The Inthavong family is bringing a taste of Laos to Sydney at their Green Peppercorn restaurants in Sydney’s west.
The former refugee family undertook a precarious journey over 30 years ago from Laos to the refugee camps in Thailand.
"Laos was a bit unstable after the Vietnam war,” says the youngest son in the family, Tona.
“Dad thought that by fleeing the country to Thailand, we would have better opportunities.”
“Dad thought that by fleeing the country to Thailand, we would have better opportunities.”
Hundreds of thousands of Laotians fled Laos over to Thailand after the Vietnam War due to political instability. 
Tona’s father, Kambo Inthavong crossed the Mekong (the river that separates Laos and Thailand) first before making arrangements for the rest of the family to follow.
Khambo Inthavong Source: Supplied
A task which proved extremely challenging.
“The person who was supposed to take us across left us at the Mekong River,” Tona explains.
“So, we had to wait until nightfall to cross the Mekong, if soldiers see you at night, crossing illegally, you [would] get shot at.”
"If soldiers see you at night, crossing illegally, you get shot at.”
For Ketti Inthavong, the eldest sister and the head chef at Green Peppercorn, the experience has been etched into her memory.
“It's dangerous and very scary because you're only young, and we had my little baby sister who was crying the whole time,” she says.
“Something I will never forget.”
Now living in Sydney, the Inthavongs started their own restaurant in 2012 in Fairfield in Sydney’s south-west before expanding quickly and opening two more in Blacktown and Sydney city.
One of the Green Peppercorn's most popular dishes is the Nam Khao - crunchy rice salad. Source: Supplied
However, intense competition in the food business has resulted in a slight cooling of customers and the closure of their Sydney CBD Green Peppercorn restaurant.
“On one street, there was about 18, 19 Thai restaurants, we were the new kids on the block so it was a bit hard for us," explains Tona.
"We were the new kids on the block so it was a bit hard for us."
“We decided to pull out and focus on Western Sydney because that’s where our most loyal clientele live."
The family also encountered difficulties managing the back-end of their business which they say has now improved through working closely with an accountant.
“We didn't really understand the back-end but now we've got a great accountant that gives us a lot of advice on what to do and rules and regulations of what's required.”
"We've got a great accountant that gives us a lot of advice on what to do."
“Our plans are to be more structured and organised from our end, and hopefully we can have a third location again soon.”
The Inthavongs say the food they make at their restaurants is based on traditional recipes inspired by their mother and father’s cooking.
The Inthavong family at their successful Fairfield restaurant, Green Peppercorn. Source: Supplied
“It's all mum and dad's recipes - we just plate it differently, and put it in a nice earthy plate, or put a bit of garnish, but the flavour is just exactly what mum and dad would cook.”
