THE secret is all in the sauce.

Well that isn’t the only secret behind the success of husband and wife team Jacky and Ivy Chia who have worked tirelessly to launch their restaurant Chinatown in Colchester’s Osborne Street.

They pride themselves on attention to detail, quality fresh food and top notch service and are putting all of that into the new restaurant.

And they have a wealth of experience stretching back almost 30 years.

Jacky, 47, explains the couple had been living in Middlesex for a number of years before making a move to the Suffolk Countryside a decade ago.

“We ran a village pub in Saxmundham and alongside that we ran a restaurant serving Asian food.

“It was quite a change from life in London but we really enjoyed the challenge and we realised it was a place we really loved for our children, we definitely wanted to keep that lifestyle.

“Working in the pub was good experience and the food we served became really popular with villagers,” he says.

Keen to get their two children in to schools in the Colchester area the couple looked to set up a restaurant there and set up home.

“We looked for a long while and then this one came up and we just knew it was right.

“Since we opened in March the feedback has been very positive from customers and they are returning and telling their friends, but with all these things, the more people that know, the better,” he says.

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Jacky and Ivy, who are Malaysian, transformed the former storage building into a modern space for dining in four weeks, installing a bar and completely re-decorating.

They specifically focus on traditional Peking, Cantonese and Thai cuisine, with Jacky taking up head chef duties alongside part-time chefs in the kitchen.

Jacky explains they put their own particular twist on favourite dishes which include Peking Chilli prawns, Singapore Rice noodles, chow mein, Phad Thai and Penang Beef.

“We get a lot of repeat requests for our prawn toast, that is one of our most popular dishes and I think that is because we make it thick.

“It is usually on quite thin bread but the thicker version we do is a real hit.

“Our Malaysian Satay Chicken is also another of our most popular dishes, we cook it over charcoal.

“It is all about quality of the food for me and I think the main thing is the sauce.

“Everyone who prepares Asian food will have their own sauce and ours is very special, and it is about the ingredients that we use, and their quality.

“This sauce will form the basis of many dishes so it is really important, and it is the key to being able to potentially prepare so many options that can be ordered off the menu,” he says.

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Chinatown has a menu bursting with Thai and Chinese favourites, a set menu option and even a buffet on a Sunday when diners can choose as much as they like, and eat as much as they like, off the menu for a set price.

It also has a special Chinese menu for afficionados and Chinese speakers.

Ivy says there is a thriving Chinese community in Colchester and this appeals to them.

“Coming from the London area and then to Suffolk I think we were used to be there being less of a community but Colchester has a strong community and that has been a nice surprise,” she adds.

Having spent two years leading up to the launch of their own restaurant the couple are used to hard work and juggling family life with life in the restaurant.

“We liked the fact the premises were close to car parks and not far from the town centre so we hope that will prove a plus point.

“We are very confident with our service and food and so we are looking forward to building the business up.

“Obviously I would love to open another one but that is something for the future,” adds Jacky.

The restaurant, on Osborne Street, is open every day except Tuesday.