Family outlines big plans for Albany hospitality scene after buying Six Degrees, opening Thai restaurant

An Albany family have grand plans for the city’s hospitality scene after taking over Six Degrees and opening a new restaurant since the start of 2022. Husband and wife duo Kom Siripun and Supa Poonpeekrai opened their new restaurant, Chanya Thai, on Good Friday. The restaurant’s opening was a culmination of years of hard work in the restaurant industry, starting when the couple first moved to Australia from Thailand in 2007. Although he worked as a civil engineer in Thailand, Mr Siripun’s first job in Perth was as a “dishie” at Thai restaurant Mai Thai in Alfred Cove. He worked his way up through the restaurant hierarchy, from dishwater to kitchenhand and eventually into a management position. Mr Siripun said that experience had given him valuable insight into every aspect of a restaurant. “We’ve seen a lot of good things, a lot of bad things . . . and we learn from those mistakes and that’s become our new restaurant,” he said. Three years ago, Mr Siripun moved to Albany and started hunting for the perfect place for his dream restaurant, while also working at Main Roads as an asset manager, a job he still holds today. Mr Siripun convinced Mai Thai’s chef Kanjana Kalinowsky to uproot her family from Perth and take on the role of head chef at Chanya Thai. He said he hoped Chanya Thai would reflect his family’s passion for food, hospitality and great service. The business is a family affair, with Mr Siripun conceding his wife is “the real boss” of the restaurant, which shares its name with their seven-year-old daughter Stephanie Chanya Siripun. Another project keeping the family busy is Six Degrees, where they took the reins on January 24. Mr Siripun had originally planned to open Chanya Thai earlier, but he could not say no to the Six Degrees opportunity when it came up. He said he saw a “lot of potential” in Six Degrees and envisaged a “new chapter” for the venue with an expanded focus on entertainment. A passionate film buff, Mr Siripun’s plans include transforming the upstairs function room into a pop-up theatre for film nights. As for the food, he was firm that the menu would remain pub-style, but he wants to bring in visiting chefs to train the kitchen staff in different cuisines. He then plans to hold “culture nights” that would cover the entire venue. “The whole function will be themed — French or European or Japanese themed,” he said. “We can start from food, drink, music, culture and even some movies. “It will be full entertainment in that complex.” Mr Siripun also has a Melbourne-inspired cafe project in the pipeline to provide breakfast for guests staying at Six Degrees — and the general public — using the laneway next to the building. “I’m passionate about how we are going to offer better service, and better food for the locals,” he said.