A Sunshine Coast chef with a loyal following will soon open his latest venture.
Jampa’s Spirit of Tibet is scheduled to open in Queen Street, Nambour, on July 17.
Jampa’s reputation for food on the Sunshine Coast goes back 22 years to when he and his former wife opened Spirit of Tibet at Mooloolaba.
After nine successful years on the corner of Venning Street and the Esplanade, a rent increase forced them to close the landmark restaurant.
A spell on Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba, followed, then Jampa cooked at the Palmwoods Hotel before opening Jampa’s Spirit of Tibet at the Big 4 Holiday Park, Forest Glen, which again earned a fan base.
A nearby development prompted a move to other premises but they were a little industrial for Jampa’s liking.
“For a long time, I’ve looked for the perfect place. I have a good feeling when I walked in here,” he said.
One of the attractions of the Queen Street premises for Jampa was that it already had been used as a cafe – the once-buzzing Husk and Honey – and had a kitchen.
He is also pleased to have scored the last vacancy in Queen Street, a popular one-way street running between Howard and Low streets.
“This means everything along here will be filled,” he said.
It will operate under the same name Jampa has used for years because it has a following.
“Even when we were at Mooloolaba, we never had anyone say anything bad about us. People know what they get,” he said.
Jampa, who has only one name, as is traditional in Tibet, learned to cook helping his mother feed his younger siblings.
He moved to Australia with his former wife to pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant.
He worked in Brisbane until they holidayed on the Sunshine Coast and decided to move to open his first restaurant.
The new Jampa’s Spirit of Tibet will be a BYO cafe/restaurant of 40 to 45 seats.
Jampa and his wife, Hiaxia Wang, have been busy repainting and diners can expect traditional Tibetan decor, including prayer flags out the front.
It will offer Australian-style breakfast, including coffee, and lunch Monday to Friday, to satisfy local workers, although Tibetan-style lunches may be available for group bookings. It will serve a Tibetan menu for dinner Wednesday to Saturday.
“I want to do something for everyone,” Jampa said.
He is also considering offering cooking lessons, as he has done previously, for those who would like to learn how to make Tibetan food.
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