausage skewers, reflecting the region’s communal and casual culinary traditions.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Yum Club, a new restaurant in Surry Hills, Sydney, will open on Monday, October 12. Co-founded by Rowena Chansiri, Alisa “Nana” Luangpaseuth, and Rujirada “Mild” Wongswadiwat, the establishment focuses on Isan cuisine from northeastern Thailand. The concept originated from post-shift gatherings at Wongswadiwat’s home where they would grill Isan-style dishes over a charcoal barbecue. Chansiri, who previously ran Ickle, a specialty coffee roastery and café in Kingsgrove, and owns Ama, a casual Thai-Chinese restaurant in Surry Hills that won the Good Food Guide Critics’ Pick of the Year in 2025, is excited about Yum Club’s unique offering. Unlike other Sydney restaurants featuring Isan dishes, such as Nua Lao Thai Kitchen and Kim Yum, Yum Club aims to capture the bold colors, flavors, and fun essence of Isan cuisine through its ambiance and menu items like small freshwater fish sauces, sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, and fresh produce like green papaya.
Written for “Ama's New Thai Restaurant Sydney” on 2026-10-09,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
You’ll feel it as soon as you come in – the music, the vibe, the distinct smell of the herbs and spices,” said Rowena Chansiri, who co-founded Yum Club with Alisa “Nana” Luangpaseuth and Rujirada “Mild” Wongswadiwat.
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who → feel → Luangpaseuth
Yum Club will open on Monday, October 12.
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It’s Chansiri’s third venture, following the success of Ickle, her specialty coffee roastery and cafe in Kingsgrove, and Ama, a casual Thai-Chinese restaurant in Surry Hills, awarded the Good Food Guide Critics’ Pick of the Year in 2025.
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The Yum Club concept was born out of post-shift hangs at Wongswadiwat’s home, where the three women gathered over a charcoal barbecue to grill Isan-style dishes.
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They met while working at Ickle, when Chansiri was head roaster and Luangpaseuth and Wongswadiwat were baristas, and connected over their love of Isan cuisine.
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Luangpaseuth → meet → cuisine
While there are several Sydney restaurants with Isan dishes on the menu (such as Nua Lao Thai Kitchen in Haymarket and Kim Yum at World Square) Chansiri is confident that Yum Club is only restaurant in the city serving only Isan food.
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That means you won’t find some of Thailand’s most popular dishes, including pad Thai and pineapple rice.
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“For Thai people, Isan food is the go-to for social catch-ups,” Chansiri said.
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“It’s not fancy, it’s very approachable, a bit like tapas.”
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The cuisine was born out of necessity, she explained: small freshwater fish caught from local canals, fermented and made into sauces; sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves for easy portability; and the ready availability of fresh produce, such as green papaya and chilli.
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“It’s very summery food,” said Chansiri.
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Only proteins are grilled.
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Yum Club divides the menu into six main categories of Isan cuisine: fried, grilled, skewered, soupy, som tum (aromatic salads) and yum (dishes tossed with fresh chilli and sour-savoury dressing).
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Head chef Min Poohmin, who moves over from Ama, adapted many of the recipes from Wongswadiwat’s Laotian mother Muay Nattapon.
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“Isan food is very similar to Laos food, just twisted with Thai taste and ingredients,” said Chansiri, who recommends ordering at least one dish from four categories for the full experience.
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who → twist → experience
The pork larb, Laos sausage skewers, tum mua (green papaya and Vietnamese pork with pickled vegetables and crackling) and om (a fragrant chicken or beef stew) are a good place to start.
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Most seating is outdoors, in a shady courtyard out the back, but there’s capacity for 10 inside and a few more on the footpath.
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Yum Club will take bookings, while reserving a few tables for walk-in diners.
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“The thing I really enjoy about running a restaurant is being able to communicate through food and do something that’s kind of new for local people,” Chansiri said.
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“It’s our pride to tell you about our food and culture, and people connect through food easily because you can talk about it, taste it, feel it – it’s a joyful experience for me.”
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The Aporia
