First Look: Mínima

Posted on 19 July, 2024

Choosing a place to eat isn’t always about the food – it’s about the experience of being fed by those who want you to feel like you’re a part of their family.

In Kingston, rebellious Thai restaurant Morks was just that – but following its closure in early 2024, many have been left feeling like something has been missing from their dining habits. But as Mínima finally opens its doors in Yarralumla after much anticipation, brothers Mork and Benn Ratanakosol are back to cater to Canberra.

We originally broke the news of this tiny, intimate space in February but now we can reveal even more – including what you can expect to eat. And it will feel just like stepping into the living room of the Ratanakosol family.

Officially opening on Tuesday 23 July, Mínima will be serving lunch and dinner to those who have missed the award-winning and boundary-pushing food that made Morks so popular.

But this isn’t a case of simply picking up and moving –  Mínima (which means small in Portuguese) won’t just be serving Thai cuisine. Instead, the brothers are leaning into and paying homage to the Chinese part of their heritage for a menu packed full of ‘third culture food’.

An exciting challenge for both Mork and Benn, the opening is also a true full-circle moment with the brothers returning to Yarralumla – the suburb they grew up in – fitting Mínima’s concept perfectly.

“When we saw the space, it just felt really homely…we want it to feel like you’re coming over to a house and we’re cooking dinner for you,” explains Benn.

“We always wanted a small venue where we could cook and talk to people ourselves,” adds Mork.

Inspired by tiny restaurants and bars in Japan, like the menu, the interiors are also a play on the brother’s intimate aesthetic.

Designed by COX Architecture, from the Italian marble banquet in the middle of the room to the hidden two-seater dining space under the stairs (referred to as ‘The Harry Potter cupboard’), the concept was to transform the stark space into a cosy restaurant that matched the aesthetic of the suburb: inviting, warm and leafy, with warm wood tones and dark olive greens.

But while the concept might be more casual than Morks, the ambitions of Benn and Mork haven’t relaxed: the hope is that eventually, Mínima will become a hatted restaurant.

Planning to offer a tasting menu with a price point of $75, the dinner service will be dine-in only. Wanting to appeal to the locals of the Yarralumla area (as well as their regulars from Morks), the brothers are mindful of the cost-of-living crunch and plan to offer delicious, home-style food that doesn’t break the bank.

“There’s going to be some good value cuts of meat, a focus on sustainable seafood, and a lot of focus on vegetarian offerings and nose-to-tail eating as well,” says Mork.

“To achieve the price point, we want to use every part of a dollar we spend. So we’ll break down whole animals and use every single part of it. Hopefully people like it.”

But unlike other high-end dining restaurants, Mínima will also be offering BYO.

“We’ll have a liquor license but there’s no spots in Canberra that are hatted level restaurants that still allow BYO at an affordable price point. People have beautiful cellars, and they have no nice restaurants to bring in their wine,” says Benn.

“We want to fill that hole of being a beautiful, hatted restaurant that allows BYO at a pretty approachable price point.”

Along with the option of BYO, there will also be a small wine list and cocktail list inspired by what the brothers like to drink themselves.

“For the wines we provide, the vibe will be ‘stuff from Benn’s cellar’. You can bring your wine, but we’ll have also wine to share that we like,” says Mork.

“That fits into the ‘coming to dinner at our place’ concept as well,” adds Benn. “It’ll be a short wine list. It’ll be interesting… Cocktails will also be concise; probably two shaken things and one stirred down. Like a riff on a martini, a riff on a margarita, and a riff on a daiquiri.”

Mínima will also be open at lunch for takeaway only, offering a short menu of well-priced options. Inspired by the street food of their childhood, Mork has been dreaming up unique takes on some of his favourite dishes – think a noodle dish described as “mi goreng meets street-food Pad Thai”.

“We can’t do a dinner service to the quality we want to and still offer takeaway – it just wouldn’t be possible in a space this small,” says Benn.

“We really want to have a street-food style offering that brings us back to our childhood. When we would to Thailand with our parents, eating street food was a highlight of our childhood and we wanted to inject it into our offering.”

“We were inspired by other lunch places that are awesome value – places like Sandoochie. They offer amazing products through sandwiches…but we want to do it with Southeast Asian cuisine,” adds Mork.

Excited to get back into the kitchen after taking a well-deserved break, Mínima is the challenge and breath of fresh air the brothers need. And if their 15-year run of Morks was any indication, it looks like Mínima will soon be following in its footsteps.

If there’s one thing Mork and Benn do well, it’s push the limits. Let’s see Mínima take it to the maximum.

Photography: Ash St George for Pew Pew Studio.