Chopsticks or Fork?

New Bo Wa Restaurant in Moree has been around since the 1970s, and Ernest and Whitney Lai are the third generation of their family to nourish the community with Aussie Chinese food like prawn cutlets and fried ice cream.

In 2019, the Black Summer bushfires swept through Malua Bay and destroyed Raymond's Chinese Restaurant. Ten months later, it rose from the ashes with a sleek new look, and with Raymond's daughter Emily now at the helm.

Gary Bong took the reins at Oriental Palace 20 years ago, keeping alive the family tradition of cooking Malaysian Chinese food for their community. Gary's specialities include char kway teo and chef's duck.

Tina and Andy, recent arrivals to Australia from Guangzhou, saw an irresistible work opportunity and took over the Pagoda Restaurant in Atherton. Andy cooks sweet and sour pork with fresh Queensland pineapple.

You don't need to be Chinese to run a successful Chinese restaurant, as proven by the Chiems, a Vietnamese family at Gawler Palace Chinese Restaurant in South Australia where their honey chicken reigns supreme.

Since the 1980s, Happy Garden has been feeding Darwin Chinese food with Hakka, East Timorese and Portuguese influences, reflecting the Lee family's refugee journey to Australia.